Wildflowering by Design
Touring exhibition
Dec 2023-2025
 
Curated by Dr Sue Davis & Dr Lisa Chandler
Artists including: Kathleen McArthur, Rose Barrowcliffe, Nai Nai Bird, Renata Buziak, Donna Davis, Joolie Gibbs, Anne Harris, Nicole Jakins, Shelley Pisani, Edith Rewa, Cara Ann Simpson, Marni Stuart, Emma Thorp & local artists in each location.

About the exhibition 

​This exhibition explores contemporary responses to our botanical and wildflower heritage and presents works by Queensland female artists who work across the art and design spectrum. The exhibition celebrates the botanical environment through a design lens, exploring materiality, co-design, hand-crafting, and the digital realm, as well as functional and aesthetic dimensions contributing to a flourishing Australian environmental design culture. In Wildflowering by Design contemporary women artists take a fresh look at the historical legacy, engage with local landscapes, and extend their practice to create new, re-imagined works, and a dynamic exhibition experience.

Publications

Exhibition publications

What people have said 

"Beautifully curated, really felt a sense of how close and bonded all the artists were, it seems they all had a beautiful shared experience being part of this exhibition and I haven’t seen another group exhibition with the same kind of friendship / closeness woven through like this one." Exhibition visitor
 
"The exhibitions were presented to a high standard, and Sue produced wonderful layouts in both venues. The inclusion of Butchulla women at Hervey Bay Regional Gallery was particularly wonderful, and I'm thrilled that their work was incorporated into the exhibition." Exhibition visitor
 
“Travelling up to the Fraser Coast over different flowering periods to visit the Wallum Coastal Heathlands to draw, learn and connect with other creative women was a truly sustaining part of my year.” Edith Rewa, Artist/designer
 
“Former academic, Dr Susan Davis has organically gathered a team of committed bush flower creatives. Over several years they have been raising the bar on wildflower awareness by coming together to tread lightly on walks to discover, focus, workshop, talk, listen, learn and creatively document the wonder of wildflowers, individually and collaboratively. Varying iterations of curated group exhibitions, with numerous artists, have shown at Caloundra, Noosa, Gympie, Bundaberg and Hervey Bay regional galleries, also delivering catalogue publications and associated programming. The most recent happening, a signature exhibition for the long awaited re-opening of the Hervey Bay Regional Gallery on Badtjala country, added exponentially to the integral, informed layer of the art works by First Nations women from the region, showcasing a breadth of artmaking and wildflower wisdom.” Sandra Conte, Curator

(For exhibition/s review see 'A new day for wildflowering' by Sandra Conte

Currently the exhibition is scheduled to visit: There are gaps in the itinerary, so if you are interested in hosting the exhibition or have other queries please contact Dr Sue Davis ​

One year into the tour!!!

It is one year since ‘Wildflowering by Design’ hit the road and over 10.500 people have seen the show. Thanks to everyone who has been involved, all the artists & galleries and those who have attended the show - it has been such a joy!


This project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland ​.