A message from the Director

In a period marked by unprecedented and ongoing global challenges, UQ Art Museum continues to serve as a vital platform for artistic expression, solidarity and critical dialogue. Our exhibitions and programs resonate deeply with the complex narratives of our present, offering spaces for reflection, understanding, and connection. 

Our moving group exhibition How we remember tomorrow and Hoda Afshar's powerful solo exhibition A Curve is a Broken Line (delivered in partnership with Art Gallery of New South Wales) exemplified our commitment to engaging with pressing contemporary issues. These exhibitions tackled themes of collective action, displacement, and human resilience – subjects that have become increasingly relevant in our current global context.

Our commitment to showcasing diverse and multigenerational voices and perspectives was further strengthened by key appointments to our team, including Freja Carmichael, Jocelyn Flynn and Kyle Weise to our Curatorial Team; Mittelheuser Great Ocean Scholar Aunty Sana Balai, AGNSW Oceans Pathways Education Producer Logan Bobongie, Dr Tammy Law as Engagement Assistant, and our first Blaklash Curatorial Intern Braelyn Rolfe-Chase. Each brings invaluable expertise and fresh viewpoints to our institution. 

The expansion of our Art on Campus program – including an ambitious new public art commission by Amrita Hepi in collaboration with Jazz Money, Christopher Bassi, Five Mile Radius and Sibling Architecture – has transformed our university spaces into dynamic galleries, making art an integral part of daily campus life. This democratization of art access reflects our belief in the power of cultural engagement to foster critical thinking and emotional connection for change.

The restoration of our historic pipe organ adds another dimension to our creative program, bridging traditional and contemporary artistic expression through UQ Arts. 

Our selection as a Cultural Mediation Exhibition Partner for kith and kin at the 2024 Venice Biennale marked a significant recognition of our innovative approach to audience engagement. This partnership positions UQ Art Museum at the forefront of international art discourse and education, and demonstrates our leadership in making contemporary art accessible and meaningful to diverse audiences. 

In times of global crisis, art becomes an essential lens through which we can examine, question, and reimagine our world. Our exhibitions and programs have provided crucial platforms for artists to respond to contemporary challenges, from environmental crises to social justice movements. UQ Art Museum remains committed to excellence not just in our presentations, but in fostering meaningful dialogue and understanding across UQ’s campuses and our wider community. 

Looking ahead, we will continue to amplify important voices and perspectives, ensuring our institution remains a space where art can challenge, inspire, and transform. Our growing collection, expanded campus presence, and strengthened international connections position us uniquely to contribute to the critical conversations shaping our future. 

– Director, Peta Rake

National leader in visitor engagement 

UQ Art Museum was a proud exhibition partner of the award-winning Australia Pavilion at this year's Venice Biennale. Archie Moore’s exhibition kith and kin, curated by UQ Alumnus Ellie Buttrose was awarded the prestigious Golden Lion for Best National Participation at La Biennale de Venezia 2024. This is the first time in history an Australian artist has received this accolade. 

We are honoured to have partnered with Creative Australia to deliver cultural mediation training for the staff of the Australia Pavilion. Through the training staff are empowered to relay Archie Moore’s critical messages of First Nations truth telling presented through his artwork to audiences visiting the Australia Pavilion. 

Creative Australia selected eight Australian creative and cultural workers from across Australia to participate in this professional development program, and we are thrilled that UQ Art Museum Mediator and recent UQ graduate Luisa Randall is among them.

Philanthropy at the Museum

This year, student internships, new research, and the revitalisation of a one-of-a-kind instrument were all made possible through philanthropy.

We were deeply grateful for the ongoing support of Dr Cathryn Mittelheuser AM, whose gift is supporting Bougainville Elder Sana Balai as the inaugural Mittelheuser Great Ocean Scholar. During her 24-month residency her expertise will bolster our ongoing research initiative, Blue Assembly, and contribute to scholarship across the university.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales and the University of Queensland Art Museum partnered to create opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators and curators. The Oceans Pathway 2024–25 program is a significant partnership that aims to support longform professional development of outstanding contemporary global First Nations arts education and curatorial practice. 

At UQ Art Museum, we’re delighted to welcome Logan Bobongie as Education Producer. Logan is a Wakka Wakka and Australian South Sea Islander woman and is passionate about connecting and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists through community engagement.  

For the first time, we offered a curatorial internship for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students studying at UQ, thanks to the generous support of Troy Casey and Amanda Hayman through their leading First Nations creative agency Blaklash. This internship provides mentorship from curators and arts professionals across Blaklash and UQ Art Museum. It represents an exciting step in fostering young and emerging First Nations art professionals in Queensland.  

The internship was awarded to Ngugi student Braelyn Rolf-Chase, who has been working closely with UQ Art Museum Curator and Ngugi woman Freja Carmichael to learn skills to support her in pursuing her dream career. 

Once again, Philanthropic support for our industry-leading training program allowed us to prepare UQ students for careers in the sector. Through the contributions of Ashby Utting and the late Paula and Tony Kinnane, there are UQ students who have been able to go on to develop the career of their dreams in a highly competitive sector. 

Every gift to the UQ Art Museum is much needed and gratefully received. Our donor community encourages and inspires us in our work and actively shapes the University's cultural life. Thank you for your support this year, and we look forward to continuing to partner with you in 2025 and beyond

Donate

We are deeply grateful to the community of supporters who are helping us build a world-class university art museum. In this place, art inspires and encourages us to question and challenge our place in the world. 

Your generous donations contribute to a dynamic art museum program, to a skilled future workforce and Australia’s cultural heritage. Donations of $2 or more are tax deductible and can be directed to your area of passion. 

To contribute to the UQ Art Museum, complete a donation form, or contact our Advancement Manager. 

Dr Alex Tuite 
Senior Manager, Advancement 
E a.tuite@uq.edu.au  
T +61 7 3346 9766 

Collaborations and projects

In 2024, we laid the foundations for exciting future projects and collaborations.   

2025 will begin with the major new group exhibition These Entanglements: Ecology after Nature. Guest curated by Anna Briers, the exhibition thinks with the molecular, the geological and the biological and their entanglements with social relations. Bringing together Australian and international artists it traverses choreography, sculptural installation, filmmaking, field research, tarot reading, photography, painting, and virtual simulation.

In 2024, UQ Art Museums one-of-a-kind pipe organ has undergone extensive, specialist restoration that has returned the instrument to its full acoustic potential. Together with the School of Music, the Art Museum is developing an exciting series of events and commissions to bring the organ to life. 

The restoration was made possible through the support of Dr Howard Munro and Ms Katherine Munro, and we are deeply grateful for their ongoing dedication to bringing this one-of-a-kind instrument to life.