The award-winning Robin Gibson-designed Queensland Art Gallery (QAG) building is 30 years old today.
Gallery Director Tony Ellwood said the iconic Queensland building had been instrumental in growing Brisbane's reputation as a cultural destination, which was enhanced in 2006 with the opening of the Gallery's second site, the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA).
'The Queensland Art Gallery, which was the first stage of the Cultural Centre at South Bank, has attracted 13 million visitors since it opened on June 21, 1982', Mr Ellwood said.
'Awarded the Sir Zelman Cowen Award for Public Buildings in 1982, the brutalist-style building has stood the test of time as one of the finest gallery spaces in Australia.
'Architect Robin Gibson will present a lecture about the building's design at 12.30pm this Sunday 24 June.'
Mr Ellwood said the Queensland Art Gallery had been housed in four temporary locations around Brisbane before settling at its current site.
'It opened in the old Town Hall building in Queen Street in 1895 before relocating to George Street in 1905, then to the former Exhibition Building Concert Hall at Gregory Terrace, now known as the Old Museum, in 1931. During construction of the South Bank site, the Gallery temporarily resided in the M.I.M. building in Ann Street,' he said.
'Queenslanders are justly proud of the Queensland Art Gallery with its rich history of engaging and diverse exhibitions, collection displays and programs.
'The highest attended ticketed exhibition at the QAG building was 'The Entombed Warriors', which attracted 178,000 visitors in just over one month in 1983.'
Mr Ellwood said Queenslanders had a strong affection for the QAG building, which had hosted many memorable exhibitions and events.
'They have included '20th Century Masters' in 1986; 'Masterpieces from the Louvre: French Bronzes and Paintings from the Renaissance to Rodin' and 'Gold of the Pharaohs' in 1988; 'Toulouse-Lautrec: Prints and Posters from the Bibliothequé Nationale, Paris' in 1991; 'Surrealism: Revolution by Night' in 1993; 'Renoir: Master Impressionist' and 'Van Gogh: His sources, genius and influence' in 1994; 'Matisse' in 1995; 'Renoir to Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée de l'Orangerie, Paris' in 2001; 'Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and the Rainforest' in 2003; 'American Impressionism and Realism: A Landmark Exhibition from the Met' in 2009 and 'Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones' in 2010,' he said.
'The Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT) series of exhibitions was first staged at the Queensland Art Gallery in 1993 and is now regarded as Australia's most significant cultural event.
'The next major exhibition at QAG, Portrait of Spain: Masterpieces from the Prado, from July 21 to November 4, is one of the most important international exhibitions to ever visit Australia.
'The Gallery's first purchase, Blandford Fletcher's Evicted 1887, is still on display and today the Gallery Collection comprises more than 13,000 contemporary and historical Australian, Indigenous Australian and international paintings, sculptures, decorative art objects and works on paper,' he said.
Mr Ellwood said the Queensland Art Gallery remained committed to making its Collection accessible to all Queenslanders and was the only state gallery in Australia to include regional touring as part of its core business. |
