É«ÇéÍøÕ¾

2006 | Colonial to Contemporary: Queensland College of Art 125 Years

Historical Overview 1881 - 1974

DELL Gallery @ QCA | 10 June – 16 July 2006

As part of the 125^th Anniversary celebrations at QCA, we presented our largest group show to date. Tracing individuals and artworks from J.A. Clarke’s drawing classes at Brisbane School of Arts (1881), the development of Brisbane Technical College (1884), its metamorphosis into Central Technical College (1909), College of Art (1972) and finally Queensland College of Art (1982), prior to amalgamation with Griffith University in 1992.

Project team: Simon Wright, Timothy Morrell, Dr Craig Douglas, Glenn Cooke, Jo Duke, Holly Arden, Chris Handran, Beth Porter, David Mayocchi

^{Photo: Mick Richards}

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A Contemporary Overview 1974 - 2006

DELL Gallery @ QCA | 22 July – 27 August 2006

Following on from ‘Historical Overview’ this exhibition includes work from almost 50 contemporary artists associated with the Queensland College of Art.

Project team: Simon Wright, Timothy Morrell, Dr Craig Douglas, Glenn Cooke, Jo Duke, Holly Arden, Chris Handran, Beth Porter, David Mayocchi

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The Staff Self-Portrait Project

College Gallery, Galeria Complex, 15 Tribune Street, South Bank | 26 July – 27 August 2006

Artists: David Sawtell, George Petelin, Richard Blundell, Earle Bridger, Sam Di Mauro, Carolyn Gardiner, Sebastian Di Mauro, Naomi Takeifanga, Charles Zuber, Claire Bennett, Pat Hoffie, Don Welch, Alan Owen, Mick Richards, Adam Wolter, Peter Wanny, Jo D’Hage, Marian Drew, Russell Craig, Liz Shaw, Susan Ostling, Paul Jolly, Donna Marcus, Jacky Owens, Robert Mercer, Jennifer Herd, Jonathan Tse, Andi Spark, Ben Byrne

^{Image: Colonial to Contemporary: Queensland College of Art 125 Years, installation view, Griffith University Art Museum, Brisbane, 2006. Photo: Mick Richards}

2008 | Gifted: New to the Griffith University Art Collection

DELL Gallery @ QCA | 13 February – 09 March 2008

1. Important recent gifts from:

• Davida Allen: “The Sam Neill Suite”
• Gordon and Leanne Bennett: major works on paper
• The Paul Eliadis Collection of Contemporary Art: a selection of work by Howard Arkley,  Ian Burn, Scott Redford, Michael Nelson Jagamara, Gloria Petyarre

2. A gifted new generation in the collection:

• Paul Adair, Tony Albert, Peter Alwast, Nick Ashby, Fiona Elisala, Shane Fitzgerald, Julie Fragar, Ben Frost, Rachael Gwaro, Kirra Jamison, Madeleine Kelly, Craig Koomeeta, Dennis Nona, Ben Quilty, Luisa Rossitto, Caitlin Sheedy, Arryn Snowball, Grant Stevens

3. And the genius of:

• Peggy Jones, John Mawurndjul, Eubena Nampitjin

The GIFTED exhibition project was the continuation of recent work to research, expand, and promote particular areas of the Griffith University Art Collection. Since 2005 efforts have been concentrated on the development of significant philanthropic support from the local community, and communities of interest. Major contemporary and historical works have been sourced, supported by the acquisition of works by young and emerging artists for inclusion in the On-Campus Exhibition Program.

Each art collecting institution throughout É«ÇéÍøÕ¾ has focussed areas of excellence in relation to how, why and what artworks are ultimately acquired. At Griffith University primary collecting goals focus our attention on contemporary É«ÇéÍøÕ¾n works after 1970, including quality work on paper and new media. Equally, the collection is developed in relation to how it might resonate with teaching and learning, the university and wider community, and as a catalyst in the creation of experiences afforded by access. Improving the quality of a student’s physical and conceptual experience on campus, and the maintenance of professional industry standards in our approach to the presentation and conservation of collection material are ongoing goals.

Art has become an important part of the everyday experience on each of the five campus precincts of Griffith University, between the Gold Coast and South Bank. The GUAC is now shown on 120 sites across the campuses. As a result around 20% of the GUAC collection is usually on display at any one time, a rate of exposure ranked among the highest for any public collection in É«ÇéÍøÕ¾. Griffith Artworks curates and installs focussed thematic exhibitions in high profile areas that directly and indirectly connect with teaching in surrounding study rooms and lecture theatres. We intend for such an experience to shift GUAC exhibits beyond interior decoration, and to enhance ways in which art could be considered in relation to communicating concepts extrapolated upon by teaching and vocational life. As such, the GUAC is tied to notions of lifelong learning. By example, extra-aesthetic issues of social and political import have been a strong collection focus since initial collecting priorities took shape in 1974, designed to distinguish the collection from others and also to reflect the reality of its buying power. These works are often a key part of small exhibitions related to conservation, environmental and local governance, policing and security, local cultural matters, and economic development.

In the past 18 months three very significant gifts have been made to the Griffith University Art Collection, with a combined value of almost $700 000 and featuring some of É«ÇéÍøÕ¾’s great recent practitioners. This exhibition acknowledges the generosity of these donors, alongside the gifted talent seen in works by 17 younger artists and three senior indigenous artists, all of whom now become an important part of GUAC’s own story.

^{Image: Gifted: New to the Griffith University Art Collection, installation view, Griffith University Art Museum, Brisbane, 2008. Photo: Mick Richards}