Geelong Gallery unveils 2024 program

GEELONG Gallery is set to dazzle art enthusiasts in 2024 with a diverse array of exhibitions, showcasing everything from contemporary Australian printmaking to major American art.

Geelong Gallery senior curator Lisa Sullivan said the program had something for everyone.

“Our 2024 program includes a diverse array of exhibitions that focus on collection strengths, including contemporary Australian printmaking and painting, as well as contemporary design and the prints of major American artists Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns.”

Sullivan said visitors would enjoy new presentations and interpretations of the permanent collection.

This includes newly acquired works and much-loved collection treasures such as Frederick McCubbin’s “A bush burial” and Eugene von Guerard’s “View of Geelong”.

The program’s standout feature, opening in May, is the major ticketed exhibition Cutting Through Time—Cressida Campbell, Margaret Preston, and the Japanese Print.

This exhibition examines the influence of Japanese woodblock prints on contemporary Australian painter and printmaker Cressida Campbell and groundbreaking modernist painter and printmaker Margaret Preston.

“This will be the first significant exhibition in Victoria for more than a decade focused on Preston, one of Australia’s most significant and beloved artists,” Sullivan said.

“Equally, it will celebrate the remarkable work of contemporary artist, Cressida Campbell. Seeing their work together alongside the serene aesthetics and sophistication of historical Japanese Ukiyo-e woodcut prints will offer new opportunities for visitors to celebrate their work.”

Sullivan said the exhibition program would also showcase significant Australian artists across various mediums.

“Works by Dianne Fogwell and Jacobus Capone poetically highlight urgent environmental concerns; our biennial painting prize profiles contemporary practice as does our presentation of the Australian Design Centre’s MAKE Award.”

The program is designed to offer diverse experiences and insights into artistic practice, from historical to contemporary works by Australian and international artists.

“We acknowledge the diversity of contemporary audiences and aim to deliver exhibitions and public programs that engage, excite, and encourage visitors to see the world in new ways through the practices of visual artists and designers,” Sullivan said.

For more information on the gallery’s coming exhibitions, head to geelonggallery.org.au