Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 2002-03

The annual 'Minister's Awards for Excellence in Art', organised by Education Queensland, again provided high-profile recognition for the work of secondary school art students throughout Queensland. A total of 220 school groups comprising 8400 students attended the exhibition. Young artist Arryn Snowball (2003 recipient of the Melville Haysom Memorial Art Scholarship administered by the Gallery) exhibited in the Gallery's Starter Space, and presented a public talk about his work. Established in early 2002, Starter Space exhibits and promotes the work of young Queensland artists aged 25 and under. Youth programs were also presented as part of APT 2002 (please refer to page 22). Travelling exhibitions and regional services The Gallery continued to provide a program of travelling exhibitions and industry advice to the regional gallery sector. Touring during the year were the exhibitions 'Exploring Outback: Artists' Responses to Life on the Land' and 'Otherworlds: Images of Fantasy and Fiction'. 'Exploring Outback' celebrated the ways in which artists have engaged with, and depicted, Australia's interior, while 'Otherworlds' was a youth– focused fantasy and surrealist exhibition. During the year, the youth-focused 'Pop: The Continuing Influence of Popular Culture on Contemporary Art' exhibition was developed and a tour schedule encompassing eight regional Queensland venues was confirmed. The tour will begin in August 2003. An exhibition catalogue and interactive website were also in development in 2002-03. 'Pop' will further the Gallery's commitment to providing accessible and dynamic exhibitions to young people in regional centres. It is the second travel ling exhibition to be developed specifically for young people. The Gallery's Regional Services staff were also extensively involved in research and consultation with Indigenous artists and communities of the Cape York region, in preparation for the 'Story Place' exhibition. 18 Exhibitions in development 'Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and the Rainforest' Following APT 2002, the Gallery's focus turned to the final stage of preparations for the exhibition 'Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and the Rainforest'. A ground-breaking exhibition initiated by the Gallery in 2000, it will bring the Indigenous art of Cape York Peninsula to national and international attention. The project has the support of the primary art-making communities of the region, and it encompasses an exhibition of more than 300 works by more than 80 artists - including 14 specially commissioned works acquired for the Gallery's Collection - an associated program of public events, a major scholarly publication, and an innovative traineeship program. During the year, the Gallery secured as exhibition sponsors several Queensland Government agencies, as well as the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), and Comalco. Consultation and collaboration with the communities of the Cape York region have been integral parts of the project. Continuing the consultation which was begun in early 2002, project staff visited the following communities during the reporting period: Cairns, Yarrabah, Kuranda, Ravenshoe, Atherton, Jumbun/Tully, Coen, Cooktown, Hopevale, Laura, Wujal Wujal, Babinda, Pormpuraaw, Kowanyama, Mossman, Aurukun, Lockhart River and Weipa. Another integral component of the project involved Indigenous trainees working on 'Story Place' as part of the Queensland Government Department of Employment and Training's 'Breaking the unemployment cycle' initiative. 'Story Place' is scheduled to open at the Gallery on 25 July and will continue until 9 November 2003. The opening wil l be celebrated with a weekend-long program of talks and performances on 26 and 27 July. Planning for a regional tour of the exhibition to several venues in north Queensland also began. 'Pierre Bonnard: Observing Nature' Preparations for the 4 July 2003 opening of 'Pierre Bonnard : Observing Nature' also took place during the reporting period. Organised by the National Gallery of Australia in association with the Queensland Art Gallery, this exhibition will include 120 works by one of Europe's most influential painters. Bonnard's use of heightened colour and light is just one element of his work that has so inspired a legion of subsequent artists worldwide, including eminent Queensland painter William Robinson.