Queenslanders embrace new public art fund
Published Friday, 08 February, 2008 at 04:11 PM
Minister for Education and Training and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Rod Welford
Queenslanders have embraced the Bligh Government’s new $12 million public art fund, art+place, with more than 55 first-round applications received from across the state.
Arts Minister Rod Welford today met with members of the newly appointed art+place Curatorial Panel, which includes experts in art, architecture, design and town planning.
“The quantity and quality of applications received for art+place funding and the diversity of the applicants shows a growing appreciation of the value of public art,” Mr Welford said.
“Public art is all about enhancing shared spaces with quality works that represent and inspire our communities.
“The art+place Curatorial Panel includes innovative and respected members of Queensland’s art and design community.
“Applications have been received from government agencies, local councils, private developers, festivals and non-profit arts and cultural groups. More than half of the applications were from regional centres.”
Members of the panel are – Gold Coast Art Gallery curator Virginia Rigney (Chair), Queensland Art Gallery Head of Australian Art Julie Ewington, award-winning architect Timothy Hill, Brisbane City Council’s city planning and urban design manager Michael Papageorgiou and landscape architect John Mongard.
Mr Welford said the panel members would assess applications to the fund over the next three years.
“Our Government is excited to have secured such a high level of expertise and talent for its peak advisory body on public art. I look forward to working with these members to create world-class public art works across our state,” he said.
“Their diversity of skills, regional knowledge and local government experience reflects the aim of art+place to bring greater accessibility and diversity, as well as artistic rigour, to the commissioning of public art in Queensland.“
The appointment of a Curatorial Panel was recommended in the 2005-06 evaluation of Art Built-in by Professor Michael Keniger, the former Queensland Government Architect.
Brief biographies of the panel members are listed below. Further details on the art+place Curatorial Panel’s role and terms of reference are available on Arts Queensland’s website, www.arts.qld.gov.au/art+place.
Media contact: Emma Clarey on 3237 1000
Curatorial Panel Members
Virginia Rigney, B Arts (Hons), Grad Dip Museum Studies, Master of Arts
Curator Public Programs, Gold Coast Art Gallery
(Curatorial Panel Chair)
Ms Rigney has extensive experience as a curator at international and Australian galleries and museums, including Scotland’s Glasgow Museum, the National Museum of Scotland and the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. She has also worked as an arts writer and project officer at the New South Wales State Ministry for the Arts.
Ms Julie Ewington, B Arts (Hons)
Head of Australian Art, Queensland Art Gallery
Ms Ewington is a writer, curator and broadcaster. She is Head of Australian Art at the Queensland Art Gallery and previously held the roles of Senior Curator, Museum Education, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, and Curator, Canberra School of Art Gallery. She has taught art history at Australian universities and in 1999-2000 was a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University. Ms Ewington is an integral member of the Queensland Art Gallery’s Asia-Pacific Triennial (APT) Curatorium.
Adjunct Professor Timothy Hill, B DesSt QLD, B Arch QLD, ARAIA
School of Geography, Planning and Architecture, University of Queensland
Director, Donovan Hill Architects
A commemorative 100th issue of Architecture Review (Australia) named Hill as one of the “influential figures in Australian architecture”. Recent projects include the award-winning redevelopment of the State Library of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation Centre and conversion of one of inner Brisbane’s remaining wool store buildings to 120 apartments. He also holds a Masters of Architecture from RMIT.
Mr John Mongard, B App. Sc, Grad Dip Land Arch, AAILA
Director, John Mongard Landscape Architects and Associates
Mr Mongard has collaborated on more than 22 public art and design projects over the past 10 years. He specialises in planning and implementing complex public space projects which highlight local culture and broad community interactions. For the past seven years, Mr Mongard has worked in North Queensland, undertaking projects in Atherton, Tolga, Tinaroo and Innisfail.
Mr Michael Papageorgiou, B Arts (Hons), Masters Urban Planning
Manager City Planning and Urban Design, Brisbane City Council
Mr Papageorgiou was the Gold Coast City Council’s Manager of Strategic and Environmental Planning for eight years and is chair of the South East Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (SEQROC) Planning Working Group which provides advice to the SEQROC Councils on the development of the new SEQ Regional Plan and the SEQ Scenic Amenity Project, a two-year project undertaken jointly by SEQROC and the State Government. He holds a Master of Urban Planning from Melbourne University.
Arts Minister Rod Welford today met with members of the newly appointed art+place Curatorial Panel, which includes experts in art, architecture, design and town planning.
“The quantity and quality of applications received for art+place funding and the diversity of the applicants shows a growing appreciation of the value of public art,” Mr Welford said.
“Public art is all about enhancing shared spaces with quality works that represent and inspire our communities.
“The art+place Curatorial Panel includes innovative and respected members of Queensland’s art and design community.
“Applications have been received from government agencies, local councils, private developers, festivals and non-profit arts and cultural groups. More than half of the applications were from regional centres.”
Members of the panel are – Gold Coast Art Gallery curator Virginia Rigney (Chair), Queensland Art Gallery Head of Australian Art Julie Ewington, award-winning architect Timothy Hill, Brisbane City Council’s city planning and urban design manager Michael Papageorgiou and landscape architect John Mongard.
Mr Welford said the panel members would assess applications to the fund over the next three years.
“Our Government is excited to have secured such a high level of expertise and talent for its peak advisory body on public art. I look forward to working with these members to create world-class public art works across our state,” he said.
“Their diversity of skills, regional knowledge and local government experience reflects the aim of art+place to bring greater accessibility and diversity, as well as artistic rigour, to the commissioning of public art in Queensland.“
The appointment of a Curatorial Panel was recommended in the 2005-06 evaluation of Art Built-in by Professor Michael Keniger, the former Queensland Government Architect.
Brief biographies of the panel members are listed below. Further details on the art+place Curatorial Panel’s role and terms of reference are available on Arts Queensland’s website, www.arts.qld.gov.au/art+place.
Media contact: Emma Clarey on 3237 1000
Curatorial Panel Members
Virginia Rigney, B Arts (Hons), Grad Dip Museum Studies, Master of Arts
Curator Public Programs, Gold Coast Art Gallery
(Curatorial Panel Chair)
Ms Rigney has extensive experience as a curator at international and Australian galleries and museums, including Scotland’s Glasgow Museum, the National Museum of Scotland and the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. She has also worked as an arts writer and project officer at the New South Wales State Ministry for the Arts.
Ms Julie Ewington, B Arts (Hons)
Head of Australian Art, Queensland Art Gallery
Ms Ewington is a writer, curator and broadcaster. She is Head of Australian Art at the Queensland Art Gallery and previously held the roles of Senior Curator, Museum Education, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney, and Curator, Canberra School of Art Gallery. She has taught art history at Australian universities and in 1999-2000 was a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University. Ms Ewington is an integral member of the Queensland Art Gallery’s Asia-Pacific Triennial (APT) Curatorium.
Adjunct Professor Timothy Hill, B DesSt QLD, B Arch QLD, ARAIA
School of Geography, Planning and Architecture, University of Queensland
Director, Donovan Hill Architects
A commemorative 100th issue of Architecture Review (Australia) named Hill as one of the “influential figures in Australian architecture”. Recent projects include the award-winning redevelopment of the State Library of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation Centre and conversion of one of inner Brisbane’s remaining wool store buildings to 120 apartments. He also holds a Masters of Architecture from RMIT.
Mr John Mongard, B App. Sc, Grad Dip Land Arch, AAILA
Director, John Mongard Landscape Architects and Associates
Mr Mongard has collaborated on more than 22 public art and design projects over the past 10 years. He specialises in planning and implementing complex public space projects which highlight local culture and broad community interactions. For the past seven years, Mr Mongard has worked in North Queensland, undertaking projects in Atherton, Tolga, Tinaroo and Innisfail.
Mr Michael Papageorgiou, B Arts (Hons), Masters Urban Planning
Manager City Planning and Urban Design, Brisbane City Council
Mr Papageorgiou was the Gold Coast City Council’s Manager of Strategic and Environmental Planning for eight years and is chair of the South East Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (SEQROC) Planning Working Group which provides advice to the SEQROC Councils on the development of the new SEQ Regional Plan and the SEQ Scenic Amenity Project, a two-year project undertaken jointly by SEQROC and the State Government. He holds a Master of Urban Planning from Melbourne University.