Gold Coast City Art Gallery facts for kids
The Gold Coast City Art Gallery was an art museum in Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. It opened in 1986. The gallery was part of HOTA, Home of the Arts. HOTA used to be called the Gold Coast Art Centre. The Gold Coast City Council helped fund it. After 33 years, the Gold Coast City Art Gallery closed in 2018. This was to get ready for the new HOTA Gallery. The new HOTA Gallery opened in 2021.
The City's Art Collection
The Gold Coast City Art Gallery was home to a special collection of art. This collection is called the City Collection. It includes both modern and older artworks. These artworks show what the Gold Coast is like. They also show how Australian Art has grown over time. In 2021, the City Collection moved to its new home. It is now displayed in the new HOTA Gallery.
Important Art Prizes
The gallery also hosted some of Australia's oldest art competitions. One of these was the Drs Stan and Maureen Duke Gold Coast Art Prize. This prize is an award for contemporary Australian art. The gallery buys the winning artwork for its collection. This competition started in 1968. It was first called the Gold Coast Art Prize. The goal was to bring new art to the Gold Coast. At that time, it was a smaller tourist town.
From 1990 to 2006, the prize was known as the Conrad Jupiters Art Prize. Many important artworks were bought during this time. These included the first public gallery pieces by Adam Cullen and Guan Wei. The prize now has new support. This comes from the Stan and Maureen Duke Foundation. Their help has greatly increased the prize's value. The art collection has also grown. This is thanks to gifts from Barbara and Patrick Corrigan. Elizabeth and Colin Laverty also donated art.
The gallery also hosted the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award. This award honors Win Schubert AO (1937-2017). She was very generous and loved Australian photography and art. This award is now the biggest photography prize in Queensland. It is the second largest in Australia. It helps show the best new photography across the country.
Exhibitions and Events
When the gallery was open, it offered many different shows and activities. These included exhibitions from local artists. There were also national and international art shows. Some exhibitions were created by the gallery itself. Others were part of touring shows that visited the gallery.
The gallery area also features a riverside Sculpture Walk. This is an outdoor exhibition of sculptures. You can walk along and see many different artworks. Some sculptures are permanent. Others are shown for a limited time. These works are by artists from Australia and other countries. The Sculpture Walk is set against the tall buildings of the Gold Coast skyline.
