Changing of the guard

Stepping into Gordon Bull’s office you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d walked into a library or a gallery. His personal art collection lines the office walls and rows of books and exhibition catalogues tell the story of a career that has spanned several decades and more recently seven years as head of the School of Art.

Gordon, who stepped down from the top job this month, has in his seven years at the helm overseen more than 150 exhibitions in the ANU’s galleries and fostered relationships with the local arts community, Canberra embassies and the ACT Government.

Student numbers have greatly increased while Gordon was head of the School, with undergraduate numbers up by a quarter. “We pursued a strategy that meant major growth in our undergraduate and HDR students, says Gordon.

“When I started in this role we had sixteen HDR visual arts students, this year we have sixty.”

The School of Art is incredibly diverse, offering the widest range of disciplines of any art school in Australia. “It’s a hub for the Canberra art community with links to national cultural institutions and organisations like ANCA, Photospace and the Canberra Glassworks,” says Gordon.

“Most people in the Canberra art community have a connection to the Art School,” he says. “These connections are invaluable for students as well as teaching staff who are all practicing professional artists.”

While he’s seen great success, Gordon says the School was shocked when it ranked poorly in the Excellence in Research for Australia (ERA) pilot study in 2009. The problem turned out to be a lack of experience in how staff represented their research. Over subsequent versions of the study, the School has vastly improved its score to be ranked above world standard in the field of visual and creative arts.

Another challenge during his tenure was the damage caused by the super cell storm that hit Canberra in 2007. The storm caused extensive damage to the School and it took a year to complete all the repairs. Delivering programs in this environment was difficult but Gordon said he was amazed how everyone chipped in: “Although it was a difficult time, it really showed the spirit of the community,” he says.

A collegiate environment is something Gordon and others have fostered in the School of Art. “The best thing about working here is seeing all the amazing work people are producing and seeing people working together,” he says. 

Chairing the Australian Council of University Art and Design Schools, the peak body for the arts in tertiary education in Australia, Gordon says has been another career highlight.

While he has enjoyed the top job Gordon says he is looking forward to a renewed focus on teaching and research in his area of his expertise, art theory and history.

Dr Denise Ferris, an artist and Senior Lecturer who has been with the School of Art since 1987 has been appointed to Gordon’s role.