DESIGN CQ

Curated by Makers’ Shopfront and Bundaberg Regional Galleries.

In 2019, Shelley Pisani kicked off a 2-year project that responded to an observed need in regional Queensland for professionalisation of visual arts practice. CQ Shopfront was a project that worked with Central Queensland artists and makers with the aim of building business and product development capacity. With the advent of the pandemic, the program initially went online, becoming more accessible for more artists across the participating regions of Banana Shire, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Fraser Coast, Mackay, North Burnett and Rockhampton.

Through workshops, webinars, residencies, mentoring programs and a forum, 527 artists had the opportunity to grow their practice into a business.  

Design CQ showcases the “products” of 32 of the project’s participants, inclusive of some of the Artisans in Residence who successfully led mentoring-based residencies. These artists have taken their learnings from the program, the networks they have built, and new directions forged, and have developed products that reflect their passions, their values and a desire to approach their arts practice with an entrepreneurial hat on.

The products on show range from original artworks scaled to be accessible for the artist’s target audiences through to bulk manufactured items inspired by their original work - and everything in between. This exhibition replicates a trade fair – with the artists and makers ready to take their products to market.

Exhibiting Artists:

Adele Outteridge, Andrew Treloar, Annette Tyson, Billie Jo Ogilvie, Carolyn Stevenson, Debbie Bennett, Felicity Chapman, Fiona Flohr, Helen Hutton, Jane Marin, Jeanette Stok, Jennifer Hollstein, Judith Hopwood, Karen M Andersen, Kellie McHugh, Lalune Croker, Lois Shoebridge, Lorraine Maskell, Marc Harrison, Mari Hirata, Megan Spencer, Melissa Peacock, Michelle Black, Patricia Coleman, Pru Morrison, Rebecca Lewis, Samantha Ephraims, Sarah Larsen, Sheena Larsen, Shelley Engwirda, Shelley Pisani and Yvonne Wingrove.

This project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland’s Touing Queensland Fund. The Regional Arts Development Fund is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Bundaberg Regional Council and Mackay Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland. A special thank you to the original CQ Shopfront project’s partners – Artisan, Arts Queensland, Australia Council for the Arts, CQ RASN/ CQ University, Community Lifestyle Support Ability Enterprises, Crow Street Creative, Flying Arts Alliance, Macadamias Australia and the Regional Arts Fund, as well as participating local governments – Bundaberg Regional Council, Fraser Coast Regional Council, Gladstone Regional Council, Mackay Regional Council, North Burnett Regional Council and Rockhampton Regional Council including their arts and cultural teams, RADF programs and host venues.

Gallery Opening Times:
Monday to Friday 9.30 am to 5 pm
Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 2 pm

Contact Name: Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery
Contact Number: (07) 4130 4750
Email: brgadmin@bundaberg.qld.gov.au

Image: Rebecca Lewis, Queenslander Tea Towel
Design CQ tea towel