Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 2006-07

focus: 'the 5th asia–pacific triennial of contemporary art' / QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY ANNUAL REPORT 06–07 33 Regional Programs for APT5 Summer Spectacular activities were staged across both Gallery sites and for the first time in regional centres throughout Queensland — 18 regional Queensland venues simultaneously hosted a free day of activities for children and their families on 13 January, coinciding with the opening day of the 16-day festival at QAG and GoMA. Regional Queensland art galleries and selected Indigenous communities were offered 11 interactive art works and activities for Summer Spectacular – Queensland by APT5 artists. Special didactics were developed for the program, audiovisual activities were supplied on CD and DVD, and selected activities were made 'tour friendly'. Some 5709 children and family members participated in Summer Spectacular – Queensland at these venues: Bamaga Youth Centre, Bundaberg Arts Centre, Caloundra Regional Art Gallery, Gladstone Regional Art Gallery and Museum, Cooloola Shire Art Gallery (Gympie), Hervey Bay Regional Gallery, Ipswich Art Gallery, Logan Art Gallery, Artspace Mackay, Dogwood Crossing Art Gallery (Miles), Noosa Regional Gallery, Rockhampton Art Gallery, Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery, Pinnacles Gallery (Thuringowa), Gab Titui Cultural Centre (Thursday Island), Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery, Perc Tucker Regional Gallery (Townsville) and Warwick Art Gallery. Three regional Queensland tertiary institutions participated in the Gallery's APT5 artist-in-residence program, which gave young regional art students the opportunity to work with internationally renowned contemporary artists. Auckland-based Niuean artist John Pule visited Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE in Cairns, Thai artist Sutee Kunavichayanont was in residence at the University of Southern Queensland in Toowoomba, while New York- based Japanese artist Yuken Teruya visited the Gold Coast campus of Griffith University. As part of the Gallery's regional programs for APT5, Janette Laver (KickArts Contemporary Arts, Cairns) was the inaugural 'Backstage Pass' regional intern from 27 November to 7 December 2006. Rose Marin (Artspace Mackay) also completed an internship at the Gallery from 22 January to 2 February 2007. Anthony Edwards (Pinnacles Gallery, Thuringowa) was the Gallery’s second ‘Backstage Pass’ regional intern from 28 May to 6 June 2007. Anthony assisted with the demount of works in the APT5 exhibition. Both Janette and Rose undertook their internships as part of APT5 by working on Kids' APT (see also Programs of Assistance p.45). Talks, Tours and Education During APT5 opening celebrations, artist talks, panel discussions and special in conversation events were staged across both sites. On 1 December, the Director's Symposium: Remarking on the Ordinary: The Audience and Contemporary Art, aimed at arts and museum professionals — attracted 118 curators, academics, arts professionals and guests to dis- cuss current directions in the presentation and interpreta- tion of contemporary art for the ongoing engagement of audiences in Asia and the Pacific. Over 40 programs were held during the opening weekend, from 2 to 4 December, including artist talks and panels and orientation tours of GoMA. Mr Wayne Goss, Chair, Queensland Art Gallery Board of Trustees, led a special tour of APT5 and the gallery spaces at GoMA for members of the public on 3 December. Some 25 artist talks by 14 APT5 artists were presented during the opening weekend across both sites. APT5 panel discussions enabled the broader exploration of themes in the exhibition, and six sessions were held over opening weekend, each involving a panel of three or four APT5 art- ists and a Gallery staff member as chair. The Gallery's education programs commenced in the first week of APT5 with several viewing events held for local and regional educators, including academic view- ings and the launch of the Look Out Teacher Program on 7 December. These events provided the opportunity for teachers and academics to hear about APT5 education resources and events planned for the duration of the exhibition. Also launched to coincide with APT5 was the Design your own Tour online interactive resource allowing teachers to customise their own tours of APT5 to meet specific curriculum objectives. On 20 February, a New Wave O'Week event was held to welcome tertiary students to GoMA and APT5, while on 27 April a New Wave APT5 in Context forum was held for the same audience to enable an in-depth explora- tion of the contemporary art of the region. Speakers included Thomas J Berghuis, author of Performance Art in China (2006), past APT artist Dadang Christanto and Debra Porch, artist and Senior Lecturer (Fine Art), Griffith University. The APT5 Education Resource Kit , consisting of a 64-page booklet and 17 colour image cards, was produced for secondary school audiences. The kit was distributed to schools state-wide and was also available online for those teachers and students unable to attend APT5. Playing Justine Cooper's online interactive The call of the wild at the Bamaga Youth Centre, as part of Kids' APT Summer Spectacular – Queensland in January 2007. A young visitor at Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery participates in Enchanted spaces by Nusra Latif Qureshi, as part of Kids' APT Summer Spectacular – Queensland in January 2007.