Winners 2024

EXHIBITION PROJECTS – GALLERIES AND VISUAL ARTS
Small or Volunteer Galleries

Winner

Ngununggula, Southern Highlands Regional Gallery
New Dog Old Tricks
Dogs have been our companions for centuries. For just as long, artists have been drawn to these emotional, complex beings, using them to explore questions of bravery, loyalty, and compassion. New Dog Old Tricks aimed to re-examine these thematic issues and most importantly, to imagine the dog as a key to other worlds.

Highly Commended
Lismore Regional Gallery
Pop up exhibition program 2023 – 2024
The Lismore Regional Gallery pop-up space has been transformative, ensuring a continued connection to the community and arts sector after the 2022 natural disaster. This project provided a platform for local artists to exhibit their work and served as a beacon of hope and creativity for a community in recovery, a testament to the resilience and talent of local artists.

Highly Commended
Mudgee Arts Precinct
Guwayu: for all time
Guwayu: for all time was a powerful exhibition of First Nations artists that illuminated and honoured the past we have inherited, whilst looking to the future we will leave behind. Curated by Mudgeebased Wiradjuri woman, Aleshia Lonsdale, the exhibition showcased the meta-temporal nature of Australia’s history.

Highly Commended
Verge Gallery
ESSSENSSSE
HOSSEI’s ESSSENSSSE was an immersive aquatic ecosystem that explored the tenacity of the human spirit. Featuring a cast of 20 other-worldly sea creatures, ESSSENSSSE transitioned from a series of dynamic and joyful performances into a multisensory, large-scale installation, in which visitors could be surrounded by a playful, 100% tactile underwater landscape.

EXHIBITION PROJECTS – GALLERIES AND VISUAL ARTS
Medium

Winner

New England Regional Art Museum
Fluid Flax
Fluid Flax featured six artists who identify as queer and / or non-binary, working with crafts such as crochet, embroidery, knitting, quilting and textiles. Using techniques historically considered ‘women’s work’, these artists claim space within their mediums and subvert heteronormative assumptions. The exhibition interrogated how these craft techniques are used as explorations of identity, politics, nostalgia, and modes of storytelling.

Highly Commended
Blue Mountains Cultural Centre
sensorial
sensorial was designed for and by neurodivergent and disabled creatives and those working with them to engage multiple senses and move beyond the dominance of sight within the gallery space. It was a fully immersive exhibition consisting of eight sensory environments that encouraged visitors to embrace all their senses, move beyond sight and engage through touch and play.

EXHIBITION PROJECTS – Major Metropolitan Institutions

Winner

Australian Museum
Her Name is Nanny Nellie
This temporary exhibition display featured an historical Australian Museum Collection sculpture of a supposedly nameless Aboriginal woman. The Museum collaborated with several members of the sculpture model Nellie Bungil Walker’s family to appropriately reintroduce their Nanny Nellie to the Australian public and reclaim her identity and story.

Highly Commended
State Library of NSW
Wadgayawa nhay dhadjan wari (They made them a long time ago)
Wadgayawa nhay dhadjan wari (They made them a long time ago) was a profoundly moving display of ancestral belongings from coastal Aboriginal Sydney. A culmination of years of work between the La Perouse Aboriginal community,academics, historians and scientists, the exhibition also involved custodians of overseas collections and library specialists.

EXHIBITION PROJECTS – MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE
Volunteer Organisations

Winner

Batemans Bay Heritage Museum 
A Tale of Two Valves
This exhibition celebrates the oyster fishing history of Bhundoo / the Clyde River, from the Walbunja Yuin people to modern commercial farmers. A Tale of Two Valves uses artefacts, photos, and multimedia to showcase the industry’s cultural significance. By honouring past and present harvesters, the project promotes sustainable practices, strengthens community ties, and highlights the role of oysters in preserving the river’s health and local heritage.

Highly Commended
Hunter Fighter Collection Museum
Mobile Fuselage Spitfire X4009 Exhibition Project
The Mobile Fuselage Spitfire X4009 display is a travelling exhibit that educates and inspires by showcasing Australia’s role in the Battle of Britain. Featuring a dual-sided fuselage, it offers a unique view of the Spitfire’s construction and honours Flight Lieutenant Pat Hughes DFC. With genuine WWII artefacts, the exhibit brings history to life, sparking curiosity about Australia’s military heritage.

EXHIBITION PROJECTS – MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE
Small Organisations

Winner

Tweed Regional Museum
Supertonic
Supertonic showcased the vibrant contemporary music culture of the Northern Rivers through a multi-sensory exhibition featuring augmented reality and interactive elements. With programs like a satellite installation at Splendour in the Grass, the exhibition’s innovative fusion of art, technology, and community engagement redefined the regional museum experience. Achieving a 350% increase in visitation, it set new benchmarks for interactive storytelling.

Highly Commended
Liverpool Regional Museum
Exilio (Exiled) Chile to South-West Sydney
EXILIO marks 50 years since the 1973 Chilean Military Coup, which forced thousands into exile, including many who rebuilt their lives in Sydney’s western suburbs. The exhibition features a new film commission, unseen photography, family objects, and traditional Arpillera artworks. Through storytelling and artefacts, EXILIO explores the lasting trauma and resilience of Chilean exiles, in capturing the stories of those affected by the coup’s legacy.

Highly Commended
Murrook Culture Centre
Experience Murrook, Change Forever – Telling the Worimi Story
This project is the culmination of a decade long revitalisation of the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council Williamtown facilities. It offers immersive, interactive experiences blending ancient traditions with new technology. Visitors are welcomed by Elders, sharing personal stories, Worimi history, and Gathang language. Through digital displays, oral histories, and cultural storytelling, the Centre fosters a deep connection to Worimi culture.

EXHIBITION PROJECTS – MUSEUMS AND HERITAGE
Medium Organisations

Winner

Yarrila Arts and Museum
Yaamanga Around Here
Yaamanga Around Here is a permanent exhibition exploring the history and identity of the Coffs Coast through themes of place, community and belonging, with Gumbaynggirr culture at its heart. It features hundreds of historical artefacts, photographs, artworks and digital media from Yarrila Arts and Museum’s collections. The exhibition invites visitors to deep dive into local stories that are surprising, thought provoking, playful and inspiring.

Highly Commended
Qtopia Sydney
The Underground
Inspired by the former public toilet block at Taylor Square, The Underground examines Sydney’s history of cruising and Queer sexual expression. This adults-only exhibition revitalises the notorious “beat” space, combining historical objects with contemporary artworks illuminated by neon lights, thereby commemorating a significant aspect of local gay history.

ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS
Small and Volunteer Organisations

Winner

Hawkesbury Regional Museum
11 Stories From the River Dyarubbin
11 Stories From the River Dyarubbin was a community engagement project resulting in 11 audio walks that share the river’s stories to enhance its care and understanding. Dharug narrators guide the listener through stories from 80+ contributors, underscored with original music, and made available through a collaborative exhibition and website.

Highly Commended
Lismore Regional Gallery
The Future of Toys
The Future of Toys is a participatory art project exploring ways to turn old toys and flood affected objects into new inventions that reflect our most ambitious imaginations. The project
came to Lismore to engage young people in reconceptualising their relationship with disused possessions and flood waste and guide them through a facilitated design project over a two-day workshop and exhibition of their work.Tweed Regional Museum

Highly Commended
Supertonic Songwriters Music Camp
Supertonic Songwriters Music Camp was a five-day youth program designed for ages 12-18. Through the workshop, participants met successful musicians and producers working in the industry. They were mentored to develop songwriting ideas and approaches via intensive workshops, culminating in a live performance and professionally produced tracks.

Highly Commended
UNSW Library
Care is a relationship
How might we care more, care better, care together for ourselves, each other and the places we hold dear? Care is a relationship presented and created artworks through communal art-making research projects that explored aspects of care and the social, emotional and environmental relationships at the heart of health and wellbeing.

ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS
Medium Organisations

Winner

Wagga Wagga Art Gallery
Green 2023: Year of Environmental Exhibitions and Programs
Green 2023 – Year of Environmental Exhibitions and Programs positioned the gallery and contemporary artists at the forefront of community reflection and discussion on the climate induced environmental challenges we face as an agricultural region, and as a global community. This program was delivered through innovative, integrated programming and extensive community partnerships.

Highly Commended
Goulburn Regional Art Gallery
Act Up with Bladwell Productions
Act Up was a project facilitated by gallery staff and local theatre company, Bladwell Productions. Participants utilised improvised performance and artmaking techniques to examine and develop an original collaborative artwork and present their unique perspective of LGBTQAI+ youth growing up in regional NSW via a public exhibition at the gallery.

ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS
Large Organisations

Winner

Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and Blacktown Arts
Lifting the Tapu
Lifting the Tapu engaged Blacktown’s diverse Pasifika community members in a partnership project that sought to address the importance of kinship to intergenerational healing and wellbeing. Artist Greg Semu worked with community members to create a large-scale photographic, video and sound installation presented at Dawson Mall, Mount Druitt.

Highly Commended
Blacktown Arts
The Makers Space with Tarni Eastwood
The Makers Space is a public engagement program offering a year-round, dedicated space for the community to reflect, create and play. The first Makers Space launched in January 2024 with Ngiyampaa and Guringai weaver Tarni Eastwood’s immersive installation that combined her love of weaving with Indigenous knowledge sharing and storytelling. This is a high-impact public program that centres audience development, engagement, hands-on making, cultural expression and artist development.

ACCESSIBLE ARTS AWARD FOR ACCESS AND INCLUSION
Engagement Projects

Winner

Gosford Regional Gallery
Studio Gossie
Studio Gossie is an inclusive arts program that provided local Central Coast artists with disability a safe space to develop their skills and learn professional practices. Culminating in the Here and Now exhibition, the program emphasised accessibility through inclusive exhibition design, accessible paths, and artist statements at varied heights. Artists were also supported with audio statements and opportunities to speak at public events, promoting inclusivity and professional development.

Highly Commended
Northern Rivers Community Gallery
Ballina Contemporary Art Market
This one-day event featured over 100 artists and performers. Accessibility was prioritised by incorporating wheelchair access, large site maps, and support for artists with disabilities. Collaborations with disability inclusive groups like Sprung Integrated Dance Theatre highlighted the gallery’s commitment to creating an inclusive, supportive environment for d/Deaf and disabled participants.

ACCESSIBLE ARTS AWARD FOR ACCESS AND INCLUSION
Exhibition Projects

Winner

Blue Mountains Cultural Centre
sensorial
sensorial was a fully immersive exhibition designed for and by neurodivergent and disabled creatives, encouraging visitors to engage multiple senses beyond sight through touch and play. With soft furnishings to reduce noise, accessible signage, and trained volunteers, the exhibition aimed to create an inclusive experience. A neurodivergent writer contributed to the catalogue, offering an experiential reflection, while visitors were empowered to nurture their sensory needs.

Highly Commended
Blacktown Arts and We Are Studios
WE ARE
WE ARE was a radically accessible, 100% disability-led creative takeover of The Leo Kelly Blacktown Arts Centre, featuring 13 Western Sydney-based artists with disability. The exhibition, curated by Liam Benson, embedded access at all levels, including accessible workshops, Auslan interpretation, captioning, and sensory tours. Designed to be inclusive, WE ARE provided artists with disability their first professional relationship with a significant cultural institution.

Highly Commended
Nambucca Valley Phoenix
Arts Ability Connect Mid North Coast 2024
The Phoenix Art Prize and Ability Art Connect Mid North Coast united artists and organisations to support the professional development of artists with lived experiences of disability. It featured a one-day conference, exhibition, and art prize. The event prioritised accessibility through hands-on workshops, an inclusive exhibition led by co-curator Carly Marchment, and opportunities for artists to showcase and sell their work, promoting financial and professional growth.

Highly Commended
Mosman Art Gallery
Suede Blue (Damien Showyin) and Night Blossom (Catherine McGuiness)
This project was a collaboration with the gallery and Studio A. It empowered artists with intellectual disabilities by providing professional development and exhibition opportunities. Through ongoing support and resources, the gallery helped the artists build successful creative careers, ensuring their work is showcased and appreciated on local, national, and international scales.

Volunteer Achievement Award

Winner

Rachel Burns
Nambucca Headland Museum
Nambucca Heads Railway Station Centenary
Rachel Burns played a key role in organising the Nambucca Heads Railway Station Centenary event. Her leadership ensured community engagement and support, leading to a daylong celebration attended by 2,000 people. Burns secured funding, coordinated stakeholders, and published a book on the local railway’s history. The event brought community pride, boosted the museum’s profile, and earned Rachel Nambucca Heads’ 2024 Citizen of the Year. Her continued efforts enhance local history through exhibitions and ongoing projects.

Highly Commended
Audrey McCallum
Waverley Library Galleries
Saturday Afternoon at the Pictures
Audrey McCallum led Waverley Historical Society’s 2023 exhibition Saturday Afternoon at the Pictures, celebrating Bondi’s art deco cinemas and local filmmakers. As curator and project manager, she coordinated talks, tours, and interactive elements such as oral histories and content from the National Film and Sound Archive. Her dedication to preserving local history created an immersive experience, engaging the community and enriching local archives with new historical data. Audrey’s leadership continues to be invaluable to Waverley’s cultural heritage.

The ACHAA Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contribution to NSW Aboriginal Culture, Heritage and Arts

Donna Biles Fernando
A proud Muruwari and Ngemba woman from Brewarrina, Donna Biles Fernando is remembered as a leading curator, writer, arts administrator and cultural advocate.

As a curator, Donna’s work was like herself: fearless, passionate and sensitive. Her exhibitions at the then Lake Macquarie Art Gallery with Director Debbie Abraham and other members of the Aboriginal Reference Group attracted state and national attention.

Brave truth-telling exhibitions such as yapang marruma: making our way (stories of the Stolen), Lore & Order and we. wiyelliko, quickly set a benchmark for Aboriginal exhibitions in regional galleries that didn’t just consult with Aboriginal communities but that were truly First Nations First, more than a decade before the term was enshrined in policy. Her work also featured in the Newcastle Art Gallery, The Lock-Up and The Australian Museum.

Donna went on with the same team to codevelop a highly respected First Nations framework for consultative, programming and governance processes known as yapang*.

It was so influential that when the gallery changed its name, it became, and remains known as today, as the MAC – Museum of Art and Culture, yapang.

After such lived experiences, it was a given that Donna, again alongside Debbie Abraham would be instrumental in embedding Terri Janke’s First Peoples: A Roadmap for Enhancing Indigenous Engagement in Museums and Galleries into the National Standards for Australian Museums and Galleries 2.0.

Most recently, she collaborated with colleagues at M&G NSW and ACHAA, visiting Aboriginal Cultural Centres across the state, personally auditing collections and selecting works that highlighted the breadth of First Nations artistic expression and cultural heritage for a proposed touring exhibition. It is intended the exhibition will continue to develop and tour, a final yapang in her memory.

*yapang means journey or pathway in the Awabakal Language

 The ACHAA Award for Excellence by an Aboriginal Curator

Meagan Gerrard, Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation
Secrets of Dawn
This exhibition is a project of Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation, a First Nations Stolen Generations organisation founded by former residents of the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls. The exhibition views this history through the lens of Dawn, a magazine created by the NSW Aborigines Welfare Board for Aboriginal people and which served as a propagandised view of the Aborigines Protection Act (1909-1969). Meagan, a descendant of Coota Girls Survivor Aunty Lorraine Darcy Peters, collaborated with Coota Girls Survivors and descendants to deliver this truth-telling experience. Alongside historical content, Meagan also included contemporary artworks curated by Dennis Golding and interviews from Coota Girls Survivors to illustrate ongoing intergenerational impacts of forcible removal and assimilation and their journey of healing and reconnection since.

The IMAGinE Awards are an initiative of Museums & Galleries of NSW, developed with support from the Australian Museums and Galleries Association NSW and Regional and Public Galleries of NSW. 

The 2024 IMAGinE Awards is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors, including International Conservation Services as the Major Sponsor of the Awards. This year we welcome the City of Sydney as a Venue Partner for the IMAGinE Awards night.