Perc Tucker Regional Gallery will welcome a significant North Queensland artwork back to Townsville at this week's launch of In the Heart of the North (Part 2).
The showcase is the second in a series of new exhibitions featuring artworks from the City of Townsville Art Collection, and will include Sir Arthur Streeton's 102-year-old painting Magnetic Island. This work of art is on long-term loan from the National Gallery of Australia with support from the Australian Government as part of Sharing the National Collection.
Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto said the exhibition highlighted Townsville's prominence in the nation's artistic landscape.
"Townsville is proud to be the arts capital of Northern Australia and it's wonderful to be able to share selected works from the City of Townsville Art Collection with the community," Cr Dametto said.
"It's very special to be able to have Sir Arthur Streeton's work Magnetic Island back in the city that inspired it. Sir Streeton remains one of Australia's most significant painters and it's a great honour to be able to include his work in our exhibition.
"Thank you to the National Gallery of Australia for loaning this piece to Townsville City Galleries. I hope visitors to Perc Tucker Regional Gallery will take away something special from seeing Magnetic Island in person."
Federal Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said it was great to see a piece of local history return to where it was made.
"The national collection belongs to the entire nation, not just to Canberra," he said.
"At any point 98 per cent of our national collection is held in storage. Over a million people have now had the chance to see a part of the national collection – that's usually hidden away - because of the Sharing the National Collection program."
Artworks selected for In the Heart of the North (Part 2) depict elements of life in the north, including works that speak to Townsville's identity as Australia's largest garrison city and our region's natural beauty.
Artist and community arts facilitator Baylee Griffin's artwork Planetesimal proteaceae is just one locally-created work featured in this exhibition.
"It is such an honour be included in this exhibition alongside local greats Anne Lord and Tony Di Giacomo, and works from city's incredible art collection," Baylee said.
"I hope the Townsville public is as impressed as I am by the efforts that have gone into the curation and setup from the staff of Townsville Galleries."
In the Heart of the North (Part 2) will be launched from 6pm this Friday at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, including a speech from the National Gallery of Australia's head of Art Across Australia Tracy Cooper-Lavery. Attendance is free.
Exhibiting artists Anne Lord, Baylee Griffin and Tony DiGiacomo will host a floor talk at 10:30am on Saturday.
In the Heart of the North (Part 2) will exhibit alongside Mintjapuni: Ricky Emmerton and Young Indigenous Printmakers at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery until Sunday 3 May.
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