EXHIBITIONS
July – December 2025
Townsville City Galleries
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
Townsville City Council acknowledges the Wulgurukaba of Gurambilbarra and Yunbenun, Bindal, Gugu Badhun and Nywaigi as the Traditional Owners of this land. We pay our respects to their cultures, their ancestors and their Elders, past and present – and all future generations.
Nicky Bidju Pryor, Coolumbria The Beauty of Dreaming [detail], 2023 Stokes Street, Townsville City
EXHIBITIONS
July – December 2025
Townsville City Galleries
Image courtesy of Townsville City Galleries
Photography by Andrew Rankin
Image courtesy of Townsville City Galleries
Photography by Andrew Rankin
5 July – 19 October 2025
8 November 2025 – 8 March 2026
TRACE-LESS 16 19 July – 3 August 2025
Until 24 August 2025
Perc Tucker Regional Gallery
Presented by Townsville City Galleries. Created by the V&A – touring the world.
Exclusive to Australia in 2025, Wedgwood: Artists and Industry showcases highlights from over 200 years of Wedgwood ceramics and design — straight from the UK’s Victoria and Albert Museum (V & A).
Be among the first in the world to experience Wedgwood: Artists and Industry before it moves to it's next international destination.
TUESDAY TO FRIDAY:
Session 1: Entry between 10am – 1.30pm Session 2: Entry between 1.30pm – 4.30pm
SATURDAY & SUNDAY: Entry between 10am – 1pm
First Edition copy
What’s On Townsville
of the Portland Vase, Josiah Wedgwood and sons, 1790-94
Photo courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum, London
DINE & SIP
Dine on a light lunch or afternoon tea served on Wedgwood.
Sip a cool beverage from a Waterford goblet.
Head to the Wedgwood: Artists and Industry cafe and bar, located just metres from the gallery at Restaurant 1889 at The Brewery.
SHOP
Purchase items exclusively on sale at the gallery’s shop.
Take home sumptuous V&A gifts, or products from our locally made range.
Please note that these items are not available to be purchased online from the gallery.
GROUP TOURS
Townsville City Galleries is pleased to offer guided tours of Wedgwood: Artists and Industry for groups of 5 participants and above. Tours will last 30-45 minutes and will give patrons an overview of the exhibition on display. Enquire online at whatson.townsville.qld.gov. au/events/wedgwood-publicprograms.
What’s On Townsville
Minerva’s Helmet, Josiah Wedgwood and sons, 1885
Photo courtesy of Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Curated by Bradley Vincent
Rugby League is arguably Australia’s national game. It’s certainly Queensland’s game of choice. And for Townsville and the surrounding regions, it is a part of weekly life. From junior clubs and local community teams through to the spectacle of the mighty North Queensland Cowboys, the game, with its working-class roots and broad reach, is much more than just a sport to its many followers.
Leagues will celebrate the modern game and its place in our lives. This brand-new exhibition brings together some of the country’s leading contemporary artists who have created artworks that capture the power and the passion, the glory and the grunt, of rugby league and reflect on the many ways that the game shapes our communities.
Bold, brash and colourful, this Townsville exclusive exhibition will feature newly commissioned artworks immortalising local Cowboys heroes, alongside works that reflect the reach of the game across the country and beyond. A must see for any league fan and for lovers of contemporary art alike, Leagues features artworks from Billy Bain, Yuriyal Bridgeman, Weaver Hawkins, Samuel Hodge, Samuel Leighton-Dore, Kate Mitchell, Jason Phu and design duo Romance Was Born (Anna Plunkett and Luke Sales).
Weaver Hawkins (England/Australia 1893-1977)
Dance of the football 1947 oil on canvas on cardboard
50.5 x 61 cm
Art Gallery of New South Wales, purchased 1953 © Estate of HF Weaver Hawkins Image © Art Gallery of New South Wales 8722
Samuel Leighton-Dore, Game Day 03 [detail], 2025
Image courtesy the artist
EPHEMERA 2025 TRACE-LESS
19 JULY – 3 AUGUST 2025
THE STRAND
Prepare to be captivated by North Queensland's premier public art event—Ephemera 2025: Trace-less, set against the stunning backdrop of Townsville-Gurambilbarra’s, The Strand. The theme, “Trace-less”, invites reflection on the relationship between place, Country, and the environment. As the theme suggests, artists have embraced ideas of the transitory, raising awareness and leaving less of a trace on our environment.
This year, Ephemera 2025 introduces an exciting new competitive category for young artists and school groups, joining the established open competitive category. With over 28 dynamic public artworks from local, national, and international artists, alongside an engaging program of activities and workshops, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Ephemera is curated and coordinated by Townsville City Galleries, with the valuable support of a dedicated volunteer task force.
Mahalia Mabo, Coral Dreaming, 2022
Acrylic on canvas
Image courtesy of the artist
YURIYAL BRIDGEMAN:
YUBILONG(MI)BILONGYU
20 SEPTEMBER 2025 – 1 FEBRUARY 2026
PERC TUCKER REGIONAL GALLERY
Yuriyal Bridgeman is a leading Papua New Guinean/Australian contemporary artist, and this exhibition surveys the breadth of his art to date. Bridgeman’s work is anchored in the traditional cultural practices of his PNG community while also bringing insightful perspectives to the context of contemporary art. Born in Redcliffe, Queensland, Bridgeman now lives and works between the Redcliffe Peninsula, Meanjin/Brisbane and PNG.
Bridgeman’s artwork encompasses photography, video, painting, sculpture and installation. His photographic and video works are positioned in portraiture and social commentary, often featuring loved ones and members of his community. His paintings and sculptures, developed during his time in PNG, draw deeply from the traditions of the Yuri Alaiku men’s practices in the Simbu Province. Bridgeman is also the co-founder of the artist collective Haus Yuriyal, where he plays a key role in developing the group’s contemporary art projects.
This exhibition has been co-curated by Angela Goddard, Director of Griffith University Art Museum and respected Bougainville Elder and art curator Aunty Sana Balai.
Yuriyal Bridgeman: yubilong(mi)bilongyu is a Griffith University Art Museum touring exhibition.
Yuriyal Bridgeman, cardboard composition tiles [detail]. Courtesy of the artist and Milani Gallery, Meanjin/Brisbane
70 TH TOWNSVILLE ART
SOCIETY ART AWARDS
13 SEPTEMBER – 16 NOVEMBER 2025
PERC TUCKER REGIONAL GALLERY
The Townsville Art Society Inc. is delighted to announce the 70th Townsville Art Society Art Awards. Since its founding, the Townsville Art Society has hosted an annual or biennial art exhibition, and the Art Awards has become a significant event in the city's cultural scene. Taking place at the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, this exhibition offers North Queensland artists affiliated with an Art Society an opportunity to showcase their work in a prominent gallery setting while vying for various prizes.
Carole Howlett, Street Smart, 2024
Mixed media on paper
Townsville City Council Open Award Winner
69th Townsville Art Society Art Awards, 2024
CHILDREN’S SENSORIUM
8 NOVEMBER 2025 – 8 MARCH 2026
PINNACLES GALLERY
The Children’s Sensorium, curated by Grace McQuiltan with artistic direction from N'arwee't Carolyn Briggs, is an interactive exhibition featuring light, colour, touch, sound, smell and taste to activate children’s curiosity, connect them to local Country, and introduce strategies and techniques that support emotional resilience and wellbeing.
The exhibition is designed for children aged 4 – 11 and their parents and carers. It includes sense-based installations to create an environment that is fun and engaging. It includes a variety of materials for play and is a space that children can spend time to explore their senses, feelings, thoughts, worries and hopes.
Hiromi Tango, Hiromi Hotel INHABITANT, 2022. Archives of Feeling, 2022, RMIT Design Hub Gallery. Image courtesy of the artists and their representatives. Photo by Tobias Titz.
IN THE HEART OF THE NORTH (PART 1)
29 NOVEMBER 2025 – 3 MAY 2026
PERC TUCKER REGIONAL GALLERY
In the Heart of the North is a rolling exhibition of newly commissioned artworks, works from the City of Townsville Art Collection and extraordinary art on loan from other cultural institutions. All evoke the distinctiveness of life in North Queensland by artists living locally or visiting from elsewhere.
The first part of In the Heart of the North includes Deeper Than Dancing (2024), a filmic love letter to Townsville-Gurambilbarra and its people, originally commissioned by Gurambilbarra-based performing arts company, Dancenorth Australia.
Big Eye Theatre and Dancenorth Australia. Deeper than Dancing, 2024. Short film (Still).
Image by Aaron Ashley
MINTJAPUNI: RICKY EMMERTON
29 NOVEMBER 2025 – 3 MAY 2026
PERC TUCKER REGIONAL GALLERY
Mintjapuni is part of Ricky Emmerton’s PhD studies at James Cook University. He has introduced the Kalkatungu words mintja (shine) and puni (to-make or to-cause) to investigate how mintja aesthetics in Indigenous art relate to spirituality. In cultural art practices, “to mintjapuni” involves painting or decorating the body, objects, or the ground to enhance spiritual power, whether for ceremonial or everyday applications.
Focusing on Kalkatungu art, Emmerton identified a lack of aesthetic appreciation and critique of Indigenous art more broadly. Seeking deeper insight, he gathered firsthand accounts from Elders, community members, and other Kalkatungu artists throughout North Queensland. Through yarning and interviews, he found that Kalkatungu people—himself included—aspire to maintain cultural integrity by fostering spiritual connections with their ancestors and Country. The spiritual aesthetics of mintja serve as one powerful means of affirmation in this ongoing cultural practice.
Ricky Emmerton, Muu Kunti, 2022
acrylic on canvas, 112 x 66 cm
Image courtesy of the artist
Photography by Andrew Rankin
YOUNG INDIGENOUS PRINTMAKERS
29 NOVEMBER 2025 - 3 MAY 2026
PERC TUCKER REGIONAL GALLERY
Young Indigenous Printmakers is a collaborative outreach project run in partnership between Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts and Townsville City Galleries. The free education program gives First Nations senior students the opportunity to learn and experience lino carving, printing and editioning, and gain exhibition experience. The initiative seeks to engage, foster and promote artistic development. School groups participate in a two-day intensive workshop facilitated by a printmaking expert and a First Nations artist. Participants are introduced to printmaking techniques and assisted to explore their Indigenous Culture/s and identity. The first day of the program is held at the school and the second is spent in The Studio at Umbrella. The students’ prints are exhibited in Umbrella’s gallery or at Townsville City Galleries once a semester.
This year's artist mentors are Margaret Robertson and Ricky Emmerton.
Kesa-Lee Savuro (Kirwan State High School), Swaying Darrmanji of Wakaja and Gudanji, 2025
Linocut on paper, 15 x 30 cm
Image courtesy of Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts, Gurambilbarra / Townsville
FRIENDS OF THE GALLERIES
Our Friends of the Galleries membership program will keep our members up to date on gallery opportunities and news, as well as offering discounts and advanced bookings on our programs.
Friends of the Galleries can engage in a range of activities that go beyond just visiting and viewing, offering opportunities to engage with local artists, art enthusiasts, volunteers, and supporters of the arts in our region.
Benefits include:
• Invitations to all opening functions throughout the year
• Advance invitations to Townsville City Galleries events including artist talks, workshops, tours and lectures
• Monthly e-newsletter to keep up to date on the latest galleries news
• Membership exclusive events at the galleries
• 30% discount on paid events
• 10% discount on all items available in our Gallery Shop
• 10% discount on Townsville City Council’s Theatre Season at the Townsville Civic Theatre.
The membership season runs from 1 November – 31 October*. Our Friends of the Galleries play an important role in our galleries with their ongoing support for our exhibitions, events, and activities, and we look forward to sharing our new and exciting programs with you!
Single membership price is $45, or $30 with a Concession card.
*All memberships commence 1 November and run until 31 October the following year.
Sign up now to become a member!
K Friends of the Galleries
Image courtesy of Townsville City Galleries
Photography by Andrew Rankin
GALLERIES E-NEWSLETTER
Free monthly email updates are available with specific information on exhibitions, workshops, events, and more. Scan the QR code and select Galleries as the e-news you would like to receive.
WALKING TRAIL
AUGMENTED REALITY EDITION
Discover the many amazing street art murals Townsville has to offer by taking a self-guided walking tour of the city using the Street Art Walking Trail: Augmented Reality edition map. Watch out for augmented reality stickers near the street art murals and use your smartphone to transform the artworks into an augmented reality dreamscape.
The city’s street art scene is constantly evolving, so keep your eyes peeled for new works not on this map and follow Townsville City Galleries on social media to stay up to date. Collect your FREE copy of the map available at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery or scan the QR Code.
K
Townsville Street Art Walking Trail
PUBLIC PROGRAMS
Are you looking for a fun and engaging way to explore the arts?
Look no further, as Townsville City Galleries offers a wide range of education opportunities and public programs in conjunction with our gallery exhibitions, including educational programs, gallery tours, workshops, launches, and events.
Scan the QR code below to find out more about what we have on offer!
Townsville City Galleries
TownsvilleCityGalleries
K What's On Townsville
Image courtesy of Townsville City Galleries Photography by Andrew Rankin
GALLERY SHOP
Experience an exciting selection of exhibitions at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery showcasing works of artists from North Queensland, Australia, and all over the world. Discover the talent from the Townsville Region in our Gallery Shop which offers a range of unique artworks and handmade items from North Queensland and Australia.
Image courtesy of Townsville City Galleries Photography by Andrew Rankin
CONTACT US
Perc Tucker Regional Gallery
Cnr Denham and Flinders Street,
Townsville QLD 4810
(07) 4727 9011
STAY CONNECTED
Townsville City Galleries
TownsvilleCityGalleries townsville.qld.gov.au galleries@townsville.qld.gov.au
Cover image: Samuel Leighton-Dore, Cowboys Crowd [detail], 2024 Image courtesy the artist
Pinnacles Gallery
Riverway Arts Centre 20 Village Boulevard, Thuringowa Central QLD 4817
(07) 4773 8871
