UQ Art Museum

Year in Review 2018

Visitors immersed in 'Smokework' at UQ in March 2018

It was a year of change and growth at UQ Art Museum. In 2018 we welcomed 65,676 visitors — our highest number ever.

We contributed a new energy to campus life — study spaces, later opening hours, up-late programs, and our work with UQ partners brought more people together in and around the Art Museum.

The 'Robert Smithson: Time Crystals' opening at UQ Art Museum

Art was an integral part of University life and learning, and in 2018 we delivered:

  • 40 tours to 698 UQ students
  • 51 tutorials to 838 students from 11 courses in the Alumni Friends of UQ Collection Study Room
  • 20 courses to 1032 students within Art Museum spaces
  • 77 tours to 1358 international students
  • 53 tours and workshops to 778 school students
  • 14 tours to 174 members of special interest groups
  • 9 tours to 135 international guests.
UQ students working with Dr Holly Arden in the Alumni Friends of UQ Collection Study Room

Thirty-five students were immersed in art museum practice via paid and volunteer positions, scholarships and internships.

They worked on real-life projects and contributed to the running of the Art Museum – generous donors made many of these learning opportunities possible.








These were among the 35 UQ students who worked with UQ Art Museum during 2018

“Co-curating Judy Watson: concealed histories with Isabella was a great honour and the guidance we received from Judy and the Art Museum was invaluable.”

— Emma McLean, Kinnane Endowment Curatorial Intern

Curator Isabella Baker, artist Judy Watson and curator and Kinnane Endowment Curatorial Intern Emma McLean

“I know how important it is to be supported at this earlier stage of your career and I admire UQ Art Museum for empowering emerging curators with a show like this.”

— Dr Judy Watson on working with curators Isabella Baker and Emma McLean

UQ Art Museum Advancement Director Stephanie Baldwin and 2018 Winter Research Scholar Jenna Muir

“The Winter Scholarship enriched my academic learning, illuminating connections between art theory and institutional operations, the art market and philanthropy. My potential career paths have now broadened in more directions than I could have ever imagined.”

— Jenna Muir, UQ Art History (extended major) student, UQ Art Museum Advancement Officer, 2018 Winter Research Scholar (Advancement)

Diverse professional learning opportunities for students and staff

















Curators gave front-of-house, volunteer and other staff special insights into exhibitions and artworks, which they used to provide richer experiences for the UQ community and other visitors.

Curators Dr Amelia Barikin and Professor Chris McAuliffe delivering a behind-the-scenes tour of the Robert Smithson exhibition to UQ Art Museum staff

UQ student Nikia Tester delivering a tour to a large group of visitors to the 'Defying Empire' exhibition

Defying Empire was exceptional – it was powerful, thought provoking and so much more meaningful to have a fantastic student guide.”

— The Hon. Justice A. Philippides, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Queensland

A close-up image of UQ student Nikia Tester delivering a private tour of the 'Defying Empire' exhibition at UQ Art Museum

“I’ve learned about world-class exhibitions directly from the people who curated them – the impact this had on my personal and professional development is profound.”

— Nikia Tester, UQ Art History student, UQ Art Museum Casual Museum Attendant, Casual Exhibition and Events Assistant

New ways to teach and learn

Three UQ Visual Arts Curating and Writing students worked under the guidance of Art Museum staff to curate a suite of Collection-based exhibitions for our summer program.

'Summer Mixer' student curators Bree Di Mattina, Brittany-lea Traverso and Taylor Hall with their UQ Art Museum mentors Dr Holly Arden and Peta Rake

'Summer Mixer' curator Brittany-lea Traverso

“It’s been humbling to have so many people backing our ideas and helping us bring them to fruition. My career options have opened up and it’s reaffirmed my desire to work in this industry.”

– Brittany-lea Traverso, Summer Mixer curator

Student voices helped us explore new ideas to expand the Art Museum’s reach into the campus and beyond.

Staff-student partners who worked with UQ Art Museum during the year: Samantha Rowe, Lizzie Riek, Rebecca Kilpatrick, Sophie Kubler and Suburna Ray

Our community connected with artwork and the UQ Art Collection in diverse ways:

  • 468 artworks exhibited at the Art Museum – 168 from the UQ Art Collection and 300 loaned from other institutions
  • 259 artworks installed across UQ campuses
  • 281 artworks made available for learning in the Alumni Friends of UQ Collection Study Room
  • 35 artworks loaned to important Australian exhibitions.
A member of the UQ Art Museum installation team working on the 'Robert Smithson: Time Crystals' exhibition install

Gianfranco Gorgoni Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt at site project for ‘Island of Broken Glass’, Vancouver, Canada, c. 1970 gelatin silver photograph, Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Gianfranco Gorgoni Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt at site project for ‘Island of Broken Glass’, Vancouver, Canada, c. 1970 gelatin silver photograph, Robert Smithson and Nancy Holt papers, Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Pioneering exhibitions

With artworks loaned from major Australian and international collections, Robert Smithson: Time Crystals was the first major Australian survey of work by one of America’s most influential artists.

Spending time with the 'Robert Smithson: Time Crystals' exhibition at UQ Art Museum

“Scholarly, engaging, breaking new ground and adding to the global knowledge of Robert Smithson, this exhibition was a laboratory of ideas that will continue to resonate long into the future. At Holt/Smithson Foundation we were honoured to work with the team, and we see this as a model partnership as we develop the ambitions of this new foundation into the future.”

— Lisa Le Feuvre, Executive Director Holt/Smithson Foundation, Santa Fe, USA

Clive Murray-White’s previous iteration of Smokework was held on the grounds of UQ in 1971. On 9 March 2018, the artist restaged this immersive experience.

“Watching Smokework unfold and seeing it bring the audience together and to life on such a beautiful evening, was a highlight for me in 2018.”
— Nicola Garrett, UQ Art Museum

An image of Clive Murray-White's 'Smokework' unfolding in front of the Forgan Smith Building at UQ on 9 March 2018

Our program honoured First Nation people, history, culture and art, making a rich contribution to campus life and culture.

Nunukul Yuggera Aboriginal dancers at the UQ NAIDOC music culture art festival

“Our students highly valued their visits to the Art Museum and the opportunities to engage with Indigenous art, culture and artists – it’s preparing them to operate in a more culturally diverse society.”

— Natalie Oostergo, Deputy Academic Director (Arts and ELICOS), International Education Services (IES)

Shirley Macnamara 'Mugama for Country' 2018 (detail) spinifex, feathers, bone, ochre and spinifex resin Installation view

Shirley Macnamara 'Mugama for Country' 2018 (detail) spinifex, feathers, bone, ochre and spinifex resin Installation view, The University of Queensland Art Museum Reproduced courtesy of the artist and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Photo: Carl Warner

Shirley Macnamara 'Mugama for Country' 2018 (detail) spinifex, feathers, bone, ochre and spinifex resin Installation view, The University of Queensland Art Museum Reproduced courtesy of the artist and Alcaston Gallery, Melbourne Photo: Carl Warner

“Having access to a wide range of artworks at the Art Museum has boosted the sense of community and connection to UQ, and our students have learned so much about Indigenous art and culture – something they regularly request.”

— Andy Parkinson, Activities Officer, Institute of Continuing & TESOL Education, UQ

With great pride we observed Art Museum alumni embrace new career opportunities in Australia and around the world.

UQ and UQ Art Museum alumni Marcella Fox and Alice-Anne Psaltis at a UQ Art Museum event at Christies in London

Marcella Fox in action as part of her internship at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice

“The quality of the Art Museum’s training gave me the skills and confidence to embrace exciting international opportunities. I’m grateful for the donor-funded research scholarship that got me started.”

— Marcella Fox, UQ Bachelor of Business Management (Marketing) and Arts (Art History) graduate, UQ Art Museum 2017 Winter Scholar, front-of-house staff and volunteer, currently undertaking an internship at Sotheby’s in the UK

Our big-hearted supporters not only helped us deliver important learning and career development opportunities for students, but they also enriched our Collection and our community.

UQ Art Museum's Peta Rake engaged in conversation with one of our special donors at UQ Art Museum

Natasha Vigar unpacks a ceramic object while undertaking a 2018 Kinnane Endowment Regional Internship at Rockhampton Art Gallery

“Working with such a special ceramics collection at the Rockhampton Art Gallery during my internship enhanced my professional skills and knowledge and made me more determined than ever to pursue a career in registration and object management.”

— Natasha Vigar, UQ Master of Museum Studies graduate and 2018 Kinnane Endowment Regional Intern

Art Museum Director Dr Campbell Gray spoke on international panels to connect UQ alumni, supporters and friends around the world.

UQ Art Museum Director Dr Campbell Gray leads a panel discussion at Christies in London attended by UQ alumni and friends

Our people

It’s been a year of changes.

We farewelled staff members who made immeasurable contributions to the Art Museum and to the UQ community.

We also welcomed new faces to a team that will build on this important legacy as we look to the future.