“As we celebrate Brother Joseph McNally’s life and work, let’s support the arts and our artists, all those who challenge our perspectives, and all who choose to take alternative paths to contributing to our nation.”

— Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the launch the Brother Joseph McNally centenary celebrations.

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LASALLE was greatly honoured to have Guest of Honour, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, launch the Brother Joseph McNally centenary celebrations on Friday 11 August. In an inspiring speech, President Tharman spoke about the importance of the arts and Brother McNally's legacy as a visionary arts educator.

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To mark the launch of the centenary celebrations, we opened the exhibition Brother Joseph McNally: A Comparative History of One Life, curated by Senior Fellow Milenko Prvački. The exhibition was the first of its kind to undertake a visual chronicle of Brother Joe's developmental journey—from a young Irishman arriving in Southeast Asia as an educator in the 1940s, to the founding of LASALLE College of the Arts in the 1980s upon his retirement.

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Master storyteller Kamini Ramachandran's guided tours of the exhibition, A Storyteller's Tale, gave visitors a rare inside glimpse into Brother McNally's life. The exhibition concluded with McNally Memories, a finissage where LASALLE's community of staff, students and alumni paid tribute to Brother. Many shared personal stories and memories of Brother McNally and how he touched their lives.