PILOT TO CONNECT NATIONAL WORKS TO LOCAL AUSTRALIAN STORIES
The Albanese Labor Government is piloting an initiative to link works from the National Portrait Gallery collection with locally significant stories to increase engagement with a broader range of Australian communities.
The Government provided $500,000 to the National Portrait Gallery to collaborate with a local gallery and their community to create an exhibition with local perspectives.
The Gallery has worked with the Logan Art Gallery and community members in Queensland to co-design the exhibition Thread: Connecting stories and community, which traces the relationships between garments and the histories, labour and knowledge systems of First Nations people.
The exhibition will be on display at Logan from 18 April to 13 June then will travel to the Portrait Gallery from 4 July 2026.
The pilot project invited local artists, creatives and community members to participate in, and steer, a series of consultative workshops throughout 2025.
Selected portraits from the National Collection will be presented alongside existing and newly commissioned works by four Logan artists, creating a dynamic conversation between national and regional voices, facilitating community-led interpretation and intercultural collaboration.
The innovative lessons learnt will be further developed into an adaptive toolkit to encourage new approaches and reciprocity between national, regional and suburban institutions.
To find out more about the initiative and the exhibition visit | Thread: Connecting stories and community - LoganARTS
Quotes attributable to Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke:
“Our national collection belongs to the entire nation, not just to Canberra.
“This project makes sure the work of the Portrait Gallery has relevance and is at home in suburban Logan.”
Quotes attributable to Treasurer, Jim Chalmers:
“This is an incredible platform for local artists and an incredible opportunity for local art lovers.
“We’re showcasing some of the best art our community has to offer alongside some of the best pieces in Australia right here in Logan City.
“We have such a rich and vibrant Indigenous culture and tradition in our area and it’s fantastic to see that being celebrated through this program.
“Regardless of where you live around the country, we think you deserve to be able to enjoy Australian art at its finest.
“That’s what this program is all about, creating opportunities for creatives and making art available and accessible right around the country, in neighbourhoods and communities like ours.”
Quotes attributable to the Director of the National Portrait Gallery, Bree Pickering:
“Thread is an exhibition of both local and national significance.
“Using the National Portrait Collection as a starting point, the exhibition connects people and stories of the Logan area with some of the most influential Australians including David Gulpilil, Marcia Langton and Oodgeroo Noonuccal.
“This entirely new way of sharing the collection centres local communities within the national story.”
Quotes attributable to Mayor of Logan City, Jon Raven:
“Logan Art Gallery’s first collaboration with the National Portrait Gallery will shine a national spotlight on the city’s art scene.
“To be selected as the pilot city for the National Portrait Gallery’s initiative Thread: Connecting stories and community is an amazing opportunity for Logan.
“Having some of Australia’s most recognisable artworks will attract thousands of visitors our city and attendees will also have the chance to enjoy the works of our local artists who are exhibiting at Logan Art Gallery at the same time.”