Queensland Art Gallery Annual Report 2006-07

gallery profile / QUEENSLAND ART GALLERY ANNUAL REPORT 06–07 5 Originally established in 1895, the Queensland Art Gallery opened in its present South Bank premises in June 1982. In 2006, the Queensland Art Gallery became a two-site institution. The Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA), the largest art museum in Australia solely dedicated to modern and contemporary art, opened its doors on 2 December 2006. Since 1982, over 10 million people have visited the Gallery. Some 859 413 people visited the Gallery's two sites since the December 2006 opening, including over 400 000 visitors to GoMA in its first six months of operation. 'The 5th Asia–Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art' (APT5), the latest instalment of the Gallery's flagship international contemporary art event and the opening exhibition at GoMA, was the first APT to be shown across two sites. 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. For over a decade, the Triennial has ensured the Gallery has formed a focused engagement with the art of the region. As a two-site institution, the Gallery is Australia's second-largest public art museum, and allows for a strengthening and diversification of services to continue to respond to the challenges of presenting and interpreting artistic and cultural life. Refurbished exhibition spaces in the original Gallery building —including the Asian Gallery, Fairweather Room, Queensland Heritage Gallery, and reconfigured Australian and international galleries — have allowed more comprehensive displays of the Collection, which is comprised of some 12 619 contemporary and historical works. The Gallery's Collection is supported by a varied public program featuring diverse exhibitions and provides a comprehensive educational program with a focus on children and young people. The success of the Gallery's children's exhibitions and programs has placed the institution at the forefront of children's programming in art museums worldwide, and the establishment of the Children's Art Centre demonstrates the Gallery's commitment to young visitors. 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. Initiated in 2005, the Australian Cinémathèque — the first of its kind in an Australian art museum and housed in purpose-built facilities in GoMA — 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, while 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. Gallery Profile 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. GoMA from the north bank, Brisbane River. Photograph: John Gollings