WHERE ARE THEY NOW

Christine Clark

Marina Trajkovich

Christine Clark is the exhibition manager of the National Portrait Gallery and co-founder of local organisation Delta Yarns.

Christine Clark’s passion for the art world has taken her down many paths, from assisting renowned French-Australian artist Mirka Mora in painting the Burdekin Library murals to working at the Queensland Art Gallery and leading exhibitions at the esteemed National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. The curating veteran is now turning her attention to creative endeavours closer to home, partnering with another creative and ex-local Meg Carlsen, and travelling from her home in Canberra back to the Burdekin. Christine catches up with Burdekin Local News to discuss her compelling career, early influences and delving into the region’s local history.

Can you tell me a little bit about growing up in the Burdekin and some of the early influences that may have sparked your love of art?

I grew up on Pioneer Estate and then moved into Ayr. I guess anyone my age who grew up in that time can say there was a strong sense of community, and we had a strong appreciation for the natural environment as well. When we were in Year 12, in 1983, that Mirka Mora mural was painted for the library and myself and a few other students spent many a weekend painting with Mirka, and I think that definitely had an influence on me to some degree. It was incredible. I did art through high school and used to have great art teachers, and it all culminated together in influencing me, I suppose.

Once you’d decided to pursue a career in art professionally, where did you go from there? What experiences led to your role at the Portrait Gallery?

I did love drawing, but I ended up going into the more theoretical side. I studied art history at the University of Queensland and was very fortunate to get a job at the Queensland Art Gallery pretty much straight away. I was at the gallery for many years, working mainly on big international projects with contemporary Asian artists. I also did a lot of freelance exhibitions.

The Portrait Gallery is such an iconic hub for Australian art and portraiture. What do you enjoy most about your role as exhibition manager?

I started at the Portrait Gallery mid 2004, and the thing that’s great is you can’t really call it a straight gallery. It’s really like a social history museum combined with art. A lot of the work is telling stories through people, and that’s what I do too. I love telling interesting stories and the stories that aren’t often told basically.

What does the day to day look like in your job for someone who has no idea about the art world or what goes on behind the scenes?

I do all the project management and manage a team of staff, a lot of logistic things. Within my team will be the exhibition designer and so they may think about things like the wall colour, as well as what’s going into the exhibitions.

Childhood friends Christine Clark and Meg Carlsen co-founded Delta Yarns, a RADF funded organisation focused on sharing the regions history.

I noticed that you’ve worked with many galleries in Asia and that collaboration is a big part of your role. Can you tell me a bit more about this aspect of your work?

Through my work at the Queensland Gallery, I’d developed relationships with artists mainly in Thailand, India and Singapore. In Indonesia, I’ve done a lot of workshops with capacity building. I’ve done workshops in Jakarta with the National Gallery of Indonesia, and people had come from all over Indonesia for that workshop. I love doing that kind of thing because it’s a great way to share your knowledge but also gain it too. It’s all about collaboration. I’ve also studied Indonesian for about twenty years, I’m not that fluent, but I try!

What have been some highlights of your career?

We did get an ICON award, International Council of Museums Australia Award for International Relations for facilitating that workshop which is one of the highest honours you can achieve.

What are you up to now? I understand you’re based in Canberra but currently working on a series of new culture and history projects in the Burdekin?

I’ve actually gone on extended leave to focus on the Delta Yarns project with Meg Carlsen, who I actually went to Ayr State High School with. It’s been fantastic because I’ve been able to use the skills I’ve acquired over many years to do something I’m passionate about. It is still trying to retell stories that aren’t necessarily known and telling stories from other perspectives. Through Delta Yarns, I think we’re uncovering nationally important stories that should be told.

Christine has been Exhibition Manager of the National Portrait Gallery for 17 years

Meg and Christine met as teenagers in the Burdekin