Exhibitions Open to the Public
Regional Arts Triennial – Radical Futures
Bringing together 49 artists to consider how regional communities imagine, make and care for the future. The diverse site-responsive and often collaborative approaches presented in Radical Futures reflect on cultural continuity and ecological responsibility interwoven with stories of migration, belonging and community resilience.
Once Known
The Carrolup artworks were created on Noongar Boodja by Aboriginal children at the Carrolup School, located within the Carrolup Native Settlement in Western Australia during the 1940s. The children were forcibly removed from their families under the provisions of the 1905 Aborigines Act and placed at institutions such as Carrolup as part of government assimilation policies.
Legacies Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie): Stories From Silky Pear Country
Legacies Karlkurla celebrates the life stories of ten respected Aboriginal Elders from the Goldfields region: Geoffrey Stokes, Murray McCarthy, Janice Scott, Dallas McLean, Donald Ballinger, Betty Logan, Brent Johnston, Nyingurta Jessie West, Trevor Brownley and Allison Dimer.
Longing and Hope
Through Carrolup, explore how creativity and education connect the past to the present, and watch new possibilities for learning, understanding and exchange emerge now and into the future.
Upcoming Events
Curator Talk: Regional Arts Triennial – Radical Futures
Join Lead Curator, Sarah Roots, for an inside look at Regional Arts Triennial – Radical Futures.
Digressions: Writers Respond to Radical Futures
Hear staff from Curtin University’s communications and writing programs respond to Radical Futures with original works of poetry, fiction and non-fiction.
The Art of Slow Looking
Join us for a ‘slow looking’ exploration of JCG’s current exhibition, Regional Arts Triennial – Radical Futures.
Gallery Restore: Yin Yoga
Pause, restore and connect with gentle yin yoga amidst inspiring and powerful art.
Plan your trip
Locations
John Curtin Gallery – Curtin University
Building 200A Curtin University, Kent Street
Bentley, Western Australia 6102
Phone: 08 9266 4155
Open Mon to Fri 10:00 – 5:00pm and Sun 12:00 – 4:00pm
Find us on Instagram
The curatorial premise of Radical Futures was never simply “what will happen next?”, but “what could happen next?”. 🤔
Join Regional Arts Triennial - Radical Futures Lead Curator Sarah Roots for a unique talk and inside look into how the exhibition came to be!
Event Details:
🗓️ Wednesday 11 November
⏰ 5:30pm – 7pm
📍John Curtin Gallery, Free event, open to the public.
Roots will share how creative practice helps us respond, and highlight regional artists’ unique ability to finely attune to the world around them.
Get an inside look into the journey of the Regional Arts Triennial, and the culminating exhibition that spotlights the diverse and innovative ways regional communities are already imagining, making and caring for the future.
Image 1: Peter Hill, The Soldier’s shadow, the Forest Gardener and the local’s mob, 2025
iron vinegar on burnt and engraved plywood, 210 × 85 cm. Photo by Sharon Baker.
Image 2: Sarah Roots at Regional Arts Triennial Radical Futures, John Curtin Gallery. Photo by @stillmedia_au
🔗 More info via link in bio.
This project is made possible through the Regional Creative Industries Fund with support from the WA Government and delivered by @artonthe_move.
@southernforestarts @blbcreative @perthartlist @regionalartswa
Artist spotlight! 👣 Caitlin Stewart - Just Keep Moving (Tread Lightly)
The choices we made yesterday, and the ones we make today, cast long shadows. They stretch quietly into tomorrow, shaping what lies ahead, their presence lingering in the future we move toward.
Jurien Bay-based artist Caitlin Stewart’s textile work Just Keep Moving explores the concepts of fragility and strength, and the tension between them.
Experimenting and playing with light, shadow and texture, Stewart’s pieces usually come in the form of a question or a story; she is intrigued by what is possible to see through a work, as much as what is visible on the work itself.
‘Grounding’ - the process of walking with bare feet on the earth, can mentally and physically bring you back to the present and calm the nervous system.
Just Keep Moving is a reminder to remain hopeful for the future and sometimes the only way to become unstuck, is to just keep moving! 💛
This artwork is part of the Regional Arts Triennial - Radical Futures, on show at John Curitn Gallery until 6 December, free entry. ✨
This project is made possible through the Regional Creative Industries Fund with support from the WA Government and delivered by @artonthe_move.
@southernforestarts @blbcreative @seastewarts
🎥- video by @amandaforwardfilm
Cover image: @stillmedia_au
Artwork: Just Keep Moving (Tread Lightly), 2026 wire, yarn, paper and linen thread, 200 x 148cm.
Thank you for welcoming this important exhibition to Menang Country 💛
What a pleasure it was to see so many of you make your way to @albanyentertainment to launch Once Known!
This landmark exhibition shares reproductions of fragile artworks created by Aboriginal children stolen from their families and detained at the Carrolup Native Settlement in the 1940s. The exhibition reminds us that each child had a name, a family and a story, and their artworks stand as a testament to their creativity, resilience and enduring connection to Country.
A huge shoutout to @gorenangmoortabiin for your support in making sure Great Southern and surrounding communities have access to these artworks! 🙌
Exhibition details:
📍Albany Entertainment Centre
Exhibition runs from 21 October – 10 December 2026.
Free entry, open to the public.
More info via link in bio 🔗
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware the exhibition contains images, voices and names of people who have died. It also contains information that might be confronting and may cause distress.
Supported by: Lotterywest and Gorenang Moortabiin Aboriginal Corporation.
📸 - Once Known at Albany Entertainment Centre. Photo by Krysta Guille.
Join us for a guided slow looking exploration of JCG’s current exhibition, Regional Arts Triennial - Radical Futures. ✨
Facilitated by John Curtin Gallery’s Education Coordinator, this mindful practice creates space and time to connect more deeply with art. During the session, we will explore simple pedagogy for engaging with art through mindful observation and reflection.
⏰ 12pm - 1pm
Session #1 - 🗓️ Thursday 22 October
Session #2 - 🗓️ Thursday 19 November
Rather than rushing from artwork to artwork, participants are introduced to three selected artworks and encouraged to sit, pause, observe and allow the work to reveal itself, following where it leads their thoughts and feelings. 💛
🔗 More info via link in bio.
This project is made possible through the Regional Creative Industries Fund with support from the WA Government and delivered by @artonthe_move.
@southernforestarts @blbcreative @annalouiserichardson @perthartlist @universityartmuseumsaustralia @curtinlifeaustralia @curtinalumni @perth.art.seeker @regionalartswa @curtinbfagrads
Image 1: Whispers That Shaped Me (detail), 2026, porcelain paper clay, Margaret River wild clay, LED light, sound, dimensions variable. Photo by Sharon Baker.
Image 2: Regional Arts Triennial - Radical Futures at John Curtin Gallery. Photo by Anthea Auld (@stillmedia_au)
Great Southern 👋 Once Known is heading your way!
We’re so excited to announce the Once Known exhibition of Carrolup artworks will be making its way to Menang Country, Albany.
Join John Curtin Gallery and @gorenangmoortabiin on Wednesday 21 October to welcome Once Known!
📍Albany Entertainment Centre
⏰ 6pm – 8pm (formalities from 6:15pm)
Free event, open to the public
🥂 Light refreshments served, cash bar.
RSVP link in bio 🔗
Exhibition runs from 21 October – 10 December 2026.
Once Known shares reproductions of fragile artworks created by Aboriginal children stolen from their families and detained at the Carrolup Native Settlement in the 1940s. The exhibition reminds us that each child had a name, a family and a story, and their artworks stand as a testament to their creativity, resilience and enduring connection to Country.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware the exhibition contains images, voices and names of people who have died. It also contains information that might be confronting and may cause distress.
Supported by: Lotterywest and Gorenang Moortabiin Aboriginal Corporation.
📸 - Once Known at 139 St Georges Terrace, Perth CBD. Captured by @marnie__richardson.
@albanyentertainment
Radical Futures is 2 weeks old! 🤩
Here’s few highlights from our amazing opening event and a look at what to expect during your visit.
An exploration into how regional communities imagine, make and care for the future, Regional Arts Triennial - Radical Futures features a whopping 49 artists, selected from 13 regional exhibitions.
This third iteration of the Triennial is not one to be missed and celebrates local identity while building connection, visibility and opportunity for regional arts communities. 💛
Do you have a favourite artwork yet? Let us know.👇
Exhibition open until 6 December. Free entry, open to all.
📸- @stillmedia_au
🔗 More info via link in bio.
This project is made possible through the Regional Creative Industries Fund with support from the WA Government and delivered by @artonthe_move.
@southernforestarts @blbcreative @annalouiserichardson @perthartlist @regionalartswa
Their Stories. Their Words. Their Legacies 👏
Wander into our Access Gallery and find Legacies Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie): Stories From Silky Pear Country, a celebration of the life stories of ten respected Aboriginal Elders from the Goldfields region!
With portraits by internationally acclaimed photographer Michael Jalaru Torres and podcast conversations hosted by Spinifex Anangu broadcaster Debbie Carmody, Legacies Karlkurla seeks to inspire, educate and build a deeper understanding between people in WA.
📍John Curtin Gallery
🗓️ 18 September– 21 October 2026
Free entry. Open to the public.
Their poignant, powerful and at times heartbreaking journeys capture critical moments in Australian history.
Thank you Geoffrey Stokes, Murray McCarthy, Janice Scott, Dallas McLean, Donald Ballinger, Betty Logan, Brent Johnston, Nyingurta Jessie West, Trevor Brownley and Allison Dimer, for sharing your stories. 💛
Please be advised that the names, voices and images of deceased Elders in this exhibition have been used with their permission.
📸 - @stillmedia_au
Legacies Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie) was originally presented by the Community Arts Network in partnership with WA Museum of Goldfields, ABC Goldfields Esperance and Tjuma Pulka Media Aboriginal Corporation, with support from the Community Broadcasting Foundation. The Legacies Karlkurla (Kalgoorlie) project was produced with support from the WA Government and assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts funding and advisory body.
@communityartsnetwork @museumofthegoldfields @communitybroadcastingnetwork @abcindigenous
Thanks for joining us 🫶
What an amazing opening night!
Our latest exhibition Regional Arts Triennial – Radical Futures brings together 49 artists to consider how regional communities imagine, make and care for the future.
Come and imagine bold new futures through the voices of regional Western Australia. ✨
Exhibition open until 6 December. Free entry, open to all.
🔗 More info via link in bio.
This project is made possible through the Regional Creative Industries Fund with support from the WA Government and delivered by @artonthe_move.
@southernforestarts @blbcreative @annalouiserichardson @perthartlist @universityartmuseumsaustralia @curtinlifeaustralia @curtinalumni @curtinuniversity @perth.art.seeker @regionalartswa @curtinbfagrads
Sneak peak at our upcoming exhibition! 👀
Launching tomorrow, Regional Arts Triennial - Radical Futures brings together 49 artists to consider how regional communities imagine, make and care for the future.
Huge thanks to the artists, installers and collaborators who made it happen. 💛
🔗 See you at our launch event tomorrow! Details via link in bio.
This project is made possible through the Regional Creative Industries Fund with support from the WA Government and delivered by ART ON THE MOVE.
@artonthe_move @southernforestarts @blbcreative @annalouiserichardson @perthartlist @universityartmuseumsaustralia @curtinlifeaustralia @curtinalumni @curtinuniversity @perth.art.seeker
Opening event! Regional Arts Triennial - Radical Futures ✨
Join us for the opening event of our next exhibition Regional Arts Triennial - Radical Futures.
🗓️ Thursday 17 September
📍John Curtin Gallery, Curtin Univeristy (Building 200A)
⏰5:30pm – 7:30pm (formalities from 6pm)
🙌 Free event, open to the public.
🔗 RSVP via link in bio!
This exhibition brings together 49 artists to consider how regional communities imagine, make and care for the future. Their works reflect the specific conditions of place while also speaking to broader questions about how we live together, care for the environment and respond to an increasingly uncertain world.
We can’t wait to welcome this special exhibition with you! 💛
The Regional Arts Triennial is a statewide program held every three years that celebrates the artists, stories and cultural voices of regional Western Australia while building connection, visibility and opportunity for regional arts communities.
This project is made possible through the Regional Creative Industries Fund with support from the WA Government and delivered by ART ON THE MOVE.
Image 1: Athena Shaw Boast and Matthew Darwen_Saving our beautiful Mammangs for the future2025_Photo By SharonBaker (detail).
Image 2: Martine Perret, Beneath Dark Skies - Magnetic Fields, 2025, video still, Duration 509 min (detail).
@artonthe_move @southernforestarts @blbcreative @annalouiserichardson
@perthartlist @universityartmuseumsaustralia @curtinlifeaustralia @curtinalumni @curtinuniversity @perth.art.seeker
We`re currently closed for install! 🛠️
JCG will open again on Friday September 18 to welcome a suite of amazing regional artists for Regional Arts Triennial - Radical Futures (@waregionalartstriennial).
Keep an eye on our social media for more details on what`s coming to JCG next exhibition season. 👀✨
🔗 More information via link in bio or on the JCG website.
John Curtin Gallery`s regular opening hours are Monday to Friday 10am - 5pm and Sunday 12pm - 4pm.
@curtinbfagrads @universityartmuseumsaustralia @perthartlist @curtinlife @regionalartswa @southernforestarts
It was a pleasure to have Christopher Pease: Terra Nullius and Reko Rennie: OA_RR at JCG! ✨
We hoped you enjoyed these two powerful exhibitions, exploring Country, identity, history and contemporary Aboriginal experience.
From Christopher Pease`s beautiful large-scale works and Reko Rennie’s phenomenal multi-channel videos, this was an unmissable exhibition season!
Thank you to everyone who visited, engaged with and supported these exhibitions. 💛
@chris_pease @rekorennie @gallerysmith_
@universityartmuseumsaustralia @curtinlifeaustralia @curtinalumni @curtinuniversity @perth.art.seeker @curtinbfagrads @perthartlist
