In February, Dr Elizabeth Ann Macgregor AO OBE, gave a captivating talk titled “From Pariah to Popular, How the MCA Australia became the most visited Museum of Contemporary Art in the world”.

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Dr Macgregor took her ArtsNational Coffs Coast audience behind-the-scenes to hear how a once derided, financially compromised art museum came to be celebrated as one of the world’s most dynamic and visited galleries.

During her 22 years as the museum’s director, Dr Macgregor cajoled politicians and potential sponsors, eliminated entry fees, expanded the MCA’s partnership ambitions into Western Sydney, and consolidated a multigenerational audience with bold exhibitions and a deep commitment to arts education.

A gifted storyteller, curator and art historian, she started her career as a driver for the Scottish Arts Council’s travelling gallery bus, and has maintained her passion for both contemporary art and its transformative potential.

“Art is for everyone,” she told her 155 strong audience, “regardless of background, regardless of ability, regardless of postcode.”

In March, London-based archaeologist, writer and translator, Sue Rollin, took her audience on a journey through the world’s most magnificent domes.

Called “Glorious Domes”, Ms Rollin’s talk covered how dome structures feature in all cultures and in all sizes from domestic igloos, built of snow bricks and with no scaffolding or masonry, to the imposing dome of Singapore’s national stadium, with its metal, glass, concrete and plastic.

The audience heard that Albania has more domes than any other country.

Originally built as bunkers to withstand invading hordes, which never occurred, its 750,000 dome-like bunkers have been retro-fitted into animal shelters, cafes and storehouses.

Ms Rollin talked about humble home domes to domes as mosques, mausoleums, cathedrals and palaces.

From Roman Emperor Agrippa’s Pantheon (27BC) to the Byzantine masterpiece of Hagia St Sophia in Constantinople (Istanbul); from the Ottoman Süleyman the Magnificent’s gargantuan 16th century Süleymaniye Mosque, completed in 1557, to the Central Asian capital of Timur, Samarkand, where Shah Jahan built perhaps the most famous of all domed structures in 1632-48, the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

“From contemporary art to uplifting historical architecture, our arts talks canvass the endless possibilities of human creativity,” said ArtsNational Coffs Coast’s Chair, Annie Talvé.

“All art was once contemporary, and all contemporary art has historical antecedents.

“People are coming from across the Coffs Coast and beyond to learn together and be inspired by these well researched and dynamically presented monthly arts talks.”

ArtsNational’s 21 April talk is by Dr Kathleen Olive on Hiroshige’s Woodblock Masterpieces.

By Andrea FERRARI