Happy Mondays - Barbara Piscitelli
- 13 Jul 2015
This week in Happy Mondays, Barbara Piscitelli share some of her favourite arts spaces in Queensland and her most interesting work experience in 2015…
What are you creatively working on at the moment?
My creative practice involves promoting children’s cultural citizenship, so there is always something interesting on the horizon. This year has been very China-centered. I just completed a year long professional development program with the staff of the Creative Studio at Ullens Centre for Contemporary Art (UCCA) in Beijing. That was very satisfying because they did so well in learning how to implement best practice.
I have another very exciting project brewing with State Library of Queensland and the Hubei Provincial Library. I am planning a reunion exhibition connecting former child artists from the 1990s with their work and want to raise questions about generation change in arts education. I have been working on this project for about a year. I am busy with curatorial activities at the moment – working on the administration of creative practice: searching for funds, preparing facility reports, preparing lists of works and so on.
Where would we find you on a Monday?
It is hard to tell where I might be on a Monday – over the past month, my Mondays have been spent doing all sorts of lovely things: walking on Point Lookout beaches, going to Pilates, visiting Impress gallery, and having lunch with friends.
Favorite arts space
I love the John Oxley Library reading room on the top floor of State Library of Queensland. I use it all the time to work on my collection. It has the most expansive city views, an excellent work environment and helpful staff.
Favorite arts and cultural events in Queensland
I have a few favorites for children and art in Queensland. Top of the list are the innovative programs at the Ipswich Art Gallery and “The Corner” at State Library of Queensland – they do consistently good work, and always lead the pack in child-centered practice. Of course, Out of the Box is an all time favorite arts and cultural event in Queensland not just for me, but for many people. I love the festival energy and focus, and of course all the joy it brings to so many people.
Most interesting experience in your 2015 work so far
While in central China preparing for my next big project, we filled out a 17-page Standard Facility Report form as part of an international loan process. I worked with an amazing interpreter and numerous technical staff at the Hubei Provincial Library. I learned heaps about the safety and structure of their brand new building, giving it a whole new layer of meaning. We completed the form in a mere 7 hours. What a triumph.
Dr Barbara Piscitelli AM
In 1986, Barbara established an archive of children’s art and has created several exhibitions and catalogues from her collection. She donated the collection to the State Library of Queensland in 2004. The collection contains drawings and paintings by young children from China, Vietnam and Australia from the 1980s to present time.
Barbara was former Chair of the Queensland Cultural Policy Advisory Committee, and served on the Council of the National Museum of Australia, and as a Board Member of the Queensland Museum and the Collections Council of Australia.
Her research explores cultural policy and childhood, learning in museums, and early childhood visual arts education. She publishes in education and museum professional journals and consults in Australia, Singapore, Vietnam and China.
She taught at Queensland University of Technology for 20 years and was Visiting Scholar at the Hong Kong Institute of Education.
Barbara was recognised in the Australia Day 2006 Honours as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). The citation for her Award reads: ‘For service to early childhood education as a teacher, to the establishment of programs in cultural institutions for children, and as a collector and curator of children’s art.
Image credits: The evening of the Lantern Festival by Gao Shan, Hubei China, 1995.