Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery building

Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery was established in 1937, making it the oldest public art gallery in regional Queensland. It is owned and operated by Toowoomba Regional Council and is located in the heart of the city, surrounded by attractive inner-city parks, cafes and vibrant street art. 

Keep reading below to find out what's on at Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery or take a look at our July to September 2023 Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery booklet.

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Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery front facade of renovated historical building. Brown brick building with cream coloured features. Gallery opening hours:

Usual hours

  • Wednesday to Sunday 10:30am - 3:30pm
  • Closed Mondays, Tuesdays and Public Holidays.

Phone: (07) 4688 6652

Email: art@tr.qld.gov.au

Instagram: @trartgalleries

Post:

Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery
PO Box 3021
Toowoomba QLD 4350

Bolton Reading Room (housing the Lionel Lindsay Library) - Open by appointment Tuesday to Thursday and Sunday. 

Research enquiries via email art@tr.qld.gov.au or phone (07) 4688 6693.

Location: 531 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba, beside City Hall. Open in Google Maps.

Access: Parking is available on Ruthven Street and in nearby off-street car parks. Access for disabled persons is available at street level, with a lift leading to the upper floor. Toilet facilities cater for visitors using wheelchairs and guardians tending to babies and young children.

Subscribe to receive updates on upcoming Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery events, exhibitions and opportunities. We have four different mailing lists you may like to subscribe to:

      1. The TRAG mailing list updates subscribers about upcoming Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery events, exhibitions and opportunities. Emails are usually sent monthly along with occasional additional updates.
      2. The Cam Robertson Gallery exhibitions mailing list updates subscribers about the exhibition application round/s.
      3. The Contemporary Wearables Biennial Jewellery Award & Exhibition mailing list updates subscribers about the exhibition application round/s.
      4. The Opportunities for artists mailing list updates subscribers about opportunities, awards and residencies that may be of interest to artists.

View exhibitions and events on the Toowoomba Region Events Register 

Follow us on Instagram @trartgalleries

The gallery houses three permanent collections - The Fred and Lucy Gould Art Collection, the Toowoomba City Collection and The Lionel Lindsay Gallery and Library.

 

The Fred and Lucy Gould Art Collection

dsc 9353 450The Fred and Lucy Gould Art Collection is an eclectic collection of approximately 350 works. The collection was donated to the people of Toowoomba in 1950 by Mr Fred Gould, in memory of his wife Lucy. Lucy enjoyed drawing and painting, while Fred Gould served for some years as a trustee of the Queensland Art Gallery. 

The result of their interests can be seen in this collection which includes:

  • antique furniture
  • fine porcelain and glassware
  • gold and silverware
  • bronzes
  • drawings and paintings
  • and many other items.

Mostly from Europe, Asia and Australia, the pieces date from the early 1700s to the 1930s, and some of Lucy Gould's own works are included. The importance of this community asset is well realised by Toowoomba City Council which, since the late 1980s, has carried out a program of conservation to ensure that The Fred and Lucy Gould Art Collection will be preserved for future generations, as an important element of the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery.

 

Lionel Lindsay Gallery and Library

Named in honour of Sir Lionel Lindsay, this unique collection was opened by the then Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, in 1959. It was originally assembled by Toowoomba couple, W.R.F (Bill) Bolton MBE and Marion Bolton, whose dedication has left the city with a remarkable legacy.

The art collection features over 400 artworks by members of the Lindsay family and many other significant Australian painters, including Frederick McCubbin, Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts and Rupert Bunny.

The collection of print materials is of national importance and comprises:

  • rare, unique and out-of-print materials relating to Australia's First Nations peoples
  • manuscripts, printed maps and first-edition accounts of maritime and overland journeys of discovery dating from the early 1600s
  • Australian literature and art books from the mid-1800s to mid-1900s. 

The manuscripts include important documents such as letters written by explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, navigator La Perouse and writer Henry Lawson, as well as Lionel Lindsay's own papers.

 

The Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery – Toowoomba City Collection

dsc 5010 multipleoriginals 2020 450The Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery – Toowoomba City Collection imparts another dimension to the other permanent collections in the gallery by focusing principally on 20th-century Australian art. 

Paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, ceramics, small-scale sculpture and jewellery are all represented, with an emphasis on works by artists of significance, consistent with the perceived developments in Australian contemporary art, Queensland artists and artists who have an important connection to the Toowoomba Region and its history. The Dr Irene Amos OAM Collection - Amos Bequest is a major acquisition and forms an important part of the overall catalogue of works.

Image: Installation view Multiple Originals: Prints from the Collection, 2020.

 

 

trc volunteers nov21 93 400Free guided tours for groups can be arranged for groups visiting the Gallery. Bookings are essential for all group visits and organisers are encouraged to book at least two weeks ahead.

Contact the Gallery via email or phone to discuss your visit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gallery spaces at Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery are dedicated to the display of our permanent collections, touring exhibitions and gallery projects. At this stage, we are not seeking applications or proposals from artists for our other Gallery spaces. Please contact the gallery via email or phone if you have a project proposal you would like to discuss.

Contemporary Wearables Biennial Jewellery Award and Exhibition is the focus of Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery's contribution to promoting excellence in contemporary adornment. The award was established in 1989, with the aid of the Toowoomba Gallery Society Inc., and is a forum for experimental and innovative contemporary jewellery and object practice.

Juried and judged by leading industry professionals, the Award showcases the work of Australia’s prominent and emerging contemporary makers. In addition, exhibited pieces are eligible for acquisition for the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery - Toowoomba City Collection. Acquisitions from the Award have made a significant contribution to building one of Australia’s leading contemporary jewellery collections housed at Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery.

Contemporary Wearables is proudly supported by Toowoomba Regional Council.

Contemporary Wearables '23

The 2023 Award exhibition was juried by:

  • Cassandra Lehman, Co-Director: Creative at Artisan
  • Christian Hall, Contemporary artist in object art and design, Non- Executive Director Guildhouse, South Australia and former Creative Director - Metal Design Studio Jam Factory Contemporary Craft & Design
  • Emily McCulloch Childs, Gallerist, curator, writer, art historian, researcher, publisher and fundraiser, Co-director of McCulloch & McCulloch and Everywhen Artspace, Founder The Indigenous Jewellery Project.

The appointed judge for 2023 was Chloë Powell, Co-Founder and Director of Radiant Pavilion, Melbourne Contemporary Jewellery and Object Biennial.

Award Winners:zoe veness wreath neckpiece 2023

  • Award winner: Zoë VenessWreath 2023 (neckpiece) - Acquired
  • Runner-up: Kirsten Haydon / Ice holds 2023 (9 neckpieces & 36 pendants) - Acquired
  • Student award: Beth Sanderson / Grating 2022 (4 brooches)

Two awarded works have been acquired for the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery - Toowoomba City Collection.

The following works were also acquired for the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery - Toowoomba City Collection:

  • Sarah Elson / Fuck cluster brooch 2021
  • Kath Inglis / Caulerpa with Epiphytes neckpiece 2023
  • Katheryn Leopoldseder / Vic’s Rosary 2022
  • Jason Moss / YES 2023
  • Melinda Young / The Intruders (Brickface & Coalface) 2022

Image: 2023 Award Winner / Zoë VENESSWreath 2023 / Neckpiece: archival paper, stainless-steel cable, sterling-silver tubing / 42 x 42 x 4cm / © Zoe Veness

 

Past awards

Contemporary Wearables '21

087_rayner_carnell_florilegiumtraversing_the_poetry_of_plants_800.jpgThe 2021 Award exhibition was juried by:

  • Dr Elizabeth Shaw, Contemporary Jeweller and Senior Lecturer, Head of Jewellery and Small Objects Department, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University
  • Marian Hosking, Contemporary Jeweller and former Head of Gold and Silversmithing Departments at both RMIT and Monash University
  • Dr Nicholas Bastin, Contemporary Jeweller and Lecturer Gold and Silversmithing, School of Art, RMIT University.

The appointed judge for 2021 was Barbara Heath, one of Australia’s leading contemporary jewellers.

Award Winners:

087_rayner_carnell_florilegiumtraversing_the_poetry_of_plants_3_er.jpg

  • Award winner: Sarah Rayner & Sophie Carnell / Florilegium… traversing the poetry of plants 2020 (42 brooches - details shown above and right) - Acquired

  • Runner-up: Kyoko Hashimoto / Coal necklace 2020 (neckpiece) - Acquired

  • Student award: Kierra-Jay Power / Museum drawer series (Meloys rubicola) 2020          

Two awarded works have been acquired for the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery - Toowoomba City Collection.

The following works were also acquired for the Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery - Toowoomba City Collection:

  • Maddison Bygrave - Ngarra brooch 1 and Ngarra brooch 2
  • Gretal Ferguson - Long Stitch (1 brooch)
  • Mari Hirata - Tidal (series of 3 brooches)
  • Anke Kindle - Order of the Kratzbürste (1 brooch)
  • Elfrun Lach - Superspreaders series (6 brooches)

Images: 2021 Award Winner Sarah RAYNER and Sophie CARNELL / Florilegium… traversing the poetry of plants 2020 (detail) / 42 brooches: hand carved porcelain with terra sigillata, sterling and fine silver / 26 x 375 x 8cm / Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery - Toowoomba City Collection 2387 / Purchased from Contemporary Wearables ’21 with funds donated by Toowoomba Gallery Society 2018 / © Sarah Rayner and Sophie Carnell

 

Contemporary Wearables '19

The 2019 award exhibition was juried by:

  • Simon Cottrell - Lecturer / Researcher, Gold and Silversmithing Workshop, ANU School of Art & Design
  • Claire Sourgnes - CEO Artisan
  • Chloë Powell - Curator and Exhibitions Manager, Craft Victoria, Co-founder and Director, Radiant Pavilion: Melbourne Contemporary Jewellery and Object Biennial

The appointed judge for 2019 was Marian Hosking, Silversmith.

Award winners:

  • Award winner: Melissa Cameron Corporate entity / corporeal entity  2017 (neckpiece)
  • Runner-up: Jennifer Fahey Uncanny encounters 2017 (26 pins)
  • Student award: Kristina Neuman Sill in Cylinder 2019 (neckpiece)

Two awarded works have been acquired for the Toowoomba City Collection.

The following works were also acquired for the Toowoomba City Collection:

Two neckpieces crafted by 2019 Contemporary Wearables Biennial Jewellery Award winner Melissa Cameron. Neckpieces feature a stainless steel chain with a shiny rectangular shape hanging off the chain.

  • Sue Buchanan Urban Garland (neckpiece)
  • Kayannie Denigan Ngathu Bubu (2 x brooch)
  • Pennie Jagiello The crown-of-thorns has nothing over the Anthropocene  (neckpiece)
  • Cara Johnson Unearth (neckpiece)
  • Sultana Shamshi The Phoenix Tree (brooch)
  • Bic Tieu Kangaroo Paws (brooches)
  • Nina van Duijnhoven A Collaboration (neckpieces)
  • Leonie Westbrook Yellow Rectangle Pendant (neckpiece)
  • Melinda Young Future Relic Neckpiece (neckpiece)

Image: 2019 Award Winner Melissa CAMERON / Corporate entity / corporeal entity 2017 / Neckpiece: stainless steel, vitreous enamel titanium / 10.5 x 10.5 x 1.0cm; 76.0cm chain / Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery - City Collection 2339 / Acquired from Contemporary Wearables 2019 Biennial Jewellery Award & Exhibition / © Melissa Cameron

 

Contemporary Wearables '17

Contemporary Wearables '17 was juried by:

  • Dr Sabine Pagan - contemporary jeweller and interdisciplinary practitioner
  • Mr Kevin Murray - independent writer, curator and managing editor for Garland Magazine. 

The appointed judge for 2017 was Mr Phill Mason, Gem-Cutter, Goldsmith and Studio-Jeweller.

Award winners:

  • Award winner: Luke Abbot Mandible Setting 2017 (articulated ring)
  • Runner-up: Anja Jagsch Symbiosis 2017 (four rings)
  • Student award: Michaela Pegum Quale II 2016 (neckpiece)

The three awarded works were acquired for the Toowoomba City Collection.

The following works were also acquired for the Toowoomba City Collection:

Titanium and silver ring crafted by 2017 Contemporary Wearables Biennial Jewellery Award winner Luke Abbot. Ring is very unique in design with two prongs extending from the top of the ring out each side.

  • Leonie Westbrook Yellow Rectangle (bangle)
  • Inari Kiuru Night falls over Brunswick (two brooches)
  • Sandie Lee For Love (two neckpieces)
  • Sophie Carnell Papers for thoughtful girls (neckpiece)
  • Bin Dixon-Ward Red Squares #1 (neckpiece)
  • Katheryn Leopoldseder Household Idols (three rings)
  • Tatjana Panyockzi In the picture (neckpiece)
  • Bic Tieu Connected Landscapes (brooch)
  • Blanche Tilden Flow 03 (neckpiece)
  • Nina Van Duynhoven "What is to give light must endure burning." - Viktor Frankl (five brooches)

Image: 2017 Award Winner Luke ABBOT / Mandible setting 2017 / articulated ring: titanium, 925 silver, gem / 2.8 x 2.1 x 0.7cm / Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery - Toowoomba City Collection 2207 / Acquired from Contemporary Wearables 2017 Biennial Jewellery Award & Exhibition / Reproduced by kind permission.

  

Contemporary Wearables '15

Contemporary Wearables '15 was juried by:

  • Dr Dorothy Erickson - historian and artist-jeweller
  • Melanie Pitkin - Assistant Curator, Museum of Applied Arts & Sciences
  • 48 jewellers were selected from Australia and New Zealand.

Sabine Pagan, contemporary jeweller and former Head of BA (Jewellery) at Charles Sturt University judged the award.

Award winners:

  • Award winner: Christel Van Der Laan Eureka 2014 (brooch)
  • Runner-up: Kate Wischusen Manhole #1 2014 (brooch)

The following works were acquired for the Gallery’s Collection:Brooch crafted by 2015 Contemporary Wearables Biennial Jewellery Award winner Christel Van Der Laan. Brooch is made from ceramic honeycomb, oxidised silver, gold, onyx, mirror and paint.

  • Catrine Berlatier Double Link (necklace)
  • Susan Buchanan The new jewels – Safety Pin, I See You #1 & #2 (three brooches)
  • Michelle Cangiano The Healer (neckpiece)
  • Elfrun Lach  Frangia (necklace)
  • Carly Lay Oppression | Suppression (two neckpieces)
  • Larah Nott Flight #10 (brooch)
  • Christel Van Der Laan Eureka (brooch)
  • Janice Vitkovsky Frequency & Transparent threads (two brooches)
  • Kate Wischusen Manhole #1 (brooch)
  • Alister Yiap Fault-Line (ring)

No student award was presented. 

Image: 2015 Award Winner Christel VAN DER LAAN / Eureka 2014 / brooch – ceramic honeycomb, oxidised silver, gold, onyx, mirror, paint / 9.0 x 10.0 x 2.5cm / Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery - Toowoomba City Collection 2121 / Acquired from Contemporary Wearables 2015 Biennial Jewellery Award & Exhibition / Reproduced by kind permission.

Guided tours

021 ststephenscatholicprimary 350The Gallery offers free guided tours to schools and educators Monday to Friday, 8.30am - 5:00pm. Bookings are essential and educators are encouraged to book at least two weeks ahead. We cater for students from kindergarten to tertiary level, home-schooled and school groups of any year level with a range of interests.

We encourage enquiries from educators who would like a tailored visit to suit their program. Delivery can be flexible, so if you have an idea or wish to book a tour, contact the Gallery via email or phone to discuss your needs.

 

Viewing artwork

The Gallery offers special access to artworks not currently on display for research and educational purposes. Schools wishing to view Collection items that are not on display as part of their Gallery visit should contact the Gallery with at least 48 hours notice to make a request. Access to items is not guaranteed but will be provided if possible.

 

The Bolton Reading Room

boltonreadingroom 1 400Providing access to The Bolton Reading Room for educational purposes is a key aspect of our Gallery service. 

The holdings include rare, unique and out-of-print materials relating to:

  • Australia’s First Nations peoples
  • manuscripts, printed maps and first-edition accounts of maritime and overland journeys of discovery dating from the early 1600s
  • Australian literature and art books from the mid-1800s to the mid-1900s.

Physical access to browse and read items is by appointment only.

To make an appointment or enquiry, email art@tr.qld.gov.au or phone (07) 4688 6693.