The gallery was established in 1895 as the Queensland National Art Gallery. Throughout its early history the gallery was housed in a series of temporary premises, and did not have a permanent home until the opening of its current architecturally-acclaimed building on Brisbane's South Bank in 1982, the first stage of the monumental Robin Gibson-designed Queensland Cultural Centre. The Gallery of Modern Art was established in 2006 which lead to the creation of a two-campus institution. In 2014, over 10 million people had visited both the sites since the establishment of GOMA. The Queensland Art Gallery was listed as a State Heritage Place in 2015.
Design
The Queensland Art Gallery was considered to be a building of its time for it incorporated the best techniques and materials available within the economic limits of the project. It was also the first major building to be built on the south side of the river adjacent to the new Victoria Bridge, which established a benchmark of scale and quality for future buildings. The Queensland Art Gallery is a 4700 square metre display space broken down with walls and barriers that interchange between the art world and the public. The walls have been placed purposely to create flow and change of course of the viewer's journey. The primary orientation element of the Gallery's design is the Watermall that separates the tranquil environment of the exhibition galleries from the proactive environments of the administration, public programs and education areas. The varying ceilings heights and floor levels, colour and textured surfaces enhance variety and define the sequence of display areas. The entrance foyer efficiently acts as a hub for the public circulation and main access point for arrivals and departures for all visitors where they are able to select which collections they plan to visit. The buildings use of light coloured and maintenance free materials such as cement reflect and adapt to the Mediterranean- like quality of Brisbane's sub tropical climate.
Collection
The gallery's collection includes a number of significant artworks, including the popular:
The Gallery's flagship project is the Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art series of exhibitions, now a major event on the national and international arts calendar. The expertise developed since APT1 in 1993 in staging the Triennial has led to the establishment of the Australian Centre of Asia Pacific Art, to foster alliances, scholarship and publishing, and the formation of an internationally significant collection of art from the Asia Pacific region.
The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
The 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
The 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
The 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
The 5th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
The 4th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
The 3rd Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
The 2nd Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
The 1st Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art
The 7th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art featured Ressort, a giant snake skeleton sculpture by Huang Yong Ping at the gallery's watermall. This work was acquired by the Queensland Art Gallery in 2012.
Art for children
The Gallery is also recognised as an international leader in presenting innovative museum-based learning programs for children. These programs are coordinated through the Children's Art Centre. Developing youth audiences for visual art is another priority for the Gallery.
To ensure all Queenslanders have access to the collection, travelling exhibitions tour to regional centres and remote parts of the state.
Governance
The Gallery's governing body is a Board of Trustees appointed by the Queensland Government, and it is managed by an Executive Management Team. The current director is Chris Saines.
Opening hours
Open daily 10.00am to 5.00pm. Closed Christmas Day and Good Friday. Open from 12 noon ANZAC day.
