Bundaberg Regional Council acknowledges the Traditional Country of the Taribelang Bunda, Gooreng Gooreng, Gurang, and Bailai Peoples and recognises that this country has been and continues to be of cultural, spiritual, social and economic significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.
We recognise the thousands of generations of continuous culture that have shaped this country and the people on it.
We pay respects to Elders, past and present.
Mayor's Message
Welcome to the Spring Program for Bundaberg Regional Galleries.
This season offers a wonderful mix of exhibitions and events that showcase the creativity and diversity of our region. At Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery, _land by Dylan Sarra combines printmaking and sculpture to reflect on the history and stories of our region, drawing on research through his First Nations Fellowship with Queensland Museum.
It is a thoughtful and visually striking exhibition well worth experiencing.
HERE + now 2025 also returns for its seventh year, providing a vibrant snapshot of what local artists have been creating over the past 12 months. The range of mediums and styles is a real celebration of the talent we have in our community.
Over at Childers Arts Space, Fauna and Flora Inspired presents beautiful ceramic works from the Wide Bay Burnett Potters Association, a group that has been promoting pottery in our region for more than 50 years. This exhibition will also be our first at Childers to feature audio guides, making it more accessible to visitors with vision impairment.
Helen Blackburn
Bundaberg Region Mayor
Director's Welcome
Welcome to the Spring edition of our Gallery Program! In this quarter, our ever popular HERE + now exhibition is back for its seventh year! This exhibition started in 2019 with the aim of providing an annual snapshot of the diverse artistic practices that exist across our region.
Working with regional artists and celebrating regional creativity is something that I am very passionate about, and HERE + now aims to do exactly that. Each year, I am amazed by the breadth of artworks that are submitted!
I am also very glad that I no longer make the final selection of artworks for the exhibition, as the standard is very high and the choice very difficult to make.
This year, we welcomed Kerryanne Farrer, the Director for Redland Art Gallery to be the Curator. Her final choice of works was thoughtful and considered, and I look forward to throwing open the doors for everyone to enjoy!
This quarter, we are also celebrating regional artists in our Childers Arts Space with the latest exhibition Fauna and Flora Inspired by the Wide Bay Burnett Potters Association Inc. Like many of the art groups in our region, the Wide Bay Burnett Potters Association is committed to the promotion and development of its members, and this exhibition is a testament to this ethos.
In both HERE + now and Fauna and Flora Inspired, artworks are for sale and I encourage you to consider investing in a piece, because by investing in local art, you are cultivating creativity!
There are many other inspirational exhibitions opening this Spring, including _land by Dylan Sarra (Taribelang, Gooreng Gooreng) and Alana Hunt's Surveilling a Crime Scene so ensure Bundaberg Regional Galleries is on your to-visit list.
Rebecca McDuff
Gallery Director
EXHIBITIONS
_land
Dylan Sarra
13 September to 8 November
Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery
Gallery One
Opening: Saturday 13 September | 2-4 pm
Art walk: Wednesday 29 October | 5.30 pm
_land is a solo exhibition by Taribelang Bunda and Gooreng Gooreng artist, Dylan Sarra.
Based on research conducted through his First Nations Fellowship with Queensland Museum, _land explores the juxtaposition of Gregory Blaxland's settlement in the Bundaberg Region during the mid 19th century and the thriving Aboriginal community that had existed on these lands for thousands of years.
Reflective of both his printmaking and sculptural practice, _land takes the viewer on an emotional journey through Sarra's familial history and the interweaving of this with the colonial narrative that exists for this region.
With the support of Queensland Museum, Sarra has been able to access extensive records and significant artefacts that have informed the curatorial focus of _land and given new direction to his arts practice.
Dylan Sarra, Stone Tipped Spears, 2025, timber, stone, feathers. Photo: Louis Lim.
Dylan Sarra, Stone Tipped Spears, 2025, timber, stone, feathers. Photo: Louis Lim.
Image: Alana Hunt, Surveilling a Crime Scene, 2023 film still (detail), Super 8mm film transferred to digital file: 21:58 minutes, colour, sound, 4:3. Courtesy of the artist.
Image: Alana Hunt, Surveilling a Crime Scene, 2023 film still (detail), Super 8mm film transferred to digital file: 21:58 minutes, colour, sound, 4:3. Courtesy of the artist.
Surveilling a Crime Scene
Alana Hunt
13 September to 8 November
Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery
The Vault
Opening: Saturday 13 September | 2 - 4 pm
Alana Hunt is a non-Indigenous artist and writer whose work is shaped by relationships and conversations. Across multiple media - including film, video, photography, publications and public events - she reveals the mechanisms of oppression and colonial violence disguised in everyday life.
Her approach is a deeply personal and meticulously researched examination of non-Indigenous culture and society, that draws on her lived experiences on Gija and Miriwoong Countries in the east Kimberley region of Western Australia. The centrepiece of this exhibition is her work Surveilling a Crime Scene, shot on Super 8 mm film, which explores the materialisation of non-Indigenous life on Miriwoong Country in and around the town of Kununurra.
By connecting historic and contemporary footage, and exploring the enaction of failed agricultural enterprises, a dam, tourism and leisure, the work outlines how colonial power shapes contemporary life in this region.
Surveilling a Crime Scene was supported by the Copyright Agency's Cultural Fund and Sheila Foundation's Michela and Adrian Fini Fellowship. It premiered in a solo exhibition at the Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, Darwin in October 2023. It was exhibited at Griffith University Art Museum, Brisbane, from April to May 2025, and it is through their support that it is being exhibited in Bundaberg.
HERE + now 2025
13 September to 1 November
Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery
Gallery Two
Opening: Saturday 13 September | 2-4 pm
Now in its seventh year, HERE + now 2025 celebrates the vibrant and evolving arts scene in the Bundaberg Region.
This exhibition, curated in 2025 by Redland Art Gallery Manager, Kerryanne Farrer, features the work of 31 artists with connections to our region.
The diversity of artforms in the exhibition ranges from sculptural to textile, digital, painting, drawing, and printmaking.
Exhibiting artists: Annette Tyson | Ariella Anderson | Carmel Birchley | Caroline Palmer | Cate Verney | Colleen Helmore | Cynthia Hoogstraten | David McColl | Debbie Bennett | Debra West | Elaine Lyons | Emily Kresew | Jacques Sauterel | Jo Williams | John Andersen | Judith Hopwood | Judy Blackshaw | Kate Niblett | Kym Connell | Larissa Dabrowski | Liz Lennox | Lis Nazeri | Maggie Spenceley | Maxine Harwood | Michelle Gray | Nicole Strathdee | Nicole Jakins | Rosemary Anderson | Sabrina Lauriston | Sandy Scarborough | Vivien Hillocks
Alice McLaughlin, Forest Floor, 2020, Clay, glaze and found natural materials.
Alice McLaughlin, Forest Floor, 2020, Clay, glaze and found natural materials.
Fauna and Flora Inspired
Wide Bay Burnett Potters Association
21 August to 26 October
Childers Arts Space
Opening event: Saturday 23 August | 3 pm
Art walk: Wednesday 3 September | 10 am
Responding to the natural world, Fauna and Flora Inspired features the work of artists from the Wide Bay Burnett Potters Association.
Formed in the 1970s by a dedicated group of potters the association is focused on promoting, supporting and encouraging the art of pottery in the Wide Bay region.
This latest exhibition showcases the diversity of practice and creative intent of the members, bringing the beauty of nature to life through their ceramic creations.
EVENTS
Connecting Creatives: Insights into Self-Publishing
Thursday 2 September | 5.30 - 7 pm
Bundaberg Library
Free, booking required
Discover the world of self-publishing at an informative evening designed for creatives looking to take control of their publishing journey.
Whether you're an aspiring author or an established creator, this event, hosted by Stephen Harris and Jolene Watson, will offer valuable insights and practical advice to help you navigate the self-publishing process.
This free event will feature a panel of guest speakers, who will share their expertise on various aspects of self-publishing, from writing and editing to marketing and distribution. You'll leave with a deeper understanding of how to bring your work to life independently and connect with your target audience.
Art Walk: HERE + now
Wednesday 24 September | 10 am
Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery
Free, no booking required
With HERE + now in its 7th year, this art walk celebrates the diversity of artistic practice within the Bundaberg Region.
Led by Gallery Director, Rebecca McDuff, with guest appearances by some of the participating artists, this insightful tour offers visitors the opportunity to engage more deeply with the artworks being exhibited and to hear the background stories of their creation.
All welcome
Seniors Month: All Fired Up!
Monday 13 to Saturday 18 October
Bundaberg Pottery Group, Walker Street Craft Centre
95c Walker St, Bundaberg West
Free workshop | booking required
Saturday 15 November
Soup Night $20 adults / $15 children (U12)
Beginner friendly 2-hour workshops and community soup night hosted by Bundaberg Regional Galleries in partnership with Bundaberg Pottery Group Inc., celebrating Fauna and Flora Inspired at Childers Arts Space.
Participants will learn basic hand-building techniques to create a beautiful handmade clay bowl, with local instructors from the Bundaberg Pottery Group.
The knowledgeable facilitators will step you through the process from beginning to end and provide guidance for you to work at your own pace.
Finished bowls will be glazed and fired and returned at a special Soup Night on Saturday 15 November , where participants can enjoy a warm meal in their handmade creation.
Bookings essential. 10 participants per workshop.
Free Workshop
Monday 13 October: 1 to 3 pm
Tuesday 14 October: 9 to 11 am
Wednesday 15 October: 9 to 11 am
Thursday 16 October: 1 to 3 pm
Friday 17 October: 9 to 11 am
Saturday 18 October: 1 to 3 pm
Soup Night
Saturday 15 November: 6 to 8 pm
$20 adults / $15 children (U12)
Artist Talk: Dylan Sara
Wednesday 29 October | 5.30 to 7 pm
Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery
Free, booking required
Join artist, Dylan Sarra (Taribelang Bunda, Gooreng Gooreng), as he shares the story behind his latest exhibition _land and discusses the Queensland Museum fellowship that led him to reflect on this history of the Bundaberg Region.
Known for his engaging and thoughtful presentations on his journey as an artist and his familial connections to the Bundaberg Region, Dylan will share his knowledge and insight in this artist talk led by Gallery Director, Rebecca McDuff.
All welcome
VISIT
Gallery Shops
Discover a curated selection of unique products at the Gallery Shops, located at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery and Childers Arts Space.
Our well-stocked shops feature distinctive items crafted by talented artisans from our region, across Queensland, and beyond. Whether you are in search of the perfect gift or just in need of some retail therapy, you can't go past our range of jewellery, books, textiles, homewares, and clothing.
There are also exclusive product lines linked to exhibitions, exhibition catalogues and fun merchandise, so make sure to add the Gallery Shops to your retail itinerary!
Local funding available for creative projects
Bundaberg Regional Council in partnership with Arts Queensland provide grants for creative projects through the Regional Arts Development Fund.
Areas of support include individual professional development, workshops, innovative arts development, creative industry development and initiatives.
Apply now to bring your creative ideas to life! Visit our website today.
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