Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 2003-04

6 My fellow Trustees and I are also proud of the Gallery's other achievements during the year. From children's initiatives such as Googi's Place and 'Lost and Found' to the continued success of annual youth events like Prime, the Gallery continues to engage a wide range of audiences, both established and new. The Collection has continued to develop and grow with significant new acquisitions. Of particular note was the success of the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation's Indigenous Australian Art Appeal, enabling the purchase of 27 important new works for the Collection. The Queensland Government's support of the Gallery during 2003–04 has again been strong. I take this opportunity to thank the Honourable Peter Beattie, MP , Premier of Queensland and Minister for Trade; and welcome the new arts portfolio Minister, the Honourable Anna Bligh, MP , Minister for Education and the Arts; Ken Smith, Director–General, Department of Education and the Arts; Peter Bridgman, Deputy Director–General, Arts Queensland; and their staff. I also acknowledge the contribution and commitment to the arts, and to the Gallery, of former Minister for the Arts and Minister for Employment, Training and Youth, Matt Foley, and the former Director–General of Arts Queensland, Marg O'Donnell. In addition, my thanks are extended to my colleagues on the Board of Trustees and outgoing member Judy Watson for their contributions. From Collection development to refining the scope of Queensland Gallery of Modern Art initiatives, exciting times lie ahead for the Gallery and for its ever-growing audience. I trust you enjoy reading of our achievements in 2003–04. Wayne Goss Chair Board of Trustees An extraordinary spirit of openness and celebration was experienced by the more than 10 000 people who attended the Opening Celebrations of the major exhibition 'Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and the Rainforest' at the Queensland Art Gallery in July 2003. This significant project heralded a particularly successful year of exhibition, acquisition and programming highlights for the Gallery. There was also continued momentum towards the Gallery's expansion to a two-site institution with construction commencing on the Kurilpa Point site; the opening of the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art is now only two years away. The opening of 'Story Place' on 25 July was the result of more than two years' research and planning by the Gallery with the artists and communities of Cape York Peninsula. The Opening Celebrations comprised a dynamic program of traditional and contemporary performances, artist talks and demonstrations, lectures, panel discussions, and children's programs. These events gave audiences the opportunity to share in the unique stories of land, culture and history from the region, and view Australia's first major survey exhibition of historical and contemporary Indigenous Australian art from Cape York. Attracting more than 142 000 people to the exhibition, the 'Story Place' project incorporated an innovative traineeship program, a series of art work commissions for the Collection, a major publication, and earned the Gallery a 2003 Queensland Government Reconciliation Award for Business. The award reflected the commitment invested in the project by the Indigenous artists and communities, the exhibition sponsors, and Gallery staff. The Gallery is very proud to have succeeded in bringing national recognition to Indigenous artists from this unique area of Queensland. CHAIR’S OVERVIEW