Joint Winner
Museum of Brisbane
The Designers’ Guide: Easton Pearson Archive
The Designers’ Guide: Easton Pearson Archive was Museum of Brisbane’s first major exhibition featuring the Easton Pearson Archive. The Archive, comprising 3300 garments and more than 5000 objects, accessories and ephemera, is the largest collection from a single Australian fashion house held by a public art gallery or museum, and forms part of the Museum’s permanent collection. The Archive gift to MoB has been made possible by the generous support of Brisbane-based philanthropist, Dr Paul Eliadis.
The Designers’ Guide exhibition featured 200 garments that captured the artistry and techniques that placed the label at the forefront of Australian fashion for 28 years. It included sketches, range plans, look books, inspiration pieces and accessories, highlighting the design process from inception to completion of the garments.
MoB worked with the designers Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson to select the designs they felt highlighted the greatest innovations of their design practice and to share the stories behind the evolution of each garment.
During the exhibition period, MoB delivered 73 public programs, including 32 tours, as well as talks and special events, workshops and school holiday programs, engaging with over 5000 people from a broad range of audiences.
Finalists
Sunshine Coast Council
Expanding Experience – Bankfoot House Heritage Precinct
State heritage-listed Bankfoot House is the oldest surviving residence in the Glass House Mountains. Built in 1868, it was once the lunch stop and staging post for Cobb & Co coaches on the Brisbane to Gympie goldfields route. Gifted to Council by the Ferris family in 2004, it was on condition that the house is open to the public and the story told of the three generations of the same family who lived there for 134 years.
The aim of the Bankfoot House Heritage Precinct Exhibitions Project was to increase visitor experience by creating new permanent exhibitions within previously under-utilised spaces and enhancing existing exhibitions. It also opened the precinct to a first-ever temporary exhibitions program and expanded public and education programming. The multi-faceted project involved five buildings and a total of seventeen spaces, including re-launching the Mary Grigor Centre as an exhibition space, and restoring the heritage shed.
Sunshine Coast Council worked closely with Queensland Museum, M&G QLD, consultants, conservators and archaeologists to complete all stages leading up to and including the Bankfoot House Heritage Precinct Exhibitions Project. All exhibitions and interpretation associated with the project was undertaken by Council staff and was timed for completion for the Bankfoot House 150th anniversary in October 2018. The Friends of Bankfoot House were involved in all stages of the project, and Council values their enormous contribution and continued support.
Redland Art Gallery
Redland Art Gallery’s 15th Birthday Celebrations
In 2018 Redland Art Gallery (RAG) celebrated its 15th Birthday through year-long programs and events across the Redlands Coast.
Celebrations focused around sharing a love of the visual arts and expanding opportunities for local artists, with over 90 exhibitions, events and workshops on offer for the community and visitors to be involved in, and the launch of the RAG Red Box Pop-Up Gallery.
Programs and projects specifically developed included RAG volunteers sharing their love of the Redlands in the exhibition, Project Tote. Photographs of the volunteers’ special places in the Redlands were printed onto reusable tote bags that were displayed ‘en masse’. It aimed to encourage viewers to consider using tote bags instead of plastic to help reduce rubbish and maintain the beautiful local environment.
Other exhibitions included The Search for Warrajamba by Quandamooka artist Delvene Cockatoo-Collins, also providing an opportunity to celebrate her achievement in designing the artwork for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games medals. #luvRedlands, a major RAG Collection exhibition curated by Director Emma Bain, drew inspiration from more than 4,800 residents and visitors who shared what they feel is unique to the Redlands.
