The Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) has set a new record for visitor numbers in 2017 with an attendance of more than 2.17 million. Arts Minister Leeanne Enoch said the result was an outstanding achievement for Queensland’s flagship art gallery, exceeding its previous calendar-year record of 1.8 million in 2010.
Last year’s record-breaking attendance was boosted by a program which included the celebration of GOMA’s 10th birthday, the blockbuster ‘Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe‘, and exhibitions by two of the world’s most renowned living artists, Gerhard Richter and Yayoi Kusama. ‘Marvel: Creating the Cinematic Universe’ attracted more than 269,000 visitors, itself a record for a ticketed exhibition at QAGOMA.
QAGOMA Director Chris Saines said the record numbers marked a major milestone for the Gallery. This new record is a direct result of strong exhibition programming, which also included the newly re-imagined Australian Collection at the Queensland Art Gallery (QAG). In September the reconfigured Australian art collection was unveiled with historical and contemporary works, including an extensive display of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, as well as major new commissions. Now that ‘Picasso: The Vollard Suite‘ has opened at QAG, and the ‘Me, Myselfie and I‘ interactive space has launched at GOMA’s Children’s Art Centre, all spaces in both buildings are open to the public.
2018 is set to be another strong year for the Gallery, featuring highly anticipated exhibitions that will continue to push boundaries and delight audiences. QAGOMA’s rich forward program is supported by the Queensland Government in funding blockbusters and major exhibitions. The Marvel exhibition was the first show staged under this blockbuster funding, and the second will be ‘Patricia Piccinini: Curious Affection‘, which will occupy the entire ground floor of GOMA from 24 March to 5 August 2018. The Gallery will also stage ‘The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT9)‘, featuring new and significant art from across the region, from 24 November 2018 to 28 April 2019.
