Winner

Mayor of Ipswich, Teresa Harding, presenting Sarah Thao, Niomi Sands, Alice Hinton with the award for Living Museum of Logan. Photograph by Sarah Marshall, Jiriki Media. Courtesy of Museums & Galleries Queensland.

Living Museum of Logan

Hmong Journeys: Threads of Home

The Living Museum of Logan was recognised as a winner in this category for Hmong Journeys: Threads of Home, an impactful community-led exhibition celebrating 50 years of Hmong settlement in Australia and the enduring contributions of the Hmong community to Queensland’s cultural landscape.

Co-curated with Hmong community member Sarah Thao, the exhibition shares stories of migration, resilience, identity and belonging through treasured family objects, photographs, textiles, music and personal histories. Developed in close collaboration with the Hmong community and creative practitioner Vanghoua Anthony Vue, the project placed lived experience at its centre, ensuring community voices guided the telling of their own stories.

Through its thoughtful and collaborative approach, Hmong Journeys: Threads of Home preserved important cultural knowledge for future generations while fostering understanding and connection across Logan’s diverse communities.

Highly Commended

Mayor of Ipswich, Teresa Harding, presenting Amy Bevan with the Highly Commended presentation for Dogwood Crossing, Miles. Photograph by Sarah Marshall, Jiriki Media. Courtesy of Museums & Galleries Queensland.

Dogwood Crossing, Miles

Wildflowering on the Western Downs

Dogwood Crossing, Miles, was recognised as a Highly Commended recipient in this GAMAA category for Wildflowering on the Western Downs, an innovative regional arts initiative that celebrated local landscapes, wildflowers and artistic practice through collaboration, mentorship and community participation.

Developed through a partnership between Dogwood Crossing, Western Downs Regional Council and the curators of Wildflowering by Design, the project supported regional artists to create new work inspired by the unique ecology and natural beauty of the Western Downs. Through artist retreats, mentorships, workshops and community programs, participants were provided with valuable opportunities to develop their practice while strengthening connections to place and environment.

Finalist

Mayor of Ipswich, Teresa Harding, presenting Karen Stephens with the Finalist presentation for the Waltzing Matilda Centre. Photograph by Sarah Marshall, Jiriki Media. Courtesy of Museums & Galleries Queensland.

Waltzing Matilda Centre

Creating legacy impacts through art

Waltzing Matilda Centre, Winton, was named a finalist in this GAMAA category for Creating legacy impacts through art. A key platform of this initiative is The John Villiers Outback Art Prize, a nationally recognised sector initiative that celebrates artistic practice, regional identity and creative opportunity across regional and remote Australia.

Presented by the Waltzing Matilda Centre, the Art Prize showcases contemporary interpretations of the theme Outback, A Sense of Place, providing a platform for established, emerging and young artists to explore and share diverse perspectives on regional Australia.

Supported by strong community and industry partnerships, The John Villiers Outback Art Prize fosters cultural participation, wellbeing and community connection while demonstrating how a regional gallery can create meaningful and lasting impacts far beyond its local community.