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 Winter Program for Bundaberg Regional Galleries.
Across our Childers and Bundaberg gallery spaces we have events and exhibitions to delight and entertain a broad audience.
In July women step into the spotlight with all three Bundaberg exhibition spaces featuring female artists.
XX is an exhibition of contemporary female ceramicists, which will include events run by Bonnie Hislop who has amassed more than 30,000 followers on Instagram.
Residents will have the opportunity to take part in an exclusive evening event in Up Late! with Bonnie.
Local artists will also be leading the way this quarter with Creation Station: A Retrospective delivered in conjunction with the Childers Festival.
A number of interactive community-led projects have been undertaken in recent months with the Creating Contrast community installation another feature of the Winter Program.
With free entry to view exhibitions we hope to see you at the gallery soon!
Helen Blackburn
Bundaberg Region Mayor
Welcome
As the weather chills, the Galleries heat up with an exciting new array of exhibitions, events and workshops!
In June, we celebrate Pride Month - a time to commemorate and celebrate the journey of the lesbian, gay, transgender, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ+) community. At the Galleries, we have worked with curator, Carrie McCarthy, to bring the pop-up exhibition The Closet to our space. Featuring the work of artists who identify as being part of the LGBTIQ+ community, the diverse works in this exhibition speak to the challenges faced when growing up in localities or families that are not open to diversity. Each artist, whether emerging, mid-career or established, has been selected carefully by the curator so that the works in the exhibition encourage conversation and understanding about the discrimination and lack of understanding that still faces many LGBTIQ+ people in our society.
The Closet will open with a special artist + curator panel event at 4 pm on Saturday 1 June, then from 5 pm, flow into an evening of live music and celebration. For the remainder of the month, the Galleries will host a number of Pride Month events (marked in this booklet with a rainbow heart) that are open to everyone, and are about celebrating the incredible and diverse region in which we live.
The next suite of exhibitions to open at Bundaberg Regional Galleries is also thought-provoking and focused on the way that contemporary female artists use their chosen medium for storytelling. In the Gallery One exhibition, XX, I have been honoured to curate together the works of significant contemporary female ceramic artists from across Australia. I have really enjoyed working with all of the artists in XX to better understand their practice, and to have the opportunity to showcase this traditional medium in a new and exciting light.
Alongside this, in The Vault, the Ironing Maidens have created a site-specific installation that is immersive and interactive. In Gallery Two, Dr Karike Ashworth returns to Bundaberg Regional Galleries with her new exhibition Always soft, Always strong. I first had the opportunity to work with Karike in 2015 when she exhibited Lamentation in The Vault, and I was Public Programs Officer. To see Karike's journey since that point, and be able to reintroduce her work to audiences as Gallery Director, gives me much joy.
The final exhibition opening for the winter period is Creation Station: A Retrospective at Childers Arts Space, chronicling the history of the Childers Visual Arts Group. Timed to coincide with the Childers Festival, this exhibition has given me the opportunity to again work closely with this wonderful group of artists, and as always, I have come away from the experience feeling inspired and uplifted. A sentiment that I am sure will be shared by all visitors to this exhibition.
Of course, sitting alongside all of these exhibitions are incredible programs, events, and workshops, so please take the time to peruse this Gallery Booklet at leisure, and I look forward to welcoming you to the Gallery during the Winter season.
Rebecca McDuff
Gallery Director
EXHIBITIONS
Patrick Lester, Bundy R. Bear, 2018, digital print on paper.
Patrick Lester, Bundy R. Bear, 2018, digital print on paper.
The Closet
Curated by Carrie McCarthy
1 June to 30 June
Gallery Two
Opening event: Saturday 1 June | 5.30 pm
Artist Panel & Curator's Talk: Saturday 1 June | 4 pm
The Closet celebrates 10 artists who identify as being part of the LGBTIQ+ community and whose practices chronicle the experience of growing up in repressive or hostile environments. These artists highlight the diversity of voices and experiences within the queer community, and the multitude of ways LGBTIQ+ people learn to survive and thrive in the face of ultra conservative tenets and suppression.
Spanning generations and diverse media including video, sculpture, textile, photography and painting, the exhibition spotlights early and mid-career artists alongside established figures from Australia's art canon to give an intergenerational overview of the discrimination and lack of understanding that continues to exist in contemporary society.
The Closet presents artworks that are critical, celebratory, political and personal, but within each work is a call for better understanding and empathy, and recognition of their indefatigable resilience.
Exhibiting artists: James Barth, Troy-Anthony Baylis, Jorge M. Brito, Courtney Coombs, Easton Dunne, James Gleeson, Aaron Hoffman, Patrick Lester, Peter Waples-Crowe, William Yang
Juz Kitson, You are stronger than you think, You are more than you know, 2022, stoneware, raku, oxides, multiple glazes.
Juz Kitson, You are stronger than you think, You are more than you know, 2022, stoneware, raku, oxides, multiple glazes.
XX
Curated by Bundaberg Regional Art Galleries
12 July to 8 September
Gallery One
Opening event: Friday 12 July | 5.30 pm
Artist Panel Discussion: Saturday 13 July | 10 am
XX, curated by Bundaberg Regional Galleries Director Rebecca McDuff, is a celebration of contemporary female ceramicists and the power of the female touch in shaping this medium as a vessel for self-expression.
Featuring work by Juz Kitson, Bonnie Hislop, Mary-Lou Hogarth, Kara Wood, Avi Amesbury, Judith Inkamala (Hermannsburg Potters), and elders from Clay Chronicles, this exhibition offers new perspectives on this traditional art form.
Ceramics are often the under-sung hero in the arts world, known for their functionality rather than their creativity. XX challenges these traditional notions, with works that are as artistic as their creators, and that lead the viewer on a storytelling journey.
With never before seen pieces, commissioned specifically for this exhibition, XX promises to be as enigmatic and enticing as its title suggests.
Installation View Mother Controller.
Installation View Mother Controller.
Mother Controller
The Ironing Maidens
12 July to 8 September
The Vault
Opening event: Friday 12 July | 5.30 pm
Award winning duo The Ironing Maidens (Patty Preece and Melania Jack) are invigorating The Vault with their latest installation Mother Controller.
In this interactive work, using a mixture of projected visuals, lighting, music, and props, the gestures of the audience affect the projected image - they can make the character iron, but also make her break free from the traditional, monotonous gestures of ironing left to right.
Raising the questions of how do we wrestle back control from gendered socialisation? How do we get back our bodies and our time? Who is controlling us? Who are we controlling?
The Ironing Maidens are known for breaking new ground in music technology and have featured at Germany's famous Fusion Festival, the Performing Arts Festival Berlin, Byron Bay's Falls Festival, and Woodford Folk Festival, and have won Innovation awards at the Adelaide Fringe Festival and New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) Mexico.
Karike Ashworth, Who Gives a Crap, 2022, sculptural installation
Karike Ashworth, Who Gives a Crap, 2022, sculptural installation
Always soft, Always strong
Dr Karike Ashworth
12 July to 1 September
Gallery Two
Opening event: Friday 12 July | 5.30 pm
Artist Tour and Talk: Saturday 13 July | 11 am
Always soft, Always strong is an exhibition by Meeanjin-based, multidisciplinary artist Dr Karike Ashworth.
This gently provocative exhibition addresses the often contradictory experience of being a woman in a supposedly post-feminist society. The work in the exhibition covers a selection of works the artist made between 2015 and 2023, many of which developed in response to Dr Ashworth’s previous touring exhibition (Lamentation), as well as her experiences navigating IVF and the COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition combines the unassuming intimacy of ‘the domestic’ together with instances of bemusing hyper-performance.
The exhibition is informed by Dr Ashworth’s feminist epistemological approach, in that she views the world through a woman’s perspective—always. She uses her art practice to build knowledge and understanding of how patriarchal structures like gendered expectations control and contain women.
Ian Glenwright, Silence, 2023, oil on canvas.
Ian Glenwright, Silence, 2023, oil on canvas.
Creation Station:
A Retrospective
Childers Visual Arts Group
20 July to 22 September
Childers Arts Space
Opening event: Saturday 20 July | 3 pm
Childers Festival 'Art in the Park': Saturday 27 July
Creation Station: A Retrospective celebrates the creative community that is the Childers Visual Arts Group.
Started over 20 years ago in Alice McLaughlin's garden at Apple Tree Creek, this group encapsulates the true essence of artist collectives - creative learning, mentoring, camaraderie, and a passion for art.
In Creation Station: A Retrospective each artist was challenged to select artworks that reflect their creative journey, with the final selection being curated into a whole by Bundaberg Regional Galleries Director, Rebecca McDuff. The exhibition has been timed to coincide with the Childers Festival, a key event in the group's calendar, as they annually share their love of the arts with the community through 'Art in the Park'.
In its entirety, this exhibition is a testament to the strength and diversity of the Childers Visual Arts Group, and more broadly the regional arts community.
Creating Contrast: Community Installation
Bundaberg Regional Galleries
10 May to 8 September
ImaginArts
Transformed through community and school workshops, the anonymous letters from our former Message in a Bottle project have been reimagined as an installation experience Creating Contrast.
We invite participants to create contrast using hand crafted recycled paper, printed with cyanotype, to form a unique box that will contribute to an organically evolving installation.
Rhonda Stevens, Reflections at the Touchstone, 2022, Polystyrene, cement, resin and mirror. Photo credit: Amanda Galea.
Rhonda Stevens, Reflections at the Touchstone, 2022, Polystyrene, cement, resin and mirror. Photo credit: Amanda Galea.
POSTWORLD
Umbrella Studio
10 May to 7 July
Gallery One
POSTWORLD features artists and collectives who create parallel universes in their creative practice. Audiences will be invited into playful, sublime, poetic, and cautionary explorations of contemporary works and installations by nationally significant artists including those based in North Queensland.
Drawing on the detritus of the human epoch, these worlds have their own internal iconographies and languages existing in alternate time and space. The exhibition engages with contemporary discourse in object-oriented ontology, vegetal thinking, and the post-Anthropocene. New fictions rendered in the past, present, and future provide alternate perspectives on the environment, gender, and capitalist hegemony.
POSTWORLD is a touring initiative co-curated by Kate O’Hara and Daniel Qualischefski, developed by Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts (Umbrella), commissioned by NAFA and toured by Museums & Galleries Queensland (M&G QLD). This project has been assisted by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.
Umbrella and M&G QLD are supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. Both organisations are also supported by the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation and receive funding from Creative Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund.
Kym Barrett, Dad's Heart, 2023, photograph.
Kym Barrett, Dad's Heart, 2023, photograph.
contemplate
Kym Barrett
10 May to 7 July
The Vault
Contemplate is the latest solo exhibition by Queensland artist, Kym Barrett. Extending on her abstract landscape painting practice, this exhibition presents new experimental work that responds directly to her home landscape, more specifically the creek at the rear of her property.
For over 30 years, this creek, lush with rainforest, has offered Barrett a natural, nourishing and refreshing place to breathe deeply, always gifting her with rich visual imagery to embed into her memory. In contemplate the artist has created a similar contemplative space for the viewer, bringing her distinctive practice to bear in creating the installation and soundscape.
Kaya Barry, Seasonal Exhibition, 2022, photograph.
Kaya Barry, Seasonal Exhibition, 2022, photograph.
Seasonal
Kaya Barry
20 April to 14 July
Childers Arts Space
What does a week in the life of a farm worker look like? This exhibition captures the everyday rhythms of seasonal work, as photographed by the people who migrate to Australia to do much needed farming labour: people from the Pacific Islands and Timor-Leste, or the backpackers doing a “working holiday” – they are a vital part of the history of Childers and regional Queensland. Photographs taken by seasonal workers on disposable film cameras show their typical daily life while in Australia: toiling in the fields, on shuttle busses to and from the farms, living in shared dormitories, and enjoying their well-deserved days off.
Seasonal is collated by artist and researcher Dr Kaya Barry, as part of a three-year project investigating the value and contribution of seasonal migrants to Queensland’s horticultural communities.
Kaya Barry is an installation and photographic artist, based in Meanjin Brisbane. Her works pay close attention to the mundane and material aspects of daily life for migrants, tourists, and people whose lives are constantly on the move. She has exhibited at galleries in Australia and internationally, and is currently working on a three-year project funded by the Australian Research Council on the contribution of seasonal migration to Queensland’s horticultural communities. Kaya is a Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer at Griffith University. This exhibition is supported with funding from Griffith University and the Australian Research Council (project number DE220100394).
EVENTS
Arts Trivia Night
Friday 7 June | 5.30 pm for
6 pm start
Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery
$15 | Booking required
Join us for a fun night of arts trivia about everything from Warhol to Winnie the Pooh! hosted by Just 4 Fun Entertainment.
With questions about visual arts, literature, and film, everyone is welcome at this fun event set within the inspirational surrounds of the POSTWORLD exhibition at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery.
In celebration of Pride Month, attendees are invited to don their most colourful, rainbow inspired outfits, for a chance to win a prize! There will also be after-hours access to all of the latest exhibitions, including the newly opened Pride pop up exhibition The Closet in Gallery Two.
Cost: $15 includes light refreshments + paid bar available
Limited spaces available.
Art Walk
Wednesday 19 June | 10 am
Wednesday 24 July | 10 am
Wednesday 21 August | 10 am
Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery
Thursday 25 July | 10 am
Childers Arts Space
Free, no booking required
Join Gallery Director, Rebecca McDuff, as she leads our Winter art walks!
This is a lively and informative way to enjoy the Gallery for art lovers with all levels of knowledge, and concludes with morning tea utilising the Galleries' vintage teacup collection.
Free entry
All welcome
Connecting Creatives: Arts Industry Knowledge Nights
Tuesday 4 June | 5.30 to 7.30 pm
Tuesday 11 June | 5.30 to 7.30 pm
Tuesday 18 June | 5.30 to 7.30 pm
$15 per workshop
Booking required
Bundaberg Regional Art Galleries invites you to an Arts Industry Knowledge Workshop miniseries, covering basic creative arts industry knowledge to industry practices.
Tuesday 4 June - Workshop 1 Installation Basics.
Tuesday 11 June - Workshop 2 Exhibition Administration.
Tuesday 18 June - Workshop 3 Gallery Etiquette and Artwork Photography.
For more information please click the Book Now link.
Create with Pride
Saturday 22 June | 11 am to 1 pm
Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery
Free | No booking required
Kick off the school holidays in a myriad of colour with our rainbow inspired Create with Pride event for families!
This pop up art session will celebrate colour in a host of wild and wonderful ways, with a range of art workshops!
Led by the Galleries' Public Programs Officer, young art lovers and their families will be inspired to create and let their imagination loose! All families welcome!
Free entry
All welcome
Painting Masterclass: Abstract Landscape Painting with Kym Barrett
Saturday 6 July | 10 am to 3 pm
Bundaberg Regional Council Building, Corner Walla and Quay Streets
$150 | Booking required
In this masterclass, led by contemplate artist Kym Barrett, participants will use charcoal sticks, charcoal powder and cold wax medium, focusing on developing dynamic abstract compositions using vibrant tonal contrasts, and expressive personal mark-making. Students will learn new application and deconstruction techniques with this luscious medium.
Participants will also have the opportunity for a private, guided tour of Kym's latest exhibition at Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery.
Cost: $150, includes materials, light lunch, and private artist tour of contemplate exhibition
Image: Kym Barrett, Entangled 2, mixed media.
XX Artist Panel
Saturday 13 July | 10 am
Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery
Free | No booking required
Join Gallery Director Rebecca McDuff as she chats all things ceramic with a panel of artists exhibiting in XX.
Delving into the studio practices that led to their creations for this latest exhibition, the artists will share insight into their working lives and the changing face of contemporary ceramics.
Free entry
All welcome
Image: Kara Wood, Essence Group, 2023, ceramics. Photo: Kara Wood.
Up Late! With Bonnie Hislop
Friday 9 August | 5.30 to 7.30 pm
Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery
$15 | Bookings required
Come along to the Gallery for this Up Late! event with well-known ceramic artist and Insta star, Bonnie Hislop!
Usually found at the hippest venues in the State, Bonnie is excited to be hosting this exclusive event for Bundaberg Regional Galleries.
With a glass of bubbly in hand, guests will be able to chat to Bonnie about her amazing creative practice, and the quirkiness and joy she brings to the world of ceramic art.
Cost: $15
Image: Bonnie Hislop. Photo: Melanie Hinds. Courtesy the artist.
Magic Clay Workshop with Bonnie Hislop
Saturday 10 August | 10 am to 11 am
and 11.30 am to 12.30 pm
Gallery Park
$25 | Bookings required
In this workshop, young art lovers will use airdry clay and craft materials to make a bright and colourful vase inspired by Bonnie's own motif laden creations.
This workshop is aimed at young people aged 8 - 14.
Limited spaces available.
Cost: $25, includes materials
Image: Bonnie Hislop. Photo: Melanie Hinds. Courtesy the artist.
Creative Crowd: Underglazing Workshop with Bonnie Hislop
Saturday 10 August | 2 to 4 pm
Bundaberg Regional Council Building, Corner Walla and Quay Streets
$85 | Bookings required
Explore, experiment and learn with Bonnie Hislop as you learn the fundamentals of ceramic illustration using under glazes to decorate a ceramic bud vase. Known for her inspiring and quirky creations, Bonnie will share tips and tricks for applying glaze, colour and texture to your pre-made vessel.
At the conclusion of the workshop, all participants will have glazed their own functional vessel to take home. Please note that due to the firing process, vases will not be available for a number of weeks post-workshop.
Cost: $85, includes materials, pre-made vessel, and light refreshments
Image: Bonnie Hislop. Photo: Melanie Hinds. Courtesy the artist.
Contemporary Clay Masterclass: Pushing the Boundaries with Porcelain
Saturday 24 August | 10 am to 3 pm
Bundaberg Regional Council Building, Corner Walla and Quay Streets
$200 | Bookings required
Explore, experiment, and push the boundaries of porcelain with Juz Kitson.
Learn the fundamentals of hand-building and surface decoration to create a unique object. Juz will offer instructive, practical demonstrations on how to push and pull porcelain by hand, build up forms, and prepare surface treatments with tools while encouraging participants to experiment and draw inspiration from their inner world and the natural surroundings.
The workshop will focus on the familiar and unfamiliar, the internal and external environments, as well as human and animal forms. There will also be several discussions along the way about combining other materials with ceramics and exploring different ways of installing or displaying final works.
Participants will gain a strong foundation in practical hand-building skills, technical knowledge, and contemporary ceramics practices both nationally and internationally.
At the end of the Masterclass, participants will be able to take home their own unique, hand-built clay sculpture.
Limited capacity. Bookings essential.
Cost: $200, includes materials and light lunch
Image: Juz Kitson. Courtesy the artist.
LEARN
Education + Learning
Our educational programs at the gallery are designed and facilitated by an experienced art educator. With a focus on extending curriculum-based learning, these programs aim to inspire and enrich student experiences by fostering connections with art, artists, and exhibitions. The diverse range of offerings includes Gallery Art Trails, Imaginarts Space, holiday workshops and school excursions featuring free guided gallery tours and workshops.
In 2024, we are excited to introduce additional offerings such as classroom modules based on our collection works and specially tailored student programs for both primary and secondary students. Furthermore, we will provide a variety of resources curated for Visual Arts teachers. Whether delving deeper into our exhibitions or exploring our collection, we invite students and educators alike to explore our learning resources and programs.
For school tours, we encourage you to plan ahead and book at least four weeks in advance to secure your spot.
Bookings available via email.
Public Programs
At Bundaberg Regional Galleries, we prioritise enhancing visitor experiences and enriching our community through a diverse range of public programs. There is something for everyone, with programming including captivating artist talks, hands-on workshops, networking evenings, art walks, guided tours, arts based events, and much more.
Our new suite of exhibitions always kick-off with a free Friday evening opening event, followed by insightful Saturday morning artist talks. There are also options for community organisations or special interest groups to organise private guided tours or events linked to our exhibition program.
To stay connected and informed about our dynamic offerings, follow us on social media or subscribe to our e-newsletter through our website.
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!
Volunteers
Ever thought being part of a Gallery Crew looks fun? Why not think about volunteering with us!
Volunteers are an important and highly valued part of the operations of Bundaberg Regional Galleries. Working at either the Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery or the Childers Arts Space, our volunteers are involved in front of house activities, workshops, and events.
Our volunteers range in age and life experience, from students through to retirees, and people in the workforce who just want to undertake some volunteer activities in a creative, fun environment! We tailor our volunteer roster based on your availability and there are no expectations for minimum hours of work.
If this sounds like you, reach out to Bundaberg Regional Galleries on 41304750 or email today to enquire!
Local funding available for creative projects
The Regional Arts Development Fund provides support for arts projects and activities. Areas of support include individual professional development, workshops, innovative arts development, creative industry development and initiatives.
Find out how a RADF grant can make your project idea a reality. Visit our website today.
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