John Curtin Gallery is one of Western Australia’s premier art galleries located on the Curtin University’s Bentley campus, the gallery was named after John Curtin, Australia’s 14th Prime Minister. Established in 1998, the gallery has built a reputation for excellence in the presentation, promotion, and display of a varied and diverse range of art.
JCG serves not only the university community but also the broader public, offering a vibrant cultural hub that fosters critical thinking and appreciation of the arts. In April 2025, the John Curtin Gallery opened a new gallery space exhibiting the Carrolup artworks at 139 St Georges Terrace (139CSGT) in the Perth CBD. This project is funded by Lotterywest and is delivered in partnership with the Curtin St Georges Terrace Team.
Our Vision
To become a cultural leader in the Indian Ocean Region where art ignites curiosity, creates wonder, nurtures critical reflection, and strengthens community’s capacity to navigate a changing world.
Our Mission
Through art, we invite curiosity, emotional engagement, and critical reflection on the pressing issues of our time, fostering dialogue and lifelong learning for our university community, local communities, and the public.
Our Goal
Each year, we present to the highest standard of excellence, the most intriguing and critically relevant exhibitions and learning opportunities, to expand our audiences and impact.
A place for curiosity and inclusion
The gallery is a place for curiosity – there’s a draw towards something new, perhaps unexpected. Within our gallery spaces there is a sense of intrigue and an openness to inquiry. Art forms both within the gallery and across our campuses act as prompts for conversation – both difficult and joyous – they create a space for levity, wonder, reflection and learning.
Our place in communities
Community is a broad word, and yet it necessarily encompasses who we are here for. It speaks to our social responsibility, our relationships, and the many people who engage with JCG in different ways.
Our place on campus
JCG presents the soul of the campus. We are a cultural asset that has both a tangible and intangible value. The Curtin University Art Collection is at its most valuable when it is visible, and our galleries are most alive when people are in them – activated, animated and shared.
John Curtin Gallery Advisory Board
John Barrington AM is Deputy Chair of the National Portrait Gallery of Australia and a board member of Quantum Australia. He is a former Chair of Perth Festival, Deputy Chair of Creative Partnerships Australia and Deputy Chair, Federal Government Creative Economy Taskforce.
John is a Member of the Order of Australia, an Honorary Doctor of Commerce of Curtin University, Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management WA and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is a recipient of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Award for Excellence in the Not-for-Profit Sector.
Abdul-Rahman Abdullah is an artist living on Bindjareb Nyoongar country. Working primarily in sculpture and installation, he explores the intersections of identity, culture and the natural world. Abdullah is an alumni of Curtin University, career highlights include WA Focus 2015 (AGWA); Adelaide Biennial 2016 & 2022 (AGSA); The National 2019 (MCA); Tarrawarra Biennial 2023 and Uchiboso Arts Festival, Japan 2024. He has held institutional solo exhibitions at John Curtin Gallery 2021 and Chau Chak Wing Museum, Sydney University in 2026. Abdul-Rahman was a board member for Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (2017-21) and Council member for the National Gallery of Australia (2023-24).
Marco D’Orsogna is a Perth-based business leader and non-executive director with more than four decades of experience in business, governance and the Australian food manufacturing industry. A member of the D’Orsogna family business since the mid-1980s, he has played an important role in the company’s development and its position as one of Australia’s leading producers of premium continental smallgoods.
A Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD), Marco brings extensive experience in corporate governance, strategic development and family enterprise. He has served on the boards of a number of prominent business and arts organisations, including the Art Gallery of Western Australia (AGWA) and the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA).
A longstanding supporter of the arts, Marco is a collector and patron of contemporary art and has made a significant contribution to Western Australia’s cultural community. His interests reflect a strong commitment to the advancement of business, the arts and the broader cultural life of Western
Annie is Chairperson and co-founder of the Fogarty Foundation which she established with her husband Brett in 2000. The Foundation is a social venturer providing educational opportunities to help build strong communities in Western Australia and is passionate about engaging young people in their education.
She is involved in a number of boards and committees in the education, community and arts sector including Screenwest and the John Curtin Gallery and is Ambassador for Children and Young People WA and EdConnect.
Annie was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2013 for her work in the advancement of education in Western Australia. She has received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Western Australia and an Honorary Doctorate of Education from Edith Cowan University. Annie is 2020 WA Australian of the Year.
Emma is the Government Architect of Western Australia and, with nearly 30 years’ experience working in practice, has a national reputation as an advocate for the positive community and social outcomes achieved through good design.
She is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA), a recipient of the Paula Whitman Leadership in Gender Equity Prize, and a winner of the AIA’s National President’s Prize together with fellow members of the Government Architects Network of Australia.
Emma maintains a connection with academia through her role as Adjunct Professor at Monash University and as a member of the Industry Advisory Board for the School of Architecture at the University of Technology Sydney.
Mary Ann Wright is a committed patron of the visual and performing arts, with a longstanding record of leadership, philanthropy and cultural advocacy. As a member of the Curtin University Art Gallery Advisory Board, Mary Ann contributes a deep appreciation of the arts and a commitment to fostering public engagement with cultural institutions.
A Past President of the Australian American Association, Mary Ann is a Member and Patron of The Australian Ballet, an Advisory Board Member and Patron of West Australian Ballet, a Management Committee Member of The Karrakatta Club following 24 years of membership, and a Member of Arts National Australia. Through these appointments, Mary Ann actively champions artistic excellence, education and the enduring value of Australia’s cultural heritage.
Associate Professor Nicole Slatter is the Dean of Learning and Teaching for the Faculty of Humanities at Curtin University. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Education, a Bachelor of Arts with first class Honours, research Masters from Curtin University and a PhD in Painting from RMIT. Nicole has works in several public collections, including Artbank, City of Perth, Joondalup City Council, RMIT University, King Edward Memorial Hospital, Royal Perth Hospital and Curtin University.
Nicole Slatter’s current research projects include project and practice-based learning in tertiary education that brings together students, researchers and industry/community partners. Nicole has had a consistent creative research practice contributing to the field of Australian representational landscape painting and experiences of suburbia.
Tim is an Executive Director with over 35 years’ experience internationally in complex property development and infrastructure including with publicly listed companies.
Much of this experience has been in the strategic planning and delivery of multiple Olympic Games both operationally and in the legacy creation of civic urban renewal. Since his return to Perth, as Executive Director of Property at Curtin University he leads the transformation of their campus into a revitalized mixed-use innovation precinct for the city.
Tim also actively undertakes governance roles in the not-for-profit sector; his current board roles include as Deputy Chair of Amana Living and Chair of the Board of Governors of Hale School.
- John Barrington | Chair
- Abdul-Rahman Abdullah | Artist
- Marco D’Orsogna | Director, business owner, philanthropist, arts advocate
- Annie Fogarty | Chairperson Fogarty Foundation
- Professor Nicole Slatter | Dean Learning and Teaching Faculty of Humanities, artist
- Tim Urquhart | Director Properties, Facilities and Development (ex officio)
- Emma Williamson | WA Government Architect
- Mary Ann Wright | Philanthropist
Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling Reference Group
(L – R) Garry Ryder | Marribank Representative , Charon Ryder | Mr Ryder Representative, Dorothy Bagshaw | Carrolup Representative, Wendy Hayden | Mr Cooper Representative, (back) Timothy Flowers | Marribank Representative and Ezzard Flowers | Senior Cultural Consultant. Paula Foenander | CEO Gorenang Moortabiin (not in this picture).
The Team
- Director | Professor Susanna Castleden
- Senior Registrar | ReBecca Shilkin
- Business Manager | Cathryn Battersby
- Curator | Lia McKnight
- Development Coordinator | Elena Kenny
- Community Engagement Facilitator | Patricia Ryder
- Curator – Carrolup Collection | Zali Morgan
- Curator | Anna Richardson
- Gallery Education Program Coordinator | Mel Macaulay
- Collection Coordinator | Mikaela Miller
- Collections Officer | Jess Day
- Collections Officer | Elyssa Hunt
- Gallery Production Coordinator | Dr Alira Callaghan
- Gallery Production Coordinator | Bjoern Rainer-Adamson
- Gallery Administrative Coordinator | Patti Belletty
- Gallery Administrative Coordinator | Gaylene Galardi
- Gallery Assistant | Tarryn Gill
- Gallery Assistant | Mary Peck
- Gallery Assistant | Rae Walter
- Events Coordinator | Bec Ilich
- Visual Communications Coordinator | Sharon Baker
- Communications and Engagement Coordinator | Kasper Johansen
Header Image: John Curtin Gallery, Building 200A Curtin University, Bentley. Photo by Sharon Baker.
Gallery Images: Image 1, James Tylor – Turrangka … in the shadows 2025 at John Curtin Gallery. Photo By Marnie Richardson. Image 2, Cafe Connect at John Curtin Gallery. Photo By Caitlin Reynolds. Image 3, Perth Festival 2025 at John Curtin Gallery. Photo by Marnie Richardson. Image 4, 2025 Makuru Season Opening at John Curtin Gallery. Photo By Ezra Alcantra.
Reference Group Image: (L-R) – Garry Ryder, Charon Ryder, Dorothy Bagshaw, Wendy Hayden, (back) Timothy Flowers and Ezzard Flowers. Paula Foenander (not in this picture).
