BIOGRAPHY

Dr Bianca Beetson is a Kabi Kabi (Sunshine Coast) Wiradjuri (NSW) woman and has been a practising artist for over 28 years. Bianca works across a broad range of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, photography, fibre arts and public art. In 2018 Bianca was awarded a Doctor of Visual Art from the QLD College of Art, Griffith University.

Bianca carved out a path for herself in the Indigenous arts as a trainee curator at Fireworks Gallery, where she worked on major projects, including the 1996 Campfire Group "All Stock Must Go" Installation as a part of the 2nd Asia Pacific Biennial. From 1999 to 2007, she worked in various arts worker roles, including the regional Indigenous community arts officer for Access Arts, artistic director of Catalyst Youth Arts and the community arts officer for Brisbane City Council. These previous roles greatly informed her community-engaged and collaborative arts practice.

Currently, Bianca is working on a collaborative arts-led research project called "Listening to Country", which explores the impact of sound, and in particular, the impact of sounds of Country on the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within Institutions. This collaborative approach has allowed Bianca to mentor and support many generations of young and emerging artists as an educator and through her practice and passion for cultural sharing.

Bianca lectured into and directed the Bachelor of Contemporary Australian Indigenous Art (BCAIA) degree at the Qld College of Art, Griffith University, between 2007-2020 and is currently the Director of Indigenous Research Unit at the same institution. Bianca was also a founding member of the seminal Aboriginal artist collective proppaNOW Aboriginal artist collective.

Her current board and advisory group memberships include the board of trustees of the QLD Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art and its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory panel. She is also a member of the Museum of Contemporary Art Artist Advisory Panel, on the board of Digi Youth Arts and a member of the newly formed Arts QLD First Nations Arts and Cultures Advisory panel.

As a visual artist, Bianca works in a broad range of media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, photography and public art.
To sum the work up: "It's all about skin, the skin I am in, thick and thin, the need to win, to shed my skin, to be free from sin. If you face the truth, there is no proof that the skin I am in is the skin of sin!"

As a member of the now defunct Campfire Group - Aboriginal artist's co-operation, she has been involved in many projects based on cultural collaboration. Including “All Stock Must Go” in the 2nd Asia Pacific Triennial at the Queensland Art Gallery in 1996-97. Bianca was also formerly a member of ProppaNOW aboriginal artists Collective between 2004 – 2011. I Bianca has work in public and private collections around Australia and Overseas, including Art Bank, QPAT, Redcliffe Art Gallery, Kluge Ruhe Museum, Virginia, USA..

EDUCATION

2012 - 2018 Griffith University, Doctorate of Visual Arts

2007 Ithaca Tafe, Certificate 4, Workplace trainer and assessor.

1998 Queensland University of Technology, Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts - Honors)

1993 - 1995 Queensland University of Technology, Bachelor of Arts (Visual Arts)

BOARDS, COMMITTEES AND PANELS

2022 - present Interim Independent Body (IIB) member for QLD path to treaty.

2021 – present Indigenous Appointed Director, NAVA Board

2021- 2022 the University of the Sunshine Coast, Creative Industries and Business external advisory.

2021-present Arts QLD First Nations arts and Cultures Advisory Panel

2018 – present QAGOMA Board of Trustees (3-year re-appointment)

2018- 2022 MCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) Artist Advisory Board (3- year appointment)

2017 - present QAGOMA, Indigenous advisory panel

2017 – 2018 Moreton Shire RADF Committee

2020- present Arts QLD, panel of peers.

2017 - 2021 Australia Council, panel of peers

2017 - 2018 Digi Youth arts & QLD Museum - Unsettle Project Board

2016- present Digi Youth arts board

2017 – 2018 Sunshine coast Council artwork acquisitions advisory committee.

2017 – 2020 Horizon’s festival, Indigenous Advisory committee.

2013 - Present Member: Griffith university, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Committee.

2018 –2019 Sunshine Coast Council, Acquisitions committee.

2012-2013 Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander dedicated War Memorial Committee member.

2007-2008 Board Member Bunyabilla Aboriginal Corporation

2006-2007 Board Member Yalanji preschool

2001-2006 Board member of Artworkers Alliance

2001-2004 Board member of eyeline publishing.

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2022 Past, present, future, Woolloongabba Art Gallery, Woolloongabba QLD.

2019 Being Human, Caloundra Regional Gallery, Caloundra QLD.

2018 I am that…that I am, Gympie Regional Gallery, Gympie QLD

2017 Kaptcha, Webb Gallery, Griffith University, Brisbane

2016 Being Human, Kluge Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection, Virginia, USA.

2015 Selected works from the Gushul Studio, Qld College of art project Gallery.

2013 Adventures Beyond the Ultra World - Metaphoric Illuminations @ Floating Land, Boreen Point, 2011/12 Bianca Beetson @ Sugarbag Gallery, The Dreaming Festival @ Woodford Festival, Woodford 2011 Blak Majick Woman, Qld Centre for Photography, Brisbane

2008 Urban Dreams, Christina Mitchell Gallery, Albion, Brisbane.

2007 Don’t mix your colours, Australian Dreaming Art Gallery, Melbourne.

2005 The Other Arty Beetson,1 Year Qld Touring Exhibition, Qld Arts Council.

2002 Walt Disney was my Story Teller, a part of the Adelaide Fringe Festival, Tandanya, Adelaide.

2001 Batteries not Included, Hands-on Arts, South Bank Brisbane

2000 Back From The Edge, Cooloola Regional Gallery, Gympie

1999 Good Vibrations New Sensations, Fire-Works Gallery, Brisbane.

1997 Pepto Bismol, Fire-Works Gallery, Brisbane.

1996-97 Sugar lady Star Crash, Cross Gallery, Brisbane & Sugar Coma, The Dog Art Space, Brisbane

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:

2022 Midgley Dolls exhibition, Noosa Regional Gallery, Noosa QLD

2021 IDEN-DEFY 2021, Pine Rivers Regional Gallery, Strathpine QLD

2021 Songlines; Gympie regional gallery, Gympie QLD

2021 HYPERLOCAL; Brisbane City QLD

2020-21 Storytellers, Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane QLD

2020 First: Redcliffe Regional Gallery, Redcliffe QLD

2019 Indelible Stain – Collaboration with Leah Barclay, Floating Land Biennale, Noosa QLD

2019 This is No Fantasy, Noosa Regional Gallery, QLD

2019 New Woman, Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane, QLD

2019 Brisbane Portrait Prize, Finalist Exhibition, Brisbane Powerhouse, Brisbane, QLD

2019 Pivot, OneSpace Gallery, Brisbane, QLD

2019. Art+place=Change, NOOSA regional gallery, Noosa QLD

2018 Tree Place, Noosa Regional Gallery, Noosa QLD

2017 Tree Place: community exhibition, Wan’din’in exhibition space, Eumundi, QLD

2017 The Glasshouses Caboolture Regional Gallery, Caboolture, QLD.

2017 Clayton Utz art awards, finalist exhibition.

2017 HYPERACTIVE: Canberra Contemporary Art Space, Canberra ACT.

2017 From the mountains to the sea: Sunshine Coast Stories, the Sunshine Coast Council’s

50th Anniversary exhibition

2017 MAIWAR: Brisbane Laneways project, Brisbane QLD.

2017 Glasshouses: Bribie Island Seaside Museum, Bribie QLD.

2017 Nandeebie Dreemz, Redlands Regional Gallery, Redlands QLD.

2016 The Other Art Fair: Sydney, NSW.

2016 WANDILL, QUT, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane QLD.

2016 Festival of Pacific Arts exhibition, Guam Gallery, GUAM USA.

2016 Sunshine Coast Art prize - Finalists exhibition.

2016 RMIT Lightscape project: Gushul, Rodda Lane, Melbourne.

2015 Lifelines: Indigenous Contemporary Art from Australia, Musées de la civilisation, Quebec city,

Canada. Australian Artist in Milano at Milan arts expo, Milan Italy.

2015 The Selfie show, Museum of new art, Detroit, USA.

2015 The Clayton UTZ art prize exhibition, Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane.

2015 Quaternary, QUT Art Museum, Brisbane.

2015 CollaboratioNZ 15, exhibition, Whangarei New Zealand.

2015 Warriors, Sorcerers & Spirits, Kick Arts, Cairns.

2014 East Coast Encounter, Touring Exhibition.

2013 Generate, IAM PROJECTS, The Gas Works Precinct, Newstead

2013 Point to Point, POP Gallery, South Brisbane and Japan

2012 Hot Chocolate, SASA Gallery, University of South Australia, Adelaide

2012 Shared Vision, Touring Exhibition various venues, Poland

2011 Jus’ Drawn, proppaNOW touring exhibition, Lake Macquarie Regional Gallery

2010 PUTSCH, proppaNOW, Adelaide Festival, Tandanya National Cultural Institute Sugarbag Gallery,

Dreaming Festival, Woodford

2010 Jus’ Drawn – proppaNOW, Linden Gallery, Melbourne

2010 27th Telstra Aboriginal Art Awards, Finalist Exhibition, Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

2010 proppaNOW – New & Recent Works, Canberra Contemporary Art Space

2009 Sugarbag Gallery, Dreaming Festival, Woodford

2009 Ooga Booga, proppaNOW exhibition, George Petelin Gallery, Gold Coast

2009 Sugar Bag Gallery, The Dreaming Festival, Woodford

2005 Thick & Thin, proppaNOW, Brisbane Powerhouse

2005 proppaNOW, Lane Gallery, New Zealand

1997 Primavera, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney

COMMIMSSIONS & PUBLIC ART:

2022 "Welcome to suncorp" Suncorp Stadium, public art commission.

2018 Sunshine Plaza, Carpark Mural, Maroochydore

2018 Duckholes Creek Mural, Unitywater

2018 Ba’boon bi’ra, Art on Council Bus, Horizions Festival

2018 Energy Crisis, Art projection on the William Jolly Bridge.

2017 Bi'ra'lu'gun mu'loo'ban, Acrylic on canvas, 2017 for Deloitte, Brisbane.

2017 Arthur Beetson, Jersey for Beetson v’s Bronco’s legends game, Murri Carnival.

2016 Sydney City Roosters, Indigenous Legends Jersey.

2016 St Vincent's Hospital Australia, Reconciliation print project, Sydney, Brisbane & Melbourne.

2016: Sunshine coast University Hospital, public art and internal artwork commission.

2014 The Feast of the Bunya’s, 3 sculptural elements at University of Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs.

2013 “The Gathering of the Tribes” 6 Sculptural elements, BCC, Botanical Gardens Mt Cootha.

2013 “Namba” & “ Songlines” Nambour Coles - 2 sites works on building & 3 street sculptures, UAP.

2013 “Kulum - galangur ngarawiny”Coolum Mural, on the David Low way, Sunshine Coast Council.

2012 Bloodlines/Songlines- reminiscence of Early Brisbane II, Brisbane North Busway Tunnel.

2010 Chasing the Lollyman –Designed artwork incorporated into the stage design toured Nationally

2010 Story Poles, Charlish Place Redcliffe public art installation Moreton Bay Regional Council.

2010 Bloodlines/Songlines- reminiscence of Early Brisbane, Platform RBWH public art project

Museum of Brisbane, RBWH busway, Brisbane.

COLLECTIONS:

Qld Performing Arts Trust, Artbank, Qld Art Gallery, University of the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Stadiums QLD, Brisbane City Council, Redcliffe Regional Gallery, Unitywater, Deloitte, Maori Health Ministry, The Brian Tucker collection, Kluge Ruhe Aboriginal Art Museum and the Museum of Guam and various private Collection around Australia and overseas.

AWARDS & GRANTS:

2021 Winner of the Dubbo City Council, Public Art competition, for commission due to be completed in 2022, $20,000

2019 Winner of the National Museums and Galleries associations award - best Indigenous Project.

2019 Australia council: Collaborations: Cultural diversity in contemporary Australia on the international stage, $3000

2018 Winner of the Inaugural Indigenous Curator IMAGINE award, Musuems and Galleries NSW.

2017 Selected for the Australia Council Arts leaders 12 mth program.

2014 Gushul Studio, Indigenous Artist in Residency, University of Lethbridge,Alberta Canada’

2014 Copyright agency, $1400 grant for costs associated with Alberta Residency.

2013 Awarded Kluge Ruhe USA Artists in Residence, for 2016, partnership with Uni Virginia & Australia Council.

2012 Accelerate program shortlist & workshop participant, British Arts Council.

2010 15 Artists, winner, Redcliffe Regional Gallery, Redcliffe QLD.

2008 Wilson Htm National Art Prize, Finalist & Winner of the people’s choice award, touring Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane.

External Guest Lectures, keynotes and Panels:

2022: Coming up for Air panel, AIATSIS Summitt, Sunshine Coast, QLD.

2022: Site & Situation- Swell Sculpture festival, Public lecture, Gold Coast QLD

2022: Site & Situation- Swell Sculpture festival, Public Art master class, Gold Coast QLD

2022: Art of Place - Architectus Charrette, Brisbane, QLD

2019: Listening to Country, AAANZ Conference, University Auckland, Auckland NZ

2019: Indelible Stain: Mapping Murdering Creek, Floating Land Biennale Symposium, Noosa QLD

2019 Myall Creek and Beyond, National Museums and galleries association conference, Alice Springs

2019 Keynote address: NAVA Monash uni symposium the future of Arts Policy, Melbourne

2019 Listening to country, Lowitja Insitute knowledge translation Symposium, Melbourne

2019 Chair: Panel: CABAH Salon, When art meets science, World Science festival Brisbane.

2018 Guest speaker NAVA indigenous curatorial lab, topic: The Myall Creek exhibition, Brisbane

2018 Chair: Panel Session: Myall Creek and beyond Symposium, University New England, Armidale.

2018 Keynote address: vision for the future for Museums and Galleries, Indigenous road map consultations, Sunshine Coast

2018 Panel, Creativity Summitt, teacher education, Brisbane

2017 Keynote address, “Our Shared History”, Indigenous education symposium, University of the Sunshine coast. Sippy Downs.

2017 Guest Speaker, Opening of “The Glasshouses” Caboolture regional Gallery, Caboolture.

2017 Panel, Remix summit 2017, University of the Sunshine Coast

2017 Guest Speaker, Qld Sculpture society, Brisbane QLD

2017 Guest Speaker, Indigenous Cultivate the arts, Redcliffe

2017 Guest Speaker, Cultivate the arts - showcase, North Lakes.

2017 Guest Speaker, Redcliffe reenactment festival, Redcliffe.

2017 Panel, NAVA:Best practice: working together with artists, Artisan, Brisbane.

2017 Panel, Curating and Writing Indigenous Art: Tokenism, Pluralism and Other Perspectives, Uni QLD.

2017 Guest lecture, “Aboriginal Art and protocols’, Flying Arts webinar

2017 Panel, Cossack Art Awards Judges Panel Talk, Cossack, WA.

2016 Guest Speaker, QAGGOMA, Volunteers professional development program.

2016 Guest Speaker, Juice & Jam Breakfast, Sunshine coast arts alliance, Mooloolaba.

2016 Panel, East Coast Encounter, Caboolture regional Gallery, Caboolture.

2016 Keynote Plenary panel, ACUADS, QUT, Brisbane QLD

2015 Presenter, Resistance to reconciliation – SEQ frontier wars @ The USQ Noosa campus Topic: Aboriginal Memorial.

2015 Panel presenter, In the pink @ QUT Museum as a part of the WOW festival topic: The gender politics of colour.

2015 TEDX, Noosa, Lands Edge, Noosa QLD.

Art award judging

2020 Maari Ma Indigenous Art Prize, Broken Hill, NSW, Judge

2020 SWELL Sculpture prize, Gold Coast, QLD, Member of Curatorial Selection panel.

2019 Clarence Valley Indigenous art award, Grafton QLD, Judge

2019 St Vincent De Paul – Reconciliation Art prize, Judge.

2018 Redlands Art Prize, Judge.

2017 Cossack Art Award, panel Judge .

2015 Churchie art awards, pre- selection panel Judge.

2015 Art Force Art awards, Panel Judge

2002 The Robin O’Chin art awards, panel Judge.

Curatorship, Research and special projects:

2019 Listening to country, collaborator, Brisbane women's correctional centre.

2017-2018 Myall Creek and Beyond, Guest Curator, New England Regional Gallery.

2007 Tellem ya dreamin’ Gallery, Woodford Folk festival, Gallery Manager / Curator.

2000 Message Sticks: Prison Art exhibition: Australian Museum, Sydney NSW.

1999 From Houses to Humpies, Touring exhibition: Surat Cobb & Co Museum, Surat QLD.

Research:

My research interest areas include: Aboriginal Art and its connection to country and well-being of Aboriginal people; the Bunya tree and its related cultural significance to Aboriginal peoples; the Native honey bee and related cultural significance to Aboriginal peoples; Contemporary Indigenous Australian art; Aboriginal Identity, the politics of skin and representation in contemporary Indigenous art; the restoration and retention of Kabi Kabi cultural heritage; the commodification of Aboriginal culture; the demarcation between art, artefact and kitsch; critique of social and cultural structures; critique of the beauty and the feminine; public art; remapping Aboriginal massacre or resistance sites; remapping the postcolonial dialogue, and decolonising the self.

PUBLICATIONS:

2019 “Exhibition: Tony Albert, Visible, Queensland Art Gallery, 2 June to 7 October 2018 Journal article, Qld Review, Volume 26, Issue 1 June 2019 , pp.

180-183.

2019 "Truth-telling towards reconciliation Myall Creek and beyond", Australian Museums and Galleries Association Magazine – Vol. 27(2) –, 2019 (Co-

authored with Rachael Parsons)

2016 “Joel Birnie: Australian Gothic”, catalogue essay: Boo Aboriginal ghost stories and other scary matters.

2012 “Aboriginal Art is a White thing : Images of whiteness in non-white cultures”, Journal article, Images of Whiteness conference, Oxford University.

2009 “proppaNOW 2004-2008, co-authored Book.

PEER JOURNAL ARTICLES, CATALOGUE ESSAYS AND EXHIBITION REVIEWS:

Andrew, Brook. Remembering Jesus [online]. Artlink, Vol. 21, No. 2, June 2001: 20-25.

Neale, Margo. Learning to be proppa Aboriginal artists' collective, proppaNOW [online]. Artlink, Vol. 30, No. 1, Mar 2010: 36-41.
Skilbeck, Ruth. Gazing Boldly Back and Forward: Urban Aboriginal Women Artists and New Global Feminisms in Transnational Art.International Journal of the Arts in Society . 2011, Vol. 5 Issue 6, p261-276. 16p
Carroli, Linda. Beauty 2000 : Di Ball, Bianca Beetson, Mikala Dwyer, Jeff Gibson, Eve Klein, Susan Gray, Richard Grayson, John Meade [Book Review] [online]. Eyeline, Vol. 37, Spring 1998: 40-41.
Stephens, Andrew. Array of Beetsons. Art Monthly Australia; Acton Iss. 316, (May 2019): 12.
Pedersen, C. B. Quaternary [Guest Curator] 2015

Arden, Holly. Friendly fire: ProppaNOW collective [online]. Eyeline, Vol. 64, Spring 2007: 55.
O'Toole, Phil. Primavera: The Belinda Jackson exhibition of young artists [online]. Eyeline, Vol. 35, Summer 1997 - 1998: 37-38.
Broker, David. Retail therapy [online]. Eyeline, Vol. 47, Summer 2001 - 2002: 44-45.
Jackson, Beth. "Sea Changes: the role of public art and the expression of creativity, identity and sense of place in a healthy city." 5th Healthy Cities: Working Together to Achieve Liveable Cities: 59.
Milledge, Russell. "ProppaNOW Artists Panel Seminar 2011-The Black See." (2011).

Cater, Melissa. "Struggling to be seen.[Emerging artists' exhibitions.]." Artlink 17.4 (1997): 18.
Rollman, Louise. "Klatsassin." Eyeline 64 (2007): 54.
Chapman, Christopher. "Cleanskin." Eyeline 37 (1998): 39.
Bamford, Anne. "Mark Titmarsh: Stream of consciousness." Eyeline 47 (2001): 45.
Martin-Chew, Louise. "Written on the body." Eyeline 82 (2015): 86.

Roberts, Roberts. "East coast encounter-re-imagining the 1770 encounter." (2014).
Broker, David. "Re/form." Eyeline 37 (1998): 41.
Butler, Rex. "Where to put Aboriginal art." (2010).
Petitjean, Georges. "The cairns indigenous art fair 2010: Towards recognition." Eyeline 73 (2011): 74.
Fredericks, Bronwyn L., and Pamela CroftWarcon. "Always “tasty”, regardless: Art, chocolate and Indigenous Australians." M/C Journal 17.1 (2014): 1-8.

Buttrose, Ellie. "To the fore: The growing legacy of QCA's bachelor of contemporary Australian indigenous art." Art Monthly Australia 279 (2015): 52.
Duncan, Pearl. "The role of Aboriginal humour in cultural survival and resistance." (2014).
Cininas, Jazmina. Sean Meilak: Pin Oak court, Vermont south [online]. Eyeline, Vol. 47, Summer 2001 - 2002: 43-44.
Zuvela, Danni. "Queensland." Art Monthly Australia 226 (2009): 71.
Broker, David. "Skin and division: Michael Eather and friends." Eyeline 35 (1997): 24.

O'Riordan, Maurice. "The (white) elephant in the room criticising Aboriginal art." Artlink 33.2 (2013): 35.
Gibson, Lisanne. "Cultural landscapes and identity." Valuing Historic Environments. Routledge, 2016. 81-106.
Corbet, David. War requiem: Reflections on conflict and memorialization [online]. Eyeline, No. 91, Sep 2019: 56-63.