Carol McGregor

lives and works in Brisbane.

Carol McGregor is of Wathaurung, (Kulin Nation) and Scottish descent and is a possum skin cloak maker, painter, printmaker, and sculptor. 

McGregor engages with cultural practitioners, archives, and material collections to visually activate memories and sustain intergenerational transmission of Indigenous knowledge systems.

McGregor has exhibited widely and her work features in national and international collections, including the National Gallery of Australia and QAGOMA. She is currently Senior Lecturer and Program Director of the Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art unit at the Queensland College of Art, Griffith University.

 

 Academic Qualifications:

2019 Doctor of Visual Art with Australian Postgraduate Award Scholarship Queensland College of Art (QCA), Griffith University
2013 Bachelor of Fine Art with First Class Honours, QCA
2013 (& 1985) Cert IV in Training and Assessment, Southbank Institute of Technology
2012 Bachelor of Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art (CAIA), QCA
1981 Bachelor of Business Studies, Massey University

 

Solo Exhibitions:

2021 tides of history, Gadens, Brisbane
2021 Response, Redland Art Gallery, QLD
2019 Art of the Skins: un-silencing and remembering, Griffith University, Brisbane
2018 Repositories of Recognition, Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, Charlottesville, USA
2017 Sistas and Grannies, Tandanya Aboriginal Art Gallery, Adelaide
2017 Maiwar, Vibrant Laneways Project, Fish lane, Brisbane
2015 Idalia, HAAS Library, University of Qld, Brisbane
2014 IDALIA imprints – The Webb Gallery, Qld College of Art (response to artist residency with The University Of Queensland’s School of Biological Sciences).

 

Selected and Award Group Exhibitions:

2022 Rivus, Sydney Biennale (Myall Creek Gathering Cloak), NAS, Sydney
2022 CurioCity, World Science Festival, Brisbane
2021-2022  UN/LEARNING AUSTRALIA, Seoul Museum of Art, South Korea
2021 djillong dumularra, Artspace and Sydney Festival, NSW
2021 djillong dumularra, Artspace and Sydney Festival, NSW
2021 Pivot II, Onespace, Brisbane
2021 Knowledge Keepers, Adderton House, Brisbane
2021 Ballarat Heritage Festival, Art Gallery of Ballarat, Victoria
2020 Rites of Passage, QUT Art Museum, Brisbane
2019 New Woman, Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane
2019 Transits and Returns, Vancouver Art Gallery, Canada
2019 Seeing Country, Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland 2018 - 19  Boundary Lines, Griffith University Art Museum, Brisbane
2018 The Commute, IMA, Brisbane
2018 So Fine, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
2018 Myall Creek and Beyond, NERAM, Armidale
2018 Lines in the Sand, Festival 2018, Gold Coast
2018 Acknowledging Place, South Stradbroke Island Indigenous Artist Camp  Festival 2018 Commission, Gold Coast
2017 It Tastes Like Sunshine, Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane
2017-20  Open House, Tamworth Textile Triennial, Tamworth Regional Gallery and touring nationally
2016 Redland Art Awards, Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland 2016   Gathering Strands, Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland
2015 Warriors, Sorcerers and Spirits, KickArts Contemporary Arts, Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Cairns.
2014 Intimate Spaces Revealed, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra
2014 The Churchie National Emerging Art Prize, GUAG Gallery, Brisbane
2014 Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize, National Art School, Sydney
2013 The Churchie National Emerging Art Prize, GUAG Gallery, Brisbane
2013 Sunshine Coast Art Prize, 3D – Finalist, Noosa Regional Gallery
2013 The GAS: Graduate Art Show, Queensland College of Art, Brisbane
2013 15 Artists
2013, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Redcliffe Art Gallery
2012 The GAS: Graduate Art Show, Queensland College of Art, Brisbane

 

Group Exhibitions:

2020 Redland Art Awards: works 2006 – 2018, Redland Art Gallery.
2020 Artisan Collects, Artisan Gallery, Brisbane
2019 New Woman, Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane
2019 Seeing Country, Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland
2018 - 19 Boundary Lines, Griffith University Art Museum, Brisbane
2018 The Commute, IMA, Brisbane
2018 So Fine, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
2018 Myall Creek and Beyond, NERAM, Armidale
2018 Lines in the Sand, Festival 2018, Gold Coast
2018 Acknowledging Place, South Stradbroke Island Indigenous Artist Camp Festival 2018 Commission, Gold Coast
2018 Debra Porch and Friends Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane
2018 Moment and Method POP Gallery, Brisbane
2018 Intertwined Festival 2018, Gold Coast
2017 cross-currents: from island to mainland Gold Coast City Gallery
2017 The impression of our arteries Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane
2016-17 Drawing Water, Vibrant Laneways Project, Brisbane
2016 Souvenirs from Elsewhere,Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Brisbane
2016 Art of the Skins, State Library Queensland, Brisbane
2016 Gathering Strands, Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland
2015 Art meets Science, Queensland Academy of Arts and Science, Brisbane
2015 My Story, The Gold Coast Arts Centre, Gold Coast.
2015 Blak, Art from the Margins, St Andrews Hospital, Brisbane
2015 Warriors, Sorcerers and Spirits, KickArts Contemporary Arts, Cairns indigenous Art Fair, Cairns
2015 Reconciliation Week, Judith Wright Centre, Brisbane
2014 The Gather Award, St. Ita’s, Brisbane
2014 Intimate Spaces Revealed, Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra
2013 Artoriginal, Brisbane Town Hall
2013 Down the Rabbit Hole- A Queensland College of Art, Griffith University and University of Southern Queensland Visual Art Research project
2013 Middle Ground, Fine Art Honours students, The Hold Artspace, Brisbane
2013 Field, Contemporary Landscapes, The Hold Artspace, Brisbane
2012 remap, Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art (CAIA) Graduation Exhibition, Qld College of Art, Griffith University, Brisbane
2012 First, Emerging Indigenous Art, Love Love Studio, Brisbane
2011 Knots, Contemporary Artisans Collective Gallery, Brisbane
2010 On Paper, Impress Printmakers and Qld College of Art Print Club, Brisbane
2010 Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Cairns
2010 Our Stories, Our Way, Mater Hospital, Brisbane
2010 Art from the Soul, Kurilpa Gallery, Brisbane
2009 Colours of Garma, Roma
2009 Pro Art Fundraising Exhibition, Richard Randall Art Studio, Brisbane
2009 Postcard Art & Advertising (CAIA, QCA) Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Cairns
2008 Naidoc Family Day, Musgrave Park, Brisbane

 

Awards:

2021 Cherish II, for project with La Perouse Aboriginal Mission, Sydney, NSW
2020 Recipient of the John Mulvaney Fellowship
2019 Award of Excellence in the Research Thesis, Griffith University
2018 Festival 2018 Commonwealth Games, Indigenous Artist Camp commission
2016 Winner, Local Environment Prize, Redland Art Awards, Redland Art gallery
2015 1854 Scholar, Museum Victoria, Melbourne.
2014 Winner, The Inaugural Gather Award, Brisbane
2013 University Medal for academic excellence, Griffith University
2012 Winner, “The Espresso GARAGE Award”, The GAS: Graduate Art Show, Queensland College of Art for journey cloak 2012
2012 Oxlades Undergraduate C.A.I.A. Award
2012 Australian Indigenous Arts Medal for Achievement in the Bachelor’s Degree
2012 Godfrey Rivers Medal, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University
2008,10,11,12 Griffith Award for Academic Excellence, Griffith University

 

Artist Residencies:

2021 Ballarat Heritage Festival, Ballarat, Victoria
2021 Gadens Lawyers, Brisbane
2018 Kluge Ruhe Aboriginal, University of Virginia, USA
2017 South Stradbroke Indigenous Artist's camp (Mentor role)
2016 Tokyo University of Arts, Japan
2016 Lighting the Fires, Bundanon Trust, New South Wales
2015 Museum Victoria, Melbourne
2015 South Stradbroke Artist’s camp
2014 The University Of Queensland’s School of Biological Sciences
2011 Internship, Griffith University Art Gallery.

 

Conference Presentations

2023 Purrumpa, First Nations Creative Arts Conference, Adelaide
2019 Great Ocean Dialogues, Vancouver Art Gallery, Canada
2018 Oceans of Exchange, Virginia University
2017 Art of the Skins, national Museums and Galleries Conference, Brisbane

 

Employment

2020-current, Program Leader, Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art, QCA, Griffith University
2012-19 Tutor, lecturer, Qld College of Art, Griffith University
1985-2011 Business management and Self-Employed
1983-84 Lecturer, Launceston TAFE Fashion School
1980-82 Proctor, Faculty of Business Studies, Massey University

 

Writing and design:

2021-2022  Source Materials catalogue essay, Griffith University, Art Museum, Brisbane
2013 Logo Design, Faculty of Indigenous Law, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane
2013 Review: “My Country, I still call Australia home: Contemporary Art from Black Australia, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, in Artlink, vol 33, no 3, pg 92.
2013 Catalogue essay for: "interconnectivity" QUT, Brisbane.
2011 Griffith University Art Gallery, online catalogue didactics for Gemma Smith and Antonia Posada.
2011 Catalogue essay in: “stepping up, a selection of current practice by Postgraduate Visual Art researchers at QCA Griffith University”.
2009 Postcard Art & Advertising (CAIA, QCA) Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Cairns

 

Other Activities

2022-26 Tamworth Textile Triennial, (curator) Tamworth Regional Gallery, touring nationally
2021-2022  Source Materials (co-curator) Griffith University, Art Museum, Brisbane
2018-current, Lecturer, Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art, Queensland College of Art, Griffith University
2018 Darwin Abroiginal Art Fair, Curator program and presenter, Darwin
2018 Design Tracks Creative Pathways Program, mentor, GOMA, Brisbane
2018 Curator, She sees, She feels, She makes, Queensland College of Art
2018 So Fine Panel Talk, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
2018 Facilitating Possum Skin Cloak workshops for Myall Creek communities, NSW
2018 Oceans of Exchange Conference presenter and panel, Virginia University, USA
2017 Design Tracks Creative Pathways Program, mentor, GOMA, Brisbane
2017 GOMA Teacher Lookout Program, workshop facilitator
2017 Curator - cross-currents: from island to mainland, Gold Coast City Gallery
2017 Facilitating Possum Skin Claok workshops for It Tastes Like Sunshine, Museum of Brisbane
2017 Tutor Aboriginal Art and Culture, Qld College of Art, Brisbane
2017 Weavingworkshop to 70 teachers, GOMA
2017 Art of the Skins presentation, Museum & Galleries Australia National Conferenv=ce
2015-16 Art of the Skins co-curator, workshop coordinator and facilitator - over 50 possum skin cloak-making workshops with Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Gold Coast Indigenous communities