Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report

gallery profile / QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY ANNUAL REPORT 05/06 5 GALLERY PROFILE Established in 1895, the Queensland Art Gallery opened in its present premises in June 1982. Since that time, over 10 million people have visited the Gallery. On 2 December 2006, the Gallery’s second site, the Gallery of Modern Art, will open. It will be the largest art museum in Australia solely dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Comprising contemporary and historical art works, the Gallery’s Collection is supported by a varied public program which features diverse exhibitions and provides a comprehensive educational program with a focus on children and youth. The success of the Gallery’s children’s exhibitions and programs has placed the Gallery at the forefront of children’s programming in galleries and museums worldwide, and the establishment of the Children’s Art Centre demonstrates the Gallery’s commitment to young visitors. The Asia–Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT) is the Gallery’s flagship international contemporary art event. Established in 1993, the APT is the only major series of exhibitions in the world to focus exclusively on the contemporary art of Asia and the Pacific, including Australia. After four APTs and more than a decade of focused engagement with the art of the region, ‘The 5th Asia–Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’ will open on 2 December 2006 and be shown across two sites — the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery’s second building, the Gallery of Modern Art. As part of the Queensland Government’s Millennium Arts Project, the Gallery of Modern Art will enable the Gallery to strengthen and diversify its services, and respond to the continuing challenges of presenting and interpreting Queensland’s cultural life. The two-site Queensland Art Gallery will be Australia’s second-largest public art museum. Travelling exhibitions and related services are provided to regional and remote Queensland via the Gallery’s regional services program, increasing access to the art collection for all Queenslanders. The Gallery is justifiably proud of its services to regional Queensland, and is the only state gallery to provide a comprehensive program of Collection-based travelling exhibitions to regional areas as part of its core business. The Australian Cinémathèque, established in 2005 and the first of its kind in an Australian art museum, represents an important new direction for the Gallery in terms of collecting, conserving, presenting and interpreting film and screen culture. Committed to strengthening relationships with Queensland’s Indigenous communities, the Gallery profiles the artistic practice and cultural life of Indigenous Australia through exhibitions and initiatives such as the ‘Xstrata Coal Emerging Indigenous Art Award’ inaugurated in 2006. The Gallery’s Collection comprehensively represents the vibrant cultural practices of Queensland’s Indigenous artists. The Queensland Art Gallery Foundation plays a vital role in the Gallery’s activities in its attraction of private and corporate sponsorship, while support from the Queensland Government underpins the Gallery’s exhibitions, public programs and acquisitions. VISION Increased quality of life for all Queenslanders through enhanced access, understanding and enjoyment of the visual arts and furtherance of Queensland’s reputation as a culturally dynamic state. MISSION To be the focus for the visual arts in Queensland and a dynamic and accessible art museum of international standing. Charles Blackman Australia b.1928 City lights 1952 Oil on composition board, 74 x 62cm Purchased 2005 with funds from the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation Blackman Art Appeal © Charles Blackman, 1952. Licensed by Viscopy, Sydney, 2006