Andrew Sayers is the Director of the National Museum of Australia. His term of appointment is from 14 April 2010 to 13 April 2015.
The Director of the National Museum of Australia is appointed under Section 23 of the National Museum of Australia Act 1980.
Mr Sayers has an extensive career in the cultural sector, both as a curator and arts administrator.
Mr Sayers completed a BA (Hons) in Fine Arts at Sydney University in 1979. He was appointed to the position of curatorial assistant at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1979 and became Registrar of Collections in 1980.
He left this position to become Assistant Director at the Newcastle Regional Art Gallery from 1981 to 1985. Mr Sayers moved to the National Gallery of Australia in 1985 where he remained for 13 years. In May 1996, he was appointed Assistant Director (Collections).
Andrew Sayers was appointed Director of the National Portrait Gallery in April 1998. During his tenure at the National Portrait Gallery, Mr Sayers oversaw its transformation into a significant national cultural institution. In 2008 the Portrait Gallery moved into a new lakeside building and attracted a number of international exhibitions including Vanity Fair Portraits: Photographs 1913–2008 and OBEY: Shepard Fairey Poster.
Mr Sayers' scholarly works include Drawing in Australia, 1989, Sidney Nolan: The Ned Kelly Story, 1994, Aboriginal Artists of the Nineteenth Century and the Australian Art volume in the Oxford History of Art.
His principal exhibitions include New Worlds from Old: 19th Century Australian and American Landscapes, Aboriginal Artists of the Nineteenth Century, Sidney Nolan: The Ned Kelly Story and (with Dr Sarah Engledow) The World of Thea Proctor.
Andrew Sayers was born in England in 1957 and moved to Australia in 1964.
Follow his tumblelog On the Shore.
Presentations and papers
Mr Sayers regularly give talks and presents papers to the public. This section provides links to online speeches and downloadable audio on demand with transcripts.
Presentation to the Music Council of Australia
ANU School of Music, Canberra, 11 September 2011
In the national interest: the National Museum of Australia
National Press Club, Canberra, 16 March 2011
Museums and their place in the world
Lowy Institute, Sydney, 1 December 2010
Letter readings from the Voyages of Discovery
National Museum of Australia, 20 October 2010
Exploration and Endeavour exhibition launch
National Museum of Australia, 14 September 2010