Buxton Contemporary was initiated in 2014 with a landmark act of philanthropy through the Michael and Janet Buxton Foundation. Along with the donation of their significant collection of contemporary Australian art to the University of Melbourne, the Buxtons provided funds to build this public art gallery on the University’s Victorian College of the Arts Southbank campus.

Opening its doors in 2018, Buxton Contemporary continues the ethos of Michael and Janet Buxton’s approach to collecting: supporting contemporary artists and a sustained engagement with the development of artistic practice.

Buxton Contemporary’s dynamic program of solo and thematic exhibitions, artist commissions, publishing and learning initiatives connects contemporary art to new audiences, and demonstrates the transformative potential of creative thinking and art-led exchanges of ideas in an educational context.