The Myer Foundation is a major Australian

philanthropic Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...

organisation.

History

The Sidney Myer Charitable Trust was established by the will of

Sidney Myer Sidney Myer (born Simcha Myer Baevski (); 8 February 18785 September 1934) was a Russian-born Jewish-Australian businessman and philanthropist, best known for founding Myer, Australia's largest chain of department stores. Early life Myer was ...

, who died in 1934, leaving a portion of his estate for the benefit of the community. Myer's will was proved at £922,000. The most famous philanthropic funding by the Sidney Myer Fund was for the construction of the

Sidney Myer Music Bowl The Sidney Myer Music Bowl is an outdoor bandshell performance venue in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is located in the lawns and gardens of Kings Domain on Linlithgow Avenue close to the Arts Centre and the Southbank entertainment precinct ...

in the

Kings Domain, Melbourne Kings Domain is an area of parklands in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It surrounds Government House Reserve, the home of the governors of Victoria, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, and the Shrine Reserve incorporating the Shrine of Remembrance. Th ...

in 1958, which is named in his honour. In 1959, The Sidney Myer Fund was established by Sidney's sons, Baillieu and

Ken Myer Kenneth Baillieu Myer, (1 March 1921 – 30 July 1992) was an American-born Australian patron of the arts, humanities and sciences; diplomat, administrator, businessman and philanthropist. He was a member of the notable Melbourne retailing Myer ...

, while their sisters,

Neilma Gantner Neilma Bailieu Gantner (7 November 1922 – 15 June 2015) was an Australian philanthropist and author who wrote as Neilma Sidney. Early life and education Born in San Francisco, California on 7 November 1922, Neilma Baillieu Myer was the el ...

and

Lady Southey Marigold Merlyn Baillieu Southey, Lady Southey (; born 2 May 1928) is an Australian philanthropist who served as Lieutenant-Governor of Victoria from 2001 to 2006. Lady Southey was born in San Francisco into the Myer family, the youngest of fo ...

, established The Myer Foundation, which was established in order to award grants in sectors not covered by Sidney Myer's will. The Myer Foundation was endowed in 1992, after Ken Myer died, leaving most of his estate to the foundation. The fund and foundation have been supported by four generations of Myer family members. In 2011,

Carrillo Gantner Carrillo Baillieu Gantner (born June 17th, 1944) is an American-Australian, who is noted as a Victorian cultural leader and philanthropist and a member of the Melbourne retailing Myer family. Biography He was born in San Francisco, Californi ...

, grandson of Sidney Myer through Sidney's daughter Neilma Gantner, was chair of the fund, while Martyn Myer , Sidney's grandson through Ken Myer, was president of the Myer Foundation. In 2017, the foundation collaborated with the

Tim Fairfax Family Foundation Timothy Vincent Fairfax is an Australian philanthropist, pastoralist and a member of the Fairfax family. He leads a charitable foundation called the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation, created in 2008. Biography Throughout his life, Fairfax has s ...

and the Keir Foundation in creating an initiative called A New Approach, to address a gap in up-to-date and accurate research and data about arts and cultural philanthropy.

Governance

, members of the Myer family involved in the governance of the foundation and fund include: *Andrew Myer : chair of Sidney Myer Fund (since 2020) *Sidney Myer : trustee *Rupert Myer : president of the Myer Foundation (since 2020) *Emily Myer: vice-president *Lady Southey : life governor *Carrillo Gantner , life governor *Martyn Myer : life governor

Awards and fellowships

Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards The Sidney Myer Performing Arts Awards were created in 1984 by the trustees of the Sidney Myer Fund to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Sidney Myer Sidney Myer (born Simcha Myer Baevski (); 8 February 18785 September 1934) was a Ru ...

were created by the Sidney Myer Fund trustees in 1984, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the death of Sidney Myer. there are three awards, given annually: an Individual Award (), a Group Award () and a Facilitator's Prize (). The Sidney Myer Creative Fellowships have been awarded since 2011, and in 2022 awarded its 100th fellowship and hit a total of . Each of the ten annual

fellowship A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

s is awarded to an individual, with no restrictions or required outcomes necessary on the that is given tax-free over two years, but it is expected that the recipients remain in Australia for this time. Mid-career Australian artists, arts managers, and "thought leaders" in the humanities are all eligible. The choice of recipients by the selection panel is based on two criteria: outstanding talent, and exceptional courage. Financial hardship is not considered. Many

Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

creatives have been Sidney Myer Creative Fellows, including Jonathan Jones,

Alexis Wright Alexis Wright (born 25 November 1950) is a Waanyi (Aboriginal Australian) writer best known for winning the Miles Franklin Award for her 2006 novel ''Carpentaria'' and the 2018 Stella Prize for her "collective memoir" of Leigh Bruce "Tracker" T ...

Ellen van Neerven Ellen van Neerven (born 1990) is an Aboriginal Australian author, educator and editor. They are queer and non-binary. Their first work of fiction, ''Heat and Light'' (2013), won several awards, and in 2019 Van Neerven won the Queensland Premier ...

Eric Avery Eric Adam Avery (born April 25, 1965) is an American musician. He is best known as the founding bass guitarist and co-songwriter of the alternative rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded two studio albums. He is also currently the ...

Vernon Ah Kee Vernon Ah Kee (born 1967) is a contemporary Australian artist, political activist and founding member of ProppaNOW. Based primarily in Brisbane, Queensland, Ah Kee is an Aboriginal Australian man with ties to the Kuku Yalandji, Waanji, Yidin ...

, and (in 2022) artist

Vincent Namatjira Vincent Namatjira (born 14 June 1983) is an Aboriginal Australian artist living in Indulkana, in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY lands) in South Australia. He has won many art awards, and after being nominated for the Archiba ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Foundations based in Australia