News
Follow the latest updates, stories and projects unfolding across JCG and the Carrolup Centre for Truth-telling.
Perth Festival exhibition A call and response across the ocean launches at JCG
John Curtin Gallery will unite artists from across Australia, South Africa and Indonesia in a series of interrelated exhibitions that share the dynamic exchange of culture, language, song and story, as part of Perth Festival 2026.β
Must-see exhibitions coming to John Curtin Gallery in 2026
The John Curtin Galleryβs 2026 program focuses on art as a catalyst for cultural exchange, critical reflection and future imagining. An exploration into global connections, First Nations perspectives and regional voices, the program invites audiences to engage with history, resilience and radical possibility.
Carrolup artwork rediscovered in 25-year-old trunk by Corrigin Historical Society
An artwork by a child of Australia’s Stolen Generations has been rediscovered in a 25-year old trunk at the Corrigin Pioneer Museum.
Local leaders and Curtin University unite to explore Carrolup artworks as living history
Shire Presidents from Katanning, Kojonup and Gnowangerup joined representatives from the John Curtin Gallery for a guided tour and research discussion centred on the Carrolup artworks currently on display as part of the Once Known exhibition.
Kambarang 2025 at John Curtin Gallery
John Curtin Gallery visitors can explore the history of ceramics, enjoy the work of renowned Australian artists and discover hidden gems from the Curtin University Art Collection at three new exhibitions currently on display.
Events at John Curtin Gallery
Kaya Boodja! Sensory Play Drop-In Sessions
Free drop-in sensory play sessions for children and families, inspired by Noongar Country.
Chronically Crafty Drop-In Craft Sessions
Chronically Crafty is a drop-in craft session for disabled, chronically ill, and/or neurodivergent folks – and anyone who wants to join us!
Events at John Curtin Gallery
Truth Talk: Threads of History
The Once Known Truth Talks series offer a space where shared history can be discussed honestly, and where truth supports healing, education, and ongoing cultural continuity.
Once Known Exhibition Tours
Through the beauty of art and recognition of place and time, these tours will offer a glimpse into the past and remind us of our journey together on a path of reconciliation.
School holiday workshop: Wrist Candy Friendship Beads
Come roll, bead, and bond with us at John Curtin Gallery these April school holidays.
Motifs of Country: Children’s Badge Making Workshop
A nature-inspired badge making workshop suitable for children aged 6 years+
Mapping our Inner Ocean: A Yin Yoga & Sound Bath Journey
Join us for a unique experience inspired by our current Perth Festival exhibition, ‘A call and response across the ocean’
Truth Talk: Telling Our Truth
The Once Known Truth Talks series offer a space where shared history can be discussed honestly, and where truth supports healing, education, and ongoing cultural continuity.
7,448 fragrant organza bags, each cut, filled, and scented, all with the help of the Perth community. ππ
Thania Petersenβs Rampies sny connects Perth to a lineage of memory, migration, and devotion, its an installation shaped by many hands and infused with βsmells that recall a thousand places.β
Previously realised in Cape Town and Tunisia, Petersenβs immersive artwork is named after a unique Cape Muslim tradition. Women cut and scent fragrant leaves with oils and incense, packaging them into cloth bundles, accompanied by poetry, song, and blessings.
Symbolising devotion and cultural heritage, the ritual honours the birth of Prophet Muhammad. βRampies snyβ is a combination of Malay and Afrikaans words: Bunga Rampai is a Malay term, meaning fragrant flowers/leaves; rampies is from the Malay word rampai translating as mixture and sny is Afrikaans, meaning cut.
This is a celebration that speaks of love, whilst invoking the lands from which Petersenβs ancestors were forcibly taken.
A huge thank you to all who came to help create this stunningly impactful installation! π
Installation information:
Thania Petersen
Rampies sny, 2022-2026
Organza bags, citrus leaves smoked with frankincense, essential oils, dimensions variable.
@thaniapetersen @perthfest @perthartlist @curtinlifeaustralia @abdi.karya @skinnyfish_music @curtinbfagrads @curtinguild
Enjoy the long weekend! β¨π
John Curtin Gallery will be closed from Friday 3 April – Tuesday 7 April, but don`t worry our doors will be open again on Wednesday 8 April.
Our latest exhibition, A call and response across the ocean, is open until May 3 so there is still plenty of time to witness the living histories of the Indian Ocean. β΅οΈ
We`re hiring! πβ¨
JCG is seeking an enthusiastic and strategic Development Coordinator to join our Advancement team.
In this pivotal role, you will drive philanthropic support from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners ensuring alignment with the Universityβs priorities for the John Curtin Gallery. You will play a key part in building lasting relationships and delivering impactful outcomes that support the Universityβs mission to transform lives and communities.
π For more information, please check the link in our bio, go to the Curtin Univerisity website or find us on Seek!
@curtinuniversity @curtinlifeaustralia @curtinlifeaustralia @curtin_mcasi @curtinbfagrads @curtindbe @universityartmuseumsaustralia @_artshub @curtinalumni #artsjobs #artinstaller #perthartsjobs #galleryjob
Looking for your next opportunity? πβ¨
JCG has an exciting opportunity for a hands-on professional looking to make a meaningful impact within a vibrant gallery environment.
The Gallery Production Coordinator will play a key role in delivering exhibitions and gallery operations, leading installations, managing OH&S, maintaining spaces, and supporting the Curtin University Art Collection across campus and public projects.
π For more information, please check the link in our bio, go to the Curtin Univerisity website or find us on Seek!
@curtinuniversity @curtinlife @curtinalumni @mcasi @curtinbfagrads @curtindbe @universityartmuseumsaustralia ArtsHub @_artshub #artsjobs #artinstaller #perthartsjobs #galleryjob
We are excited to be taking part in this yearβs Lotterywest Boorloo Heritage Festival!
Explore 139 St Georges Terrace throughout April to take part in truth talks, exhibition tours, workshops and drop-in sessions!
ποΈ 1 April to 30 April 2026.
π 139 St Georges Terrace (Old Perth Boysβ School), Perth.
β¨ Witness truth telling firsthand and enter a space where shared history can be confronted honestly at our Once Known Truth Talks series.
β¨ Register for a free guided tour of Once Known at Perth Old Boysβ School every Tuesday and Friday throughout April (excludes public holidays).
β¨ Children and children-at-heart are invited to take part in our free Sensory Play Drop-In Sessions and Badge Making Workshop, inspired by beautiful Noongar Country.
RSVP | Free events, registration required.
πFor specific event and activity times see link in Bio!
Lotterywest Boorloo Heritage Festival is supported by @cityofperth π
Once Known is proudly supported by: @bfplperth @lotterywest @inside_bhp @colgateuniversity and #navigators
Step into a space where land, sea, and memory intertwine.
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Kelsey Asheβs Land of a Thousand Myths invites you into a layered exploration of cultural hybridity, ancestral memory, and myth-making. A journey across nine wooden canvases, the wax-etched textures tell the story of the erosive power of sea and sun, while reimagining Celtic convict and migratory histories through a contemporary lens. π
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Brian Robinsonβs and on the fifth day the waters swarmed with sea creatures, weaves Zenadth Kes maritime knowledge, ancestral symbols, and playful visual allegories into an awe-inducing wall-based sculpture. Robinson examines the moral and psychological legacies of colonialism and the evolving identity of Zenadth Kes peoples. β¨
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π Visit John Curtin Galleryβs Atrium as part of A call and response across the ocean and immerse yourself in this dialogue of land, sea, and memory.
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A call and response across the ocean is on show until May 3!Β
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πMore info via link in bio
πΈ – Image by Sharon Baker
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@cbfagrads @curtinalumni @perthfest @perthartlist
β¨ Curator Tour with Lia McKnightΒ
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Join JCG Curator, Lia McKnight for a guided tour of our Perth Festival exhibition, A call and response across the ocean.
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Sunday 22 March 2026
β°2pm β 3pm
πJohn Curtin Gallery, Curtin University
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Free event
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This exhibition brings together living histories of the Indian Ocean in imagery, scents and sounds, reuniting friendships and kin ties that were severed through transglobal acts of colonisation.
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This reconnection offers a vision of the world in which generosity, empathy and cross-cultural collaboration can begin to heal the wounds of the past.Β π
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π Register via link in bio!
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@perthfest @perthartlist @curtinlifeaustralia @universityartmuseumsaustralia @curtinbfagrads @curtinguild @thaniapetersen @abdi.karya @skinnyfish_music
Twilight hours are back! π (next Thursday)
Join us next Thursday 19 March at John Curtin Gallery while we stay open until 7pm. β¨
Experience the magic of art β¦ after dark and Indulge in our @perthfest 2026 exhibition, A call and response across the ocean!
Take advantage of FREE PARKING from 4.30pm ππ
Why not make it an evening and explore eateries located across @curtin_exchange.
πΈ – @marnie__richardson
@curtinguild @curtinbfagrads @universityartmuseumsaustralia @perthartlist @explore_curtin @curtinlifeaustralia @thaniapetersen @abdi.karya @skinnyfish_music
#johncurtingallery #art #perthexhibition
What can oceans reveal about Australiaβs connections with Asia? π
Join historian Vannessa Hearman for a lunchtime talk exploring the Timor Sea as a space of movement, memory, and exchange between Northern Australia, Indonesia, and Timor-Leste.
Looking both ways: The Timor Sea and Australiaβs entanglements with Asia –
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Wednesday 18 February 2026
β° 12:30pm β 1:30pm
π John Curtin Gallery (Building 200A)
Free event, open to the public
Drawing on place-based research across coastlines, lagoons, mangroves, and ports, Hearman reflects on colonisation, maritime borders, and how communities remember and memorialise the past.
π RSVP via link in bio!
@curtinbfagrads
#JohnCurtinGallery #CurtinUniversity #LunchtimeTalk #TimorSea #HistoryTalk
Slow Making Afternoon with Jacky ChengΒ β¨
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Join artist Jacky Cheng for a gentle, hands-on workshop at John Curtin Gallery that invites slow making, conversation, and reflection.
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Sunday 15 March
β° 1pmβ3pm
π John Curtin Gallery (Building 200A)
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The session offers a welcoming, inclusive space to explore folding as a creative and ritual practice using paper.
Youβll be guided through simple folding processes that encourage attentiveness to touch, repetition, and gesture.
Folding becomes a quiet act of care: a way to hold stories, mark time, and connect across personal and shared experiences.
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$25 Curtin Students | $45 Curtin Staff / General Public
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π Register via link in bio!
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No prior experience is required, and all materials are provided.
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Arrive as you are β curious, reflective and ready to spend an afternoon making and thinking together.Β π
@perthfest @perthartlist @curtinlifeaustralia @jackychengart @universityartmuseumsaustralia @curtinbfagrads
Need a gentle space to create? Join us Wednesday 4 March!
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Chronically Crafty is a relaxed, drop-in craft session for people with disability and neurodivergent communities, this creative session is always open to anyone who would like to create in a quiet, welcoming environment. π§Ά
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Bring whatever youβre working on (knitting, drawing, mending, journaling, beading β anything goes) and create at your own pace. No pressure. No expectations. Just time and space.
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πJohn Curtin Gallery – Wednesday 4 March – 12pm – 2pm
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Facilitated by disabled artist, academic and advocate @jordanalice___.
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π Come when you can
π Leave when you need
π Everyone welcome
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Chronically Crafty will take place on the first Wednesday of during semester.
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#ChronicallyCrafty #AccessibleArts #PerthCreatives #communitycare
Join us for yin yoga and an immersive sound bath inside the John Curtin Gallery! π§π
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Step into a restorative experience inspired by A call and response across the ocean, and map your inner ocean, in this unique and peaceful program.Β
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Enjoy gentle yin yoga and an immersive sound bath, this session invites you to slow down and reflect on your journey β past, present, and future.
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Wednesday 11 March & Wednesday 22 April 2026
β° 5:00pmβ6:30pm
π John Curtin Gallery
β οΈ Gallery closes at 5pm β please arrive before 5pm for entry.
π $20 Curtin Students | $25 Curtin Staff | $30 General Public
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Led by JCG Education Coordinator Mel Macaulay and sound bath practitioner Anita Emor (Emora Suara), the experience creates space to pause, reconnect, and explore personal and shared histories.
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π Find out more via the link in bio!Β
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Spots are limited β bookings essential.
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Please bring comfortable clothing, a yoga mat, water bottle, blanket, and cushion.
@perthfest @perthartlist @curtinbfagrads @curtinlifeaustralia @thaniapetersen @abdi.karya @curtinsports
