Megan Cope facts for kids

Megan Cope (born in 1982) is an amazing Australian Aboriginal artist. She comes from the Quandamooka people who live on Stradbroke Island/Minjerribah. Megan is famous for her cool sculptures, video art, and paintings. In her art, she often explores ideas about who we are and the history of colonialism (when one country takes control of another). She is also part of a group of modern Indigenous artists called ProppaNOW in Brisbane.

Discovering Megan Cope's Art

Growing Up and Learning

Megan Cope was born in Brisbane in 1982. She is part of the Quandamooka people. In 2006, she finished her studies at Deakin University in Victoria. She earned a degree in Visual Arts, focusing on Visual Communication.

Her Artistic Journey

Megan Cope has done a lot in the art world. She has managed and organized many art projects and events. These include tinygold and the BARI (Brisbane Artist Run Initiative) Festival. Megan is also a member of ProppaNOW. This is a group of modern Indigenous artists based in Brisbane.

Cope creates videos, installations, sculptures, and paintings. Her art often challenges old ideas about Aboriginality. She looks closely at Australia's history and how we think about time and ownership. A big part of Megan's art is to show the truth about colonialism. She wants to explore the myths and facts that come with it.

Her artwork has been shown in many important places. These include the National Gallery of Australia and the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Her art has also been displayed at the Melbourne Museum. You can find her pieces in many other public and private collections across Australia.

In 2016 and 2017, Megan's art was shown with Vincent Namatjira's work. This was at the Tarnanthi Festival. This festival celebrates modern Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. It was held at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

In 2017, the Australian War Memorial asked Megan to be an official war artist. She was the first Aboriginal woman to have this role. She traveled to the Middle East with different Australian Defence Force groups. Her job was to record and show what Australia was doing there. She created a series of artworks called Flight or Fight. These pieces were mounted on blue gum wood from North Stradbroke Island.

At the 2020 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art, Megan created a special installation. It was called Monster Theatres. This artwork was made from rocks, rusted steel drums, wire, and large drill bits. It was designed to be played like a musical instrument. Musicians used special bows to play it. The sounds it made were like the bush stone-curlew. This is a native bird that is doing well on Minjerribah (now North Stradbroke Island). However, it is endangered in New South Wales and Victoria.

Today, Megan Cope lives and works in Melbourne.

Exploring Megan Cope's Projects

Video Art

• The Blaktism is a video that explores culture, identity, and racism.
• Nimbulima Ngolongmai
• Boykambil
• Yugambeh

Art Exhibitions

• 2020 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Monster Theatres, shown at the Art Gallery of South Australia and Adelaide Botanic Garden (February 29 - June 8, 2020).
• Water, displayed at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane (December 7 - April 26, 2020).
• My country, I still call Australia Home: Contemporary Art from Black Australia, shown at the Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane (June 1 - October 7, 2013).
• She was a curator for Art with Attitude at the Airport Village in Australia in 2012.
• She curated the Nine Wives Exhibition in 2011.
• She also curated for the BARI Festival in King George Square in 2010.
• Desperate Spaces was a fundraising event in Brisbane that Megan curated.

Sculptural Works

• One of Megan Cope's most famous projects is her glow-in-the-dark ground installations. These are at Charlish Park in Redcliffe, Queensland. This ceramic artwork is part of the pathway. It shows maps of historical events and glows brightly at night.
• The Tide is High is a project from 2013. It talks about how Australia's geography has changed because of colonialism. It highlights ideas like the loss of Indigenous culture, jobs, and land.
• Fluid Terrain (2013) is a large installation at the Queensland Art Gallery. It connects the Quandamooka people with old maps. This is one of the biggest projects Megan has created so far.

Paintings

Megan Cope uses synthetic paint and Indian Ink in her paintings.

• Mining Boom (2013)
• Mining Boom Part Two (2013)
• Yalukit William (2014)
• Boon Wurrung (2014)

Awards and Recognition

• Megan won the Western Australian Indigenous Art Award in 2015. This award was worth A$50,000 for her artwork The Blaktism.

Art Collections

The Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane bought Megan's artwork Re Formation (2016–2019) in 2019. It was then shown in the Water exhibition from December 7, 2019, to April 26, 2020.