NAVA calls on QUT to reverse decision to cut Art Museum programming
Media Release
The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) expresses deep concern over Queensland University of Technology’s (QUT) decision to cancel the 2025 programming at its Art Museum (QUTAM), a move that threatens the Museum’s vital contributions to education, research, and cultural engagement.
“This decision is short-sighted and undermines QUTAM’s critical role in advancing the university’s priorities, including equity, Indigenous excellence, and creativity,” said Penelope Benton, Executive Director of NAVA. “University art museums like QUTAM are more than exhibition spaces; they are hubs of innovation, fostering interdisciplinary research and connecting diverse voices to the broader community.”
The decision halts exhibitions featuring underrepresented and First Nations artists, including alumni like Jemima Wyman, whose planned 2025 solo exhibition was to celebrate decades of creative and academic collaboration with QUT. Benton highlighted, “Canceling these programs is not just a loss for artists but for QUT’s students and the community who benefit from exposure to diverse perspectives and innovative practices.”
The National Association for the Visual Arts calls on QUT to reverse the decision to cancel the 2025 programming, commit to maintaining a full schedule of exhibitions, and undertake an external review to explore sustainable strategies for supporting QUTAM’s programming and staff.
“With the Brisbane Olympics approaching, now is the time to invest in Queensland’s cultural infrastructure—not diminish it,” Benton added. “QUTAM has proven its capacity to innovate, and with sustainable strategies, it can continue to thrive as a vital part of Brisbane’s cultural landscape.”
NAVA urges QUT leadership to demonstrate its commitment to its own strategic priorities by reversing this decision and ensuring that the Art Museum retains its reputation as a forward-thinking institution committed to innovation, equity, and excellence.
Media Enquiries
Leya Reid
media@visualarts.net.au
About NAVA
The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) is a Membership organisation that brings together the many voices of the contemporary arts sector to improve fundamental conditions of work and practice. We do this through advocacy, education and the Code of Practice. For further information on NAVA visit www.visualarts.net.au
Image description
Exterior signage of the QUT Art Museum in bold, modern lettering. Below the sign is a bench painted in the colors of the rainbow. Adjacent to the bench is a colourful geometric artwork on the wall.
