JOHN CURTIN GALLERY
Open Borders is a survey of contemporary regional art practice featuring 40 artists from all 12 regions of Western Australia. This exciting exhibition is the culmination of the three-year Mycelium project, overseen by Southern Forest Arts, which had its genesis in the closed borders of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project, established in 2020, facilitated and presented the work of more than 160 regional artists and curators as a way to nurture resilience and sustainability throughout the years-long pandemic.
Open Borders is co-curated by Annette Davis, independent curator from Albany with Jane King, Director and Lia McKnight, Curator/Collections Manager at the John Curtin Gallery, and represents the quality and diversity of regional arts practice.
Read the Media Release: Art breaks down borders at the John Curtin Gallery.
Public opening hours during exhibitions Monday-Friday 11am-5pm, Sunday 12pm-4pm. Closed Saturdays and Public Holidays.
This exhibition is made possible through the support of the Department of Local Government, Sport, and Cultural Industries and the Regional Exhibitions Touring Boost, supported by ART ON THE MOVE.

Kate Alida Mullen:
The Snake Way Home.
Floortalk @ JCG 20/9/2023
OPEN BORDERS artist Kate Alida Mullen has an in depth talk around her work: The Snake Way Home.
Kate Alida Mullen is an artist, curator, writer, researcher and arts facilitator based in the South West region of Western Australia.
This floortalk grounded itself in discussion of the artist’s mixed-media work, The Snake Way Home, that is featured in the current Open Borders survey exhibition at John Curtin Gallery.
Janet Laurence and Prof. Peter Kenny:
Art, Geology & Deep Time
Speaker Series @ JCG – 26/9/2023
Join acclaimed Sydney artist, Janet Laurence and John Curtin Distinguished Emeritus Professor Peter Kinny for a special talk celebrating the completion of the artwork ‘Cliff’ in Building 418, School of Design and Built Environment at Curtin University’s Bentley campus.
Commissioned by Curtin University, through the John Curtin Gallery (Art Coordination by Apparatus) CLIFF is now part of the Curtin University Art Collection. A significant commission undertaken in Building 418, ‘Cliff’ is an installation of Western Australian geological specimens that Janet describes as “the matter of nature” – telling a story of deep time.
Find out more about the inspiration behind this amazing public artwork; the stories behind the rocks on display, and the process of bringing it all together.