Exhibition of Queensland Art: Commonwealth Jubilee Celebrations 1951

FOREWORD THE DEVELOPMENT OF ART The Exhibition of Queensland Art has been arranged by the State Arts Sub.' IN QUEENSLAND Committee, Commonwealth Jubilee Celebrations) to illustrate the development of Painting, By Vida Lahey Sculpture, and some of the Graphic Arts, from the early days of the Colony u In the early days of settlement in Queensland the furnishings and ancestral pictures present. to the which might be found in the homes of the professional and official classes were the only tokens of the existence of art at all, except for the craft work and weapons of the It is the first occasion that such a comprehensive display of Queensland Art has aborigines, which, being entirely unnoticed by the white settlers, counted for nothing. been presented to the public. The Exhibition includes examples by Queenslanders whose Since then great changes have taken place, extremely slowly in the first phases, but accelerating more and more rapidly in the latest period, when ease of communication with works are widely known and appreciated throughout Australia, as well as a selection of other States and with other countries, produced in the last ten years or so a more de.' the works of lesser known artists and promising young artists. veloped outlook, and an awareness of standards far different from those which were comfortably accepted when Brisbane was an out of the way corner to the rest of Aus- tralia. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Before 1881 no definite beginning can be discerned. in that year some art classes were begun at the School of Arts, and from this embryo the Technical College developed The State Arts Sub-Committee for the Commonwealth Jubilee Celebrations wishes later. Six years after this the Queensland Art Society was founded, its first exhibition to thank the Trustees of the Queensland National Art Gallery for making the Gallery being held in 1888. Seven years then passed before the nucleus of the National Art Gallery was established in the Old Town Hall (now Carnegie's Buildings in Queen available for the Exhibition, and for lending many of the works of art which are being Street). Mr. Godfrey Rivers, who was Principal of the Technical College and Presi- exhibited. The Sub-Committee also wishes to thank the Trustees of the National Gallery dent of the Art Society at that date, fitted it up at his own expense. The Gallery was of Victoria, private collectors, artists, and others who have lent works and helped so much officially opened in 1895. Five years later it was moved into a long narrow room in the with the organization of this Collection of Queensland Art. Executive Buildings, George Street. So we find that fifty years ago the three official means of propagating art, viz.— Art School, Art Society, and Art Gallery had made their beginnings; but it is the Art Gallery, although last in the field, which has made the most spectacular advances: not by steady progression, but by a series of jumps. It certainly got off with a flying start, for in the first ten years of its existence, owing to handsome grants from the Government, Convener Slate A r t s Sub-Comm (lice, was able to fill its walls with large and in some cases quite important pictures, illustrat- ing the art of the period, for instance "The Drove" by Arnesby Brown. But such palmy days did not last long as the grant petered out to almost nothing, and therefore these acquisitions were practically the last for thirty years, when the Queensland Art ORGANIZATION Fund which had been established to awaken interest in art by bringing into Brisbane works from great art centres, bought £1000 worth of pictures for it, through the The Jubilee Exhibition of Queensland Art was organized by a Working Group acting on behalf National Art Collections Fund in London. As evidence of the prevailing ideas of the of the State Arts Sub-Committee. The Working Committee included two members of the State Arts time, these pictures, including "The Everlasting Hills" by Sir D. Y. Cameron, and Sub-Committee, Messrs. Robert Haines and C. M. B. Van Homrigh, who co.opted the remaining works by Sir Charles Holmes and Eric Kennington, excited much adverse criticism though members, they are now classed among the best in the Gallery. It may be noted that not long before this, students from abroad had begun to return bringing enthusiasm and new ideas to Brisbane. WORKING GROUP About this time several notable events occurred. The City Hall was built, and C. M. B. V A N HOMRIGH E. LILLIAN PEDERSEN V I DA LAHEY in 1931 was officially opened. This engendered greater civic pride, and many of the (Chairman) ROBERT HAINES W . G. GRANT FRANK SHERRIN largest buildings in Queen Street being erected soon afterwards, Brisbane began to assume the appearance of a capital city instead of a large provincial town. 2