SUE Sauer’s love affair with art began 18 years ago when a friend said she would make a great gallery guide.
The statement resonated with the then medical practice manager and she set off to change the course of her career.
Today, Sauer revels in her role as the voluntary guides president of the Art Gallery of WA (AGWA).
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READ NOW“I had no art background, so I worked on the information desk at AGWA while I studied art history and I’ve been involved with the gallery ever since,” she said.
“It’s the most wonderful job – all the guides love it. We always say we get more than we ever give because we get to take children, and all the way up to 90-year-olds, through the gallery.
“We share our love and passion for art and it’s just wonderful to see people’s reactions.”
Together with seven fellow AGWA volunteer guides, Sauer also now leads free art tours through Parliament House.
“People are fascinated to see what art is in Parliament House,” Sauer said.
“I thought we might get a lot of foreigners but from my experience it has been mostly West Australians visiting, who know a lot about WA.
“Guides are adaptable and we have to move with whoever our audience is.”
Visitors will see WA artworks of flora and fauna, photography, indigenous collections, tapestry and sculpture.
“We have this wonderful photographic exhibition by Dianne Jones (the 2017 Parliament House-Edith Cowan University Artist-in-Residence) that was just put up last year,” Sauer said.
“She has put herself in Parliament House so there are all these depictions of her as different people within Parliament House and the one that people seem to love the most is actually in Parliament and of her as each different minister.”
The parliamentary art collection tours take place on the first Friday of each month from 3-4pm.
Bookings are essential. Call Alison on 9222 7279 or email aoshaughnessy@parliament.wa.gov.au to register.