What’s Happening?
Redland Art Gallery’s Create Exchange visual arts program will continue under a new name after securing further philanthropic funding, with the next phase focusing on arts-led community development across Redlands Coast.
Announced by Redland City Council on 29 October 2026, the renewed initiative will be called Visualising Redlands, an arts placemaking project. It will use a design-thinking approach to explore how arts and creativity can contribute to cultural, community and tourism outcomes.
Why It Matters
The renewal builds on Redland Art Gallery’s existing arts programming while introducing a different approach to developing creative projects. Instead of concentrating solely on exhibitions and artist residencies, the new initiative will encourage people to explore opportunities and develop ideas that could inform future activities.
Redland City Acting Mayor Julie Talty welcomed the continued philanthropic support, describing the gallery as one of the city’s flagship cultural assets. She also acknowledged the significance of receiving support for a second program following the inaugural Create Exchange initiative.
Local Impact
Redlands Coast creatives will have opportunities to contribute their knowledge and ideas as the gallery explores potential arts projects. The program aims to involve community members in discussions about how creative activities could develop across the region.
Councillor Paul Bishop, Council’s portfolio representative for Arts, Culture and Heritage, encouraged local participation, saying, “I strongly urge Redland creatives to engage, learn and contribute skills and ideas.”
Key Points
- Funding and partnerships: Haymans Electrical and Data Suppliers provides philanthropic support, while Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) serves as a strategic partner.
- Workshop delivery: Arts writer Louise Martin-Chew and Dr Jo’Anne Langham from the Strategic Doing Institute will support the community workshops.
- Featured artists: The original Create Exchange program showcased Quandamooka artists Sonja Carmichael, Elisa Jane Carmichael, Delvene Cockatoo-Collins and Dean Biŋkin Tyson.
Zoom In
The Visualising Redlands project will include two funded Strategic Doing workshops, where participants can explore opportunities and discuss potential ideas for future arts activities. A Queensland Arts Projects Fund grant from the Queensland Government, through Arts Queensland, part of the Department of Education, will support their delivery.
Cr Bishop said the workshops would help bring different perspectives into the planning process.
“These workshops, facilitated by exceptional professionals, will provide a platform for community participation, exploration of opportunities and future project ideas,” Cr Bishop said.
Zoom Out
Create Exchange began in 2024 as a three-year program of artist residencies, exhibitions and activations presented by Redland Art Gallery. Its exhibitions included Create Exchange: Painted Up, which ran from April to June 2026.
The program also gained recognition when Redland Art Gallery became a finalist in the 2026 Queensland Gallery and Museum Achievement Awards. Cr Talty said the recognition reinforced the importance of the inaugural initiative.
“The success and cultural importance of the inaugural Create Exchange program, from 2024 to 2026, was reinforced recently with Redland Art Gallery named a finalist in the 2026 Queensland Gallery and Museum Achievement Awards for the program.”
What To Look For Next?
Redland Art Gallery will proceed with the Visualising Redlands initiative, with the two Strategic Doing workshops forming part of its approach to exploring future creative projects. Council has not yet announced workshop dates or a detailed program schedule.
