New Woman

Overview

Brisbane's artistic history is filled with talented and trailblazing women, from Daphne Mayo and Vida Lahey in 1920s, to Margaret Olley to Tracey Moffat, to the likes of Davida Allen, Naomi Blacklock and Rachael Haynes, too. The list keeps going — and so does the impressive roster of works by pioneering ladies that'll be on display during the Museum of Brisbane's new exhibition on the subject.

Running from Friday, September 13 through until Sunday, March 15, New Woman celebrates the exceptional efforts of Brisbane's female artists over the past 100 years. More than 110 works will be on display from over 80 creatives, spanning painting, photography, sculpture, performance and installation. If it sounds huge, that's because a retrospective of pieces by the city's arty women hasn't ever been staged before on this scale.

The free showcase will step through the enormous contribution these groundbreaking, game-changing ladies have made not just to Brissie's art scene, but to Brisbane itself as it has changed over the past century. As well as highlighting each artist's role in the city's cultural life, and the challenges they faced over the years, New Woman will offer a snapshot of this town of ours through their eyes.

Image: Caroline Barker, Untitled (life class model), c1925, oil on canvas, gift of the artist, 1982, City of Brisbane Collection, Museum of Brisbane. Photo Carl Warner.