Bundaberg Regional Galleries has been nominated for two Gallery and Museum Achievement Awards (GAMAA) for the exhibitions Wajgan’s Return: Bringing Ron Hurley Home and Phantom: Off the Drawing Board.
Presented by Museums and Galleries Queensland, the awards recognise organisations and individuals in the Queensland arts industry that strive for excellence.
Bundaberg Regional Council’s Arts, Heritage and Asset Management portfolio spokesperson Councillor John Learmonth said the nominations were a fitting acknowledgement of the talented Bundaberg Regional Galleries team.
“It’s a wonderful achievement for the Galleries team to be recognised by their peers for excellence for two exhibitions that were curated inhouse,” Cr Learmonth said.
“Wajgan’s Return that saw renowned First Nations artist Ron Hurley’s artworks return to Country in Bundaberg for a significant retrospective exhibition.
“The exhibition included works from the Hurley family collection which had not previously been publicly displayed.”
Cr Learmonth said it was encouraging to see two very different exhibitions celebrated.
“Phantom: Off the Drawing Board was a foray into pop culture and the world of superheroes, exhibited exclusively in Bundaberg,” he said.
“It attracted a wide audience, including out of region visitors and comic book fans who were treated to a display of original illustrations, vintage comic covers, and rare collectibles.
“It was a real coup for the Gallery to bring together this collection on The Phantom’s 75th anniversary, while also honouring the region’s own Phantom illustrator Shane Foley.”
Bringing together works from around the Australia with those from the Bundaberg Regional Galleries Collection was a strength of both exhibitions Cr Learmonth said.
“Council is committed to providing quality exhibitions for local audiences,” he said.
The GAMAA winners will be announced at the Museums and Galleries Queensland annual conference in October.
