• Entry type: Person
  • Entry ID: AWE6240

Scheinberg, Gisella

  • OAM
(1921 – 2018)
  • Born 12 June 1921, Budapest, , Hungary
  • Died 4 October 2018, SydneySydney, New South Wales, Australia
  • Occupation Art dealer, Bookkeeper, Gallery Owner, Tailoress

Summary

Born in Hungary in 1921, Gisella Scheinberg survived the holocaust, making several escapes from concentration camps as she did. She married and, shortly after, came to Australia in 1948.

She was a hardworking businesswoman who eventually created some independent wealth. In 1969 she opened the successful Holdsworth Galleries in Woollahra, which she ran for 28 years. She made her mark in the art world both as a shrewd businesswoman and a great supporter of struggling young artists. She would often take artists to attend doctors’ appointments and when AIDS was the scourge of many artists, she offered practical and emotional support.

On Australia Day 1985 Gisella was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) ‘for service to the arts’.

Archival resources

  • National Library of Australia, Oral History and Folklore Collection
    • Interview with Gisella Scheinberg, gallery owner and Director of Holdsworth Gallery, Sydney [sound recording] / interviewer, Diana Ritch
    • [Biographical cuttings on Gisella Scheinberg, art gallery director, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals]
  • National Library of Australia, Manuscript Collection
    • Papers of Gisella Scheinberg, 1969-1994 [manuscript]

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