Power Institute

The Power Institute is a Foundation at the University of Sydney dedicated to exploring and understanding the visual world through art and visual culture.

We provide diverse research opportunities, including international residencies, visiting scholar programs, and access to the Schaeffer Library. Additionally, we publish scholarly texts and organize engaging public programs.

Hero image: JW Power, [Untitled], c. 1938, Chau Chak Wing Museum, PW1961.347

Our history

The Power Institute was founded at the University of Sydney in 1968 through a bequest from Australian artist John W. Power. The bequest expressed his wish: "To make available to the people of Australia the latest ideas and theories in plastic arts, so as to bring the people of Australia in more direct touch with the latest art developments in other countries."

Since its establishment, the bequest has supported the development of the University of Sydney's Art History Discipline, the JW Power Collection of contemporary art (which led to the creation of the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia), and the Power Institute’s extensive contributions to research, public programs, and award-winning publications.

The transformational generosity of John Power’s founding gift has enabled so much, and we continue to deliver on its aims. However, the Foundation remains a non-profit of limited means and big ideas, and we actively seek support at all levels for our programs and initiatives.

With the ongoing support of grants and donations, we seek to endow Professorships and other posts in perpetuity to ensure the continuation of our proud traditions of teaching and research.

We also seek to expand our rich array of programs and fellowships, bringing new and exciting voices to Australia, and achieve new forms of publication and dissemination.

The Power Institute has been the grateful recipient of grants from the Terra Foundation for American Art, the Copyright Agency, the Getty Research Institute and the Gordon Darling Foundation.

If you would like to help build the next generation of excellence at the University of Sydney, or to help keep visual art alive in contemporary culture, then please talk to us about making a bequest or supporting a particular program of ours.

Donations are tax-deductible and can be made securely online.

Thank you for your support.

Explore

Latest news, books and events

Explore all the Power Institute's activities, including residency opportunities, upcoming opportunities and events, and recordings of past ones. You can also visit the Power Institute bookshop, and dive into our catalogue of publications going back to the 1980s!

Schaeffer Fine Arts Library

The Schaeffer Fine Arts Library offers a comprehensive collection and facilities for individual study and research, featuring resources of academic quality and wide-ranging depth.

Our research and partnerships

Collaboration is central to the Power Institute’s work, with partnerships spanning local and global organisations. Our shared focus on research drives the discovery and dissemination of new ideas and materials for the academic community and the public.

Our Council

The Power Foundation Council is devoted to supporting the Institute in the pursuit of its goals and to promoting its activities in Australia and abroad.