THE death of Australian art icon Margaret Olley will add “extra poignancy” to the Archibald Prize exhibition when it comes to the Tweed River Art Gallery next week.

Ms Olley, who was named a National Living Treasure in 1997, is the subject of this year's Archibald winning portrait by Ben Quilty.

She died in her Sydney home on Tuesday aged 88.

Tweed River Art Gallery curator Susi Muddiman said Ms Olley had contributed greatly to the Northern Rivers region for her art and her philanthropy.

“We knew she grew up in the Lismore and Kyogle areas and she was here for the opening of stage two of the gallery,” Ms Muddiman said.

“It's extra, extra poignant that she should be the subject of this year's Archibald winning portrait when the exhibition comes this time.”

Coincidentally, Ms Olley's last visit to the Tweed River Art Gallery was the last time the Archibald Prize Exhibition was on display there five years ago. Ms Olley contributed several art pieces to the gallery since its inception.

“We have a couple of her artworks here in our collection so we will always have really lovely reminders of her here at the gallery,” Ms Muddiman said.

Ms Olley is the only person to twice be the subject of an Archibald Prize winner. William Dobell's portrait of a much younger Olley was the winning work in 1948.

With a career that spanned more than 50 years and a critically acclaimed body of works, she is regarded as Australia's most important 20th cen-

tury interior and still-life painter.

“She was an inspiration to a whole generation of Australian artists and will continue to be,” Ms Muddiman said.