Carol McGregor facts for kids

Carol McGregor is an amazing Indigenous Australian artist. She has Wathaurung (from Victoria) and Scottish family roots. Carol is famous around the world for her special art installations. These artworks use different materials like natural fibers, metal, and paper. She also works hard to bring back the tradition of making possum skin cloaks. These cloaks are a very old type of clothing and hold important cultural stories.

Carol McGregor's Early Life and Learning

Carol McGregor was born in Hastings, New Zealand. She first earned a degree in Business Studies from Massey University in 1981. Later, Carol decided to study art.

She went to the Queensland College of Art (QCA) at Griffith University. There, she studied Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art. She finished this degree in 2012. In 2013, she earned another degree in Fine Art with top honors from QCA. From 2014 to 2017, Carol continued her studies. She worked towards her Doctor of Philosophy degree at QCA. She even received a special scholarship to help her with her studies.

Carol McGregor's Art Career

Carol McGregor's art explores different ways to show culture. She uses new technologies to look closely at her family history. Her art also examines the many stories hidden in the land.

For her PhD project, Carol focused on possum skin cloaks. She studied how these cloaks were made in South East Queensland (SEQ). Thanks to her research and workshops, making possum skin cloaks became popular again in SEQ communities.

Carol worked with another artist, Glennys Briggs, on a project called Art of the Skins. This project included making cloaks and an exhibition. It was shown at the State Library of Queensland from June to November 2016.

Her artwork Cornerstone (2011–18) is made of cast silver. It was part of the Boundary Lines exhibition. This group show was held at the Griffith University Art Museum in Brisbane. It ran from November 2018 to February 2019.

Carol's recent work, Skin Country (2018), was also featured. It was part of The Commute exhibition. This show took place at the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane. It was on display from September to December 2018.

Carol McGregor's Artworks

Solo Exhibitions

• 2014 IDALIA imprints – The Webb Gallery, Qld College of Art (This show was inspired by her time at The University of Queensland's School of Biological Sciences)
• 2015 Idalia – HAAS Library, University of Qld, Brisbane
• 2018 Carol McGregor: Repositories of Recognition – Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, University of Virginia

Major Exhibitions

• 2009 Postcard Art & Advertising (CAIA, QCA) – Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Cairns
• 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
• 2011 Knots – Contemporary Artisans Collective Gallery, Brisbane
• 2012 First, Emerging Indigenous Art – Love Love Studio, Brisbane
• 2013 Artoriginal – Brisbane Town Hall
• 2013 Middle Ground – Fine Art Honours students, The Hold Artspace, Brisbane
• 2013 Field, Contemporary Landscapes – The Hold Artspace, Brisbane
• 2014 The Gather Award – St. Ita's, Brisbane
• 2014 Intimate Spaces Revealed – Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra
• 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
• 2016 Art of the Skins – State Library Queensland, Brisbane
• 2016 Gathering Strands – Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland
• 2017 Tastes Like Sunshine – Museum of Brisbane, Queensland
• 2018 So Fine: Contemporary women artists make Australian history – National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
• 2018 Boundary Lines – Griffith University Art Museum, Brisbane
• 2018 The Commute – Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane

Selected Award Exhibitions

• 2013 The churchie national emerging art prize – Griffith University Art Gallery (GUAG), Brisbane
• 2013 Sunshine Coast Art Prize, 3D – Finalist, Noosa Regional Gallery
• 2013 15 Artists 2013 – Moreton Bay Regional Council, Redcliffe Art Gallery
• 2014 The churchie national emerging art prize – GUAG, Brisbane
• 2014 Redlands Konica Minolta Art Prize

Awards and Honors

• 2014 Winner, The Inaugural Gather Award, Brisbane
• 2015 1854 Scholar, Museum Victoria, Melbourne

Where Her Art Is Kept

Carol McGregor's art can be found in important collections:

• Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, University of Virginia
• Redland Art Gallery, Queensland