Past Exhibitions
A young visitor displays his paper bird at Fiona Hall's Fly away home 2010 artist project, / Photograph: Katie Bennett
Children participating in Fiona Hall’s Fly away home 2010 as part of 21 Century Kids.
Exhibition archive
Since 1998, the Queensland Art Gallery has been committed to developing innovative exhibitions and programs for children and families.
Pip & Pop: we miss you magic land! (2011-12)
For our GoMA Turns 5 celebrations, the Children's Art Centre invited Perth-based artist duo Pip & Pop (Tanya Schultz and Nicole Andrijevic) to transform the Park Level into a large-scale installation especially for children and families.
Open your mind and step into the world of the surreal! Surrealism for Kids, presented an exciting range of interactive activities inspired by games played by the surrealists.
For ‘21st Century Kids’, the Children’s Art Centre presented 12 interactive art works and projects created by exhibiting artists. The projects encouraged children to explore and discover the fresh and imaginative ways that international artists consider their world in the 21st century.
Contemporary Art for Contemporary Kids (2010)
In a first for Sydney, Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation partnered with the Queensland Art Gallery Children’s Art Centre to present ‘Contemporary Art for Contemporary Kids’ – an interactive multimedia exhibition featuring five artists projects created especially for children and families.
Callum Morton | Ghost World (2010)
The Children’s Art Centre presented a large-scale installation by Australian artist Callum Morton. Directly inspired by the artist’s ongoing interest in architecture and art, Morton transformed the Park Level of the Children Art Centre into an unexpected street scene, featuring a series of building facades similar to sets built for movies and television shows.
The Next Big Thing: New Zealand Film and Animaton for Kids (2010)
In conjunction with Unnerved: The New Zealand Project, the Children's Art Centre presented the work of three contemporary New Zealand artists who each have a unique view of the world around them.
Children and adults were invited to discover the art of designing hats in 'Top Hats', an interactive section of the 'Hats: An Anthology by Stephen Jones' exhibition.
Kids' APT (APT6) (2009-10)
Celebrating a decade of Kids’ APT, the Children’s Art Centre presented 17 engaging artist projects and art works displayed across both buildings, including major galleries and the dedicated Children’s Art Centre spaces at GoMA. Kids’ APT was developed to reflect the themes of the APT exhibition, offering children and families insights into contemporary art across the Asia Pacific region. There were also special art work labels to help young visitors engage with the works on display.
Easton Pearson Workroom (2009)
As part of the 'Easton Pearson' exhibition, the Children's Art Centre presented a hands-on activity for young visitors to discover the creativity of fashion and design.
As part of the ‘American Impressionism and Realism’ exhibition, the Children’s Art Centre presented The Met for Kids – an interactive space that invited young visitors to explore the exhibition themes of leisure and entertainment by taking part in hands-on activities and watch screenings of popular animations and films of the era.
Anne Wallace: Release the Bats (2009)
Celebrating Queensland’s 150th year, the Children’s Art Centre presented a large-scale installation by Queensland artist Anne Wallace. In the installation, inspired by the artist’s fascination for the curious and the mysterious, children were encouraged to see the Sunshine State in a different light.
For ‘The China Project’, the Children’s Art Centre presented two interactive projects by exhibiting artists Song Dong and William Yang. Both artist projects engaged children with the artists’ ideas about the written word.
Kids: Contemporary Australia (2008–09)
For 'Contemporary Australia: Optimism', the Children's Art Centre presented interactive art works and projects created by exhibiting artists especially for children and families.
Picasso & his collection (2008)
As part of the ‘Picasso & his collection’ exhibition, the Children’s Art Centre presented three projects: Yo Picasso Kids, the Contemporary Media Lounge, and I Art History, designed especially for children and young people.
The Silver Factory: Andy Warhol for Kids (2007–08)
As part of the ‘Andy Warhol’ exhibition, the Children’s Art Centre spaces at the Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) were transformed into The Silver Factory for Kids. The Silver Factory included some of Warhol’s art works that particularly appeal to children, as well as specially designed activities relating to themes in Warhol’s art and practice.
Katharina Grosse: Picture Lab (2007)
Held in conjunction with her spectacular exhibition 'Picture Park', Katharina Grosse’s project for the Children’s Art Centre encouraged young visitors to engage with some of the artist’s ideas in an environment appealing to their sense of play.
Expanding on themes and ideas presented in 'The 5th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art' (APT5), 13 interactive art works were developed for Kids' APT. It was the first Children's Art Centre exhibition following the opening of GoMA, and was presented across both Gallery sites.
Children and families discovered new ways of looking at the places that make up our world, from our homes to cities and beyond. With lots of hands-on interactives, children were able to turn their creative ideas into reality.
An amazing selection of contemporary art works in exciting exhibition spaces let children discover landscapes of sand, forest and sea, and encounter the wonders of the natural world and the animal kingdom.
Children and families found there was lots to discover at Blak Insights for Kids, an exhibition of contemporary Indigenous Australian art from the Queensland Art Gallery's Collection. With help from special exhibition mascot Kuril, a water rat with attitude, children found lots of pathways to help them engage with, and enjoy, the works on display.
Lost and Found focused on everyday objects and how artists have used them to create extraordinary art works. The exhibition encouraged an exploration of why artists choose particular objects and how they are transformed into art works.
Googi's Place was developed as an integral part of the Gallery's major exhibition, 'Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and the Rainforest'. Activities included a spinning board game to learn Indigenous words, a magnetic bone-puzzle activity, and weaving and texture-rubbing activities.
More than 30 works by leading contemporary Australian, Indigenous and international artists from the Gallery's Collection were featured in Colour. Children were encouraged to explore how artists use colour as a subject in itself, to create fascinating optical effects, or to express emotions and moods.
The Gallery's acclaimed 2002 Asia Pacific Triennial and Kids' APT 2002 culminated in Summer Spectacular: a 15-day festival of Asian and Pacific arts, culture, myths and legends just for kids.
Continuing the success of Kids' APT in 1999, Kids' APT 2002 featured an activity area where children enjoyed hands-on interaction with art works specially created by selected artists.
One of the most successful elements of Play was its innovative exhibition design which was modelled on a construction site. A welcoming and fun exhibition, Play provided enjoyable and educational experiences for children.
A Day at the Beach presented art on the theme of seaside recreation. Children were encouraged to discover the Australian tradition of a day at the beach through art works, interactive displays and art-making activities.
Animals Who Think They are People (2000)
The Animals Who Think They are People exhibition depicted animals in human situations. A live colony of mice lived in the exhibition space throughout the duration of the display.
The inaugural 1999 Kids' APT provided innovative programs and art-making activities as part of 'The First Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art'. The program encouraged an understanding of Asian, Pacific and Indigenous cultures by children, their families and the wider community.
Breaking the traditional exhibition mould, Scary Monsters was designed and installed like a carnival ghost-train ride, complete with scary sound effects. The exhibition explored the themes 'creepy creatures', 'nightmares', and 'demons, devils and dark places'.
Portraits are People Pictures (1998)
Portraits are People Pictures was the first of the Gallery's exhibitions designed specifically for children. It explored the history, styles and techniques of portrait painting.
