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18 Queensland Art Gallery Board of Trustees Annual Report 2013–14
OUTCOMES
Commercial Services
QAGOMA is the only state gallery in Australia to operate its
own food and beverage services, with all purchases from
restaurants, cafes and catering services directly supporting the
Gallery’s exhibitions, programs and the Collection. Commercial
activities enhanced the visitor experience by offering an
added dimension to exhibition attendance, for example, food,
beverage and exhibition ticket packages for ‘Quilts 1700–1945’
and ‘California Design’.
The Gallery’s unique spaces and premier catering options
provided an attractive offering for venue hire for corporate
and private functions. Several event clients returned to the
Gallery following positive experiences. Event hire attracted
new audiences to the Gallery, including significant functions
for interstate clients, one for over 1000 guests, during ‘Cai
Guo-Qiang: Falling Back to Earth’. The Gallery was represented
at interstate industry events with Brisbane Marketing to
showcase event hosting opportunities for the Meetings,
Incentives, Conferences, Events (MICE) market.
The QAGOMA Store operated Pop-Up Shops in association
with ‘Quilts 1700–1945’, ‘California Design 1930–1965’ and
‘Transparent: Watercolour in Queensland 1850s–1980s’,
enhancing the visitor experience and generating additional
revenue. Merchandise ranges were developed for ‘Quilts’,
‘California Design’, ‘Falling Back to Earth’ and ‘Transparent’.
The Store hosted several events and book launches forging
links with the art, craft and design communities, generating
additional revenue and increasing Gallery visitation. These
events included the Winter and Christmas Design Markets and
book launches for
Art + Fashion in the 20th Century
,
Australian
Art: A History
by Sasha Grishin,
Australian Notebooks
by Betty
Churcher and
elBulli 2005–2011
by Ferran Adria, launched in
association with Fairfax Good Food Month.
The Store expanded its range of online products with the
addition of new book and merchandise categories. The Store
also developed targeted promotional campaigns for online
and educational sales.
Enrich visitor experience
Present a range of diverse and innovative public
programs and related initiatives, including those
presented by the Children’s Art Centre.
Public Programs
Public programs and events — lectures, tours, discussions
and performances, as well as GOMA Talks and Up Late —
encouraged visitors of all ages to make the most of their
Gallery experience. These events enlisted the expertise
of local presenters, visiting guests, performers and
artists; regional, interstate and international audiences
took advantage of increased access to programs via live
webcasting and social media.
Audiences enhanced their experience of major exhibitions by
attending opening weekend programs featuring exhibiting
artists and guest speakers. Opening weekend programs were
held for ‘Cai Guo-Qiang: Falling Back to Earth’, ‘California
Design 1930–1965: Living in a Modern Way’ and ‘Harvest’.
The Gallery’s tenth presentation of Up Late, during ‘California
Design 1930–1965: Living in a Modern Way’, attracted over
5000 visitors over six Friday nights. California-inspired cuisine,
design talks and performances by international and national
musicians were on offer as part of Up Late.
GOMA Talks, the free interactive evening discussion series,
continued to foster debate and discussion and was presented
in partnership with ABC Radio National during ‘My Country,
I Still Call Australia Home: Contemporary Art from Black
Australia’. The talks were webcast live and audience members
contributed to the discussions via Twitter and SMS. The Audi
GOMA Bar was open for each event and entertainment was
provided by a local DJ.
The Glencore Xstrata Queensland Regional Touring Program
presented hands-on workshops by The Stitchery Collective
at six venues in July 2013. Over 100 students learned about
creative sustainable ideas and screen-printing techniques.
HIGHLIGHTS
• GOMA Talks and Up Late presented vibrant
discussions and live music after dark.
• Delivered successful pilot program of tours for
people who live with dementia in association with
Alzheimer’s Australia.
• ‘Harvest: Art, Film + Food’ combined an exhibition,
film program, publication and art-inspired menus.