Current and upcoming exhibitions
Two people in the Dearly Departed exhibition, looking toward something in the distance.
Dearly Departed: death in life

A bold exploration of how Queenslanders have understood and experienced mortality.

Through Mununjali eyes: photojournalist Wayne Coolwell

This showcase celebrates Wayne’s life and legacy.

Lois Schultz papers and works of art
Extraordinary stories

Stories worth telling. Stories worth hearing. Stories worth collecting.

Explore a changing selection of items from State Library’s heritage collections.

Two people looking at items in a glass case.
Galleries and public art

Take take a self-guided tour of State Library’s free exhibition spaces and public artworks.

Two people standing behind a glass display case in the Australian Library of Art Showcase at State Library of Queensland.
Australian Library of Art

Explore rare items complemented by temporary themed displays and curated from State Library collections.

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Past exhibitions
Driven

Celebrate the milestones, adventures, and enduring passion we’ve shared with our cars.

Black and white vinylcut artwork by Billy Missi titled Untitled | Constellation and Kinship, featuring intricate leaf-like patterns connected by bold circular and linear forms, with a central band of stylised motifs running diagonally.
Billy Missi'n Wakain Thamai

Billy Missi’n Wakain Thamai is a profound exhibition honouring the late Torres Strait Islander artist Billy Missi (1970-2012).

The exhibition showcases the talent of Brisbane’s artists and their ability to create connection.

The exhibition showcases the creativity and pride of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people.

A tribute to survival and the enduring power of culture to heal both the land and its people.

The art of movement becomes a powerful expression of culture, identity, and resilience.

NEON

Experience the history of neon across Queensland from the 1940s to today.

This exhibition celebrates the heart of Brisbane/Meanjin, telling the stories of the courageous, creative, and passionate people who make up our city. 

Discover the power of photographic portraiture to communicate beyond the appearance of subjects.

https://collections.slq.qld.gov.au/viewer/IE3278255
Working Country

In a time of unruly upheaval and devastation to land and family life from the colonial invasion, working Country was a means of survival.

Two smiling people visiting the Purpose Built exhibition.
Purpose built

Experience the transformative potential of architectural design and its pivotal role in shaping communities today.

Picture of the artist Luke Roberts, 2022
Meet the artists

A series of intimate conversations with 35 of Australia’s most acclaimed artists.

Ruth Whap (Library Administrator) accessing the Aurora system at the newly opening Mabuiag IKC, 2002 Photographer unknown
20 Years Strong

Celebrating 20 years of Indigenous Knowledge Centres in Queensland.

Gold Coast, 0464a, Glenn R. Cooke Souvenir Textiles Collection, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland.
Queensland to a T

Queensland to a T dishes the dirt on the qualities that made tea towels desirable Queenslandiana and how we see them now.

Arone Meeks, ‘Mabo 25 & Big Wet Community’ (detail), 2018
Legacy: Reflections on Mabo

Celebrate the influence and impact of the man behind the game-changing Native Title Act, Eddie Koiki Mabo.

Two women viewing screen at Sovereign Stories exhibition

Meet the authors and editors who have been part of black&write! and discover First Nations stories. 

The Great & Grand Rumpus

Explore a sculptural, digital, and immersive installation. Its origins lie in the limitless imaginations of children.

Explore the work of three contemporary Aboriginal photographers; Michael Aird, Jo-Anne Driessens and Naomi Hobson.

Explore stories about people and plants in Queensland and discover the masterpieces of botanical illustration in our collections.

Deadly Threads

A showcase of singlets, shirts, polos and jerseys created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Queensland.

Self Portrait by Kapal Pilot
Big Voices

Take a  journey into young artist's worlds, to see how they view themselves, their lives, their rights and their futures.

 

Inside the Cut Copy exhibition
Cut Copy

Explore their do-it-yourself design and recall the bands and venues of Brisbane’s independent music scene of the 1970s and 80s.

Jingeri art
Old words, new ways

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are on a long journey to awaken languages once deemed ‘lost’.

Close up portrait of a camel musterer in the outback
Twenty

Twenty is an online photography exhibition reflecting on the last 20 years in Queensland.

Visit Tea and Me to learn about tea-related memories and stories from across the state.

People exploring the Spoken exhibition at State Library
Spoken

A free thought-provoking exhibition about the survival and revival of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages.

Man will child in stroller exploring the Jarjum Stories showcase at State Library.
Jarjum Stories

Enjoy the colourful world of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander jarjum (children’s) books and storytelling.

A couple sitting at the booth within the Meet me at the Paragon exhibition at State Library.
Meet me at the Paragon

Moussaka. Souvlaki. Paniyiri. Baklava. Today, Queenslanders love Greek food and culture. However, this exhibition explores an untold past.

Matt Golding standing in front of his winning political cartoon displayed on a wall.
Behind the Lines

The year’s best political cartoons 2018.

Man watching video in I Heard it on the Radio showcase
I Heard it on the Radio

Protest in the air, a fresh voice on the airwaves; the first Indigenous radio station in a capital city began broadcasting in the 1990s… bringing an exciting new sound to our stereos.

People exploring the Plantation Voices exhibition
Plantation Voices

State Library’s portal to Australian South Sea Islander culture and history in Queensland.

Woman observing Ian Strange's charcoal artwork in the Home exhibition.
Home

Explore the social and emotional foundations of our houses through the incredible legacy of Frank and Eunice Corley.

In the Palm Island and Our People exhibition. Photo by Joe Ruckli.
Palm Island & Our People

The inspiring history of Palm Island is celebrated in a fascinating showcase of images, memorabilia and digital stories.

South Sea Islander woman at Farnborough, ca 1895. Negative number 3680
Australian South Sea Islanders

Today’s Australian South Sea Islanders have a special place in Queensland’s cultural diversity and history. They are the descendants of South Sea Islanders brought to Queensland from 1863 to 1904 from 80 Melanesian islands to work the State’s cotton and sugar plantations.

In the Freedom Then, Freedom Now exhibition. Photo by Josef Ruckli.
Freedom then freedom now

Freedom takes many forms. Some countries cannot guarantee freedom from hunger, while arbitrary detention, religious and racial discrimination are practised throughout the world, sometimes even mandated by governments.

Protesters near Brisbane’s iconic casino. Image courtesy of Uniikup Productions Ltd.
State of Emergency

State Library of Queensland marked the 30th anniversary of the 1982 Commonwealth Games when Brisbane came alive with political demonstrations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander civil liberties.

Woman exploring the Art of the Skins exhibition
Art of the Skins

Awakening South East Queensland historical traditions through contemporary art, Art of the Skins revitalised the practice of possum skin cloak making.

Anthony Alder (1838 – 1915), Lincoln sheep, Homeward Laddie, 1895, Oil on canvas, 109 x 135 cm, John Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland. ACC: 28082
Grass dukes and Shepherd Kings

19th century pastoral life on the Darling Downs comes alive in this intimate exhibition of treasures at SLQ.

Blair Athol Recut, Siganto project by Julie Barrett - vials with book on top
Siganto Foundation Artists' Book Project

This showcase celebrates the beauty of those creations and research The Siganto Foundation support has enabled.

Hornibrook

A decade of building major bridge infrastructure projects in Brisbane cemented Sir Manuel Richard Hornibrook (often known as ‘MR’) as a pioneering Queenslander into the history of the state.

performance in gallery
Our Dreaming

Connecting people to place through animation and storytelling. 

A charcoal portrait of a First Nations man wearing a button up shirt looking at the viewer
Transforming Tindale

Unheard stories are given a voice in this powerful exhibition of scientific photographs and contemporary artworks, exploring the legacy of Norman Tindale's 1938 anthropological expedition to Aboriginal communities.

Johnstone Gallery Annexe and courtyard, Cintra Road
The Johnstone Gallery Archive

The Johnstone Gallery was a commercial art gallery that operated in Brisbane from 1950 to 1972 during a seminal time in the development of an audience for contemporary art in Australia.

Visitors view the Don't Just Count Us, Let Us Count exhibition for the first time
Don't Just Count Us, Let Us Count!

This showcase tells the story of this historic milestone through the eyes of ACPA alumni as they reflect on the creative process, research and the performance which shaped who they are today and their understanding of the campaign to be counted.

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