American artists Jeff Koons and Jeffrey Gibson will be in Canberra this year as the first participants in the new American Friends of the National Gallery of Australia Visiting Creatives Program, it was announced on Thursday.

With the idea of building on four decades of cultural ties between the National Gallery and the US, the program will bring influential American arts practitioners to Australia to engage with the national collection and the broader arts community.

Koons is known globally for his bold works of art that transform everyday images and objects. He will be the first artist to visit the NGA under the initiative this August and he will participate in a special public program during his time here.

Gibson, known for weaving together Native American aesthetic and traditions with contemporary themes, will follow in October, when he will present the National Gallery’s 2025 Annual Lecture.

Chosen from artists, curators, critics, academics and cultural leaders, one to two influential individuals will be selected each year to participate in the Visiting Creatives Program.