Griffith University Art Museum (GUAM) presents Collecting the Future: 50 Years of the Griffith University Art Collection, a landmark exhibition running from 29 May to 16 August 2025. Celebrating the University’s 50th anniversary, the exhibition brings together over 190 works that chart the evolution of Australian artistic practice and reflect the cultural impact of the Griffith University Art Collection.
Visitors can expect a dynamic salon hang of works across major areas such as early video art, political posters, contemporary Australian Indigenous art, and innovative photography, painting, and sculpture. Curated by QCAD alumna Lizzie Riek, the show captures the shifting social and cultural contexts that have shaped the Collection since the 1970s.
Featured artists include Vernon Ah Kee, Davida Allen, Christopher Bassi, James Barth, Gordon Bennett, Cressida Campbell, Lawrence Daws, Fiona Foley, d Harding, Robert MacPherson, Tracey Moffatt, Julie Rrap, Betty Quelhurst, Jay Younger, Anne Zahalka, and Michael Zavros. Also included is a striking 2017 self-portrait by 2025 Archibald Prize winner and QCAD alum/staff member Dr Julie Fragar.
The exhibition also recognises the contributions of donors who have helped build this nationally significant collection.
Special Programming
The exhibition launches alongside a new interactive 50-year anniversary website curated by QCAD alumnus Patrick Lester, detailing GUAM’s transformation from the Queensland Film and Drama Centre in 1975 to its current role as a premier cultural institution. A series of public programs will accompany the exhibition, featuring artists, curators, and former GUAM staff, with a focus on QCAD and CAIA alumni.
Image: Cressida Campbell, The lithographic studio, 1986. Watercolour monoprint. Photo: Carl Warner
