Gallery and University of Newcastle co-design project snags two awards

Congratulations to our fantastic Maitland Regional Art Gallery team, who won TWO awards at the 2021 Museums & Galleries of NSW Imagine Awards: the Innovation and Resilience Award, and the Imagination Award.

Congratulations to our fantastic Maitland Regional Art Gallery team, who won TWO awards at last Friday’s Museums & Galleries of NSW Imagine Awards: the Innovation and Resilience Award, and the Imagination Award for their co-design project ‘Our Place’.

The ‘Our Place’ co-design project has brought together local First Nations students with architecture students from the University of Newcastle to work together and redevelop MRAG’s garden space.

in the project’s development, the students shared ideas, gathered objects, and explored the gallery’s grounds before developing concept plans and maquettes, which incorporated bush tucker, landscaping structures and natural materials.

The Imagination Award will support the launch of this space, with a community event designed by the participating young students, including artist talks, creative activities, Indigenous plantings, and music in a celebration of art, architecture, and Country to occur later in 2022.

Participating students and teachers described the co design process as exciting, with young students excited and teachers alike.