UQ Art Museum
Year in Review 2019
We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and their custodianship of the lands on which UQ operates. We pay our respects to their Ancestors and their descendants, who continue cultural and spiritual connections to Country. We recognise their valuable contributions to Australian and global society.
In 2019, UQ Art Museum welcomed 70,000 visitors – more than ever before.
"As the cultural epicentre of UQ's St Lucia campus, we provided new ways for our audiences to experience art, to build community and to challenge their thinking about critical topics."
– Dr Campbell Gray, Director
This year we took a new approach to programming.
Immersive artworks, artist-conceived installations, new perspectives on the UQ Art Collection and activities that sparked conversation and action – Unlearning provided a platform for a new kind of engagement with our campus community.
"Through Unlearning we embraced the idea of ‘not knowing’ with empathy and curiosity, and had less frenetic conversations about art and culture across an extended period."
– Peta Rake, Senior Curator
Sixty students worked on California-based artist John Baldessari’s Wall Painting project, which also connected us to guest curator Tara McDowell from Monash University.
Sixty students worked on California-based artist John Baldessari’s Wall Painting project, which also connected us to guest curator Tara McDowell from Monash University.
“I loved being part of creating something instead of merely viewing it. The pyramid image [hung after the wall is painted] is what signifies the end of the artwork, and to the lay viewer, might look like the main attraction however the true creation or 'art' is the wall, which may go unnoticed unless you know the context.”
– Brinda Taparia, Baldessari painter and UQ student
We created opportunities for meaningful artist, campus and broader audience engagement.
In 2019, our team delivered a program of events and activities that made art an integral part of university life and learning, including:
- 23 programs run by the Art Museum involving 2005 guests
- 31 tours delivered to UQ groups from 19 different courses and four tours to groups from other universities
- tours to 940 guests from the general public, kids clubs and 29 Queensland schools
- tours to 2351 international students, and ICTE and IES visitors
- 26 tutorials delivered to 540 students from seven courses in the Alumni Friends of UQ Collection Study Room
- 13 events with 500+ guests to support donor engagement
- 92 bookings in Art Museum spaces by the broader University attended by approximately 4500 guests.
We aspire to make Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges an integral part of our mission.
“When I began working on Weaving the Way, I immediately gravitated to the fibre works in the UQ Art Collection and was excited to showcase them in a way that encouraged visitors to experience fibre work in a living, breathing context.”
– Freja Carmichael, curator
Elisa Carmichael Rain from the heart 2018-2019. On loan courtesy of the artist and Onespace Gallery, Brisbane.
Elisa Carmichael Rain from the heart 2018-2019. On loan courtesy of the artist and Onespace Gallery, Brisbane.
We made art part of the campus experience for more students.
Forty volunteers worked with artist Lara Merrett over ten days in an outdoor studio on the Art Museum lawn. The 60 fabric canvasses they painted were suspended on bamboo structures, and later became part of the High Stakes exhibition.
“The process was full of surprises. Some volunteers hadn't painted since they were kids, and others were practising artists or art students. An economics student from Vietnam told me his head was full of numbers and he'd spent hours on the laptop so he wanted to try something different. And a Chinese student who'd grown up watching her artist uncle paint was keen to experience painting again.
"The other surprise was the wind and the movement of the canvases on the lawn. They embodied a certain beauty, moving and being seen outdoors in the natural light."
– Lara Merrett, artist
Elizabeth Willing Through the Mother 2019. Installation view. Photo: Simon Woods
Elizabeth Willing Through the Mother 2019. Installation view. Photo: Simon Woods
Artists were provided with a vehicle to share their stories.
“Visual design, touch, taste and smell can shape our most poignant and powerful memories. In Through the Mother I've attempted to interpret an elusive olfactory memory in ways that give the audience multiple access points to participate in the exhibition experience.”
– Elizabeth Willing, artist
“The Liz Willing dinner was nothing short of phenomenal. Liz complicated notions of contemporary food culture and food as ritual through each course and invited the participants to explore every one of their senses. Josue Lopez's menu was delicious, visually exciting and innovative. A big thank you to the Art Museum for giving me a taste of Liz Willing's practice!”
– Olivia Trenorden, 2019 Bachelor of Arts graduate and 2020 Honours candidate
Public Art
“Artists enrich life in Brisbane and the more artwork produced and integrated into architecture and public spaces, the more vibrant, complex and layered our university campuses and cities at large become.”
– Jane Tynan, valued UQ Art Museum supporter
The UQ Art Collection stimulated debate and inspired us to question.
In 2019, we acquired Australian contemporary artworks that articulated the complex conditions of the times in which they were made. We focussed on artworks by First Nations and women artists.
Hoda Afshar Remain 2018 two-channel digital video, 23:29 min, edition 1/7 Collection of The University of Queensland. Reproduced courtesy of the artist.
Hoda Afshar Remain 2018 two-channel digital video, 23:29 min, edition 1/7 Collection of The University of Queensland. Reproduced courtesy of the artist.
Our community connected with art and the Collection in diverse ways.
- 214 artworks exhibited at the Art Museum – 151 from the UQ Art Collection and 63 loaned from other institutions, artists and private collectors
- 252 artworks installed across UQ campuses
- 135 artworks made available for learning in the Alumni Friends of UQ Collection Study Room
- 64 artworks loaned to important Australian exhibitions.
We collaborated with colleagues in a way that spoke to our distinct place within the University.
We partnered with campus colleagues on research-based exhibitions, forums and teaching. This work contributed to the University's Excellence in Research for Australia outcomes, and the Australian Research Council's Engagement and Impact assessment.
Naomi Blacklock performance of Aflame, A Singing Sun 2019 at the opening of Second Sight. Photo: Simon Woods
Naomi Blacklock performance of Aflame, A Singing Sun 2019 at the opening of Second Sight. Photo: Simon Woods
In 2019, we helped shape game-changing graduates.
We employed 24 students in front-of-house, advancement, finance, installer, production, and Kinnane curatorial and registration intern positions. They were mentored, developed new professional skills and helped with the day-to-day running of the Art Museum. These experiences will make them more employable when they graduate.
“Art and culture are a crucial part of a holistic education and we are boosting graduate prospects for UQ students from all walks of life through a range of immersive, contemplative and critical experiences at the Art Museum.”
– Dr Holly Arden, Associate Director
“I credit the experiences I had at UQ Art Museum for the success I've had in the visual arts. Without the Kinnane Curatorial internship, I wouldn’t have been selected for the Venice Biennale Emerging Arts Professionals Program, or my current role at Museum of Brisbane – it made all the difference!”
– Emma McLean, Assistant Curator, Museum of Brisbane and 2018–19 Kinnane Curatorial Intern
UQ Art Museum presented a series of special viewings of the highlights of the Stuartholme-Behan Collection of Australian Art. The University of Queensland holds the collection on loan from Sacred Heart Education Ministry which acknowledges the kind support of the Behan Family and The University of Queensland.
UQ Art Museum presented a series of special viewings of the highlights of the Stuartholme-Behan Collection of Australian Art. The University of Queensland holds the collection on loan from Sacred Heart Education Ministry which acknowledges the kind support of the Behan Family and The University of Queensland.
Our community contributed knowledge, time and support to our students.
“Nikia and Alex [2019 Art Museum interns] are a great reflection on UQ's Art History Department and UQ Art Museum. They are smart and enthusiastic and if they represent the calibre of graduates entering the arts sector, Queensland is in very good hands. Not only did they undertake a tremendous amount of reading to inform their presentations on the Stuartholme-Behan Collection, but they also embraced the challenge with such self-directed motivation, that they deserved to shine, and they really did.”
– Bruce Heiser, Art Dealer and Valuer