TarraWarra Museum of Art
Director’s Foreword

Dr Victoria Lynn

Intimate Imaginaries, curated by Anthony Fitzpatrick, is inspired by the unique Melbourne-based, globally renowned, Arts Project Australia (APA), a studio and project that supports and advocates for artists with intellectual disabilities to pursue a creative path. The exhibition highlights both the intimacy with which the artists approach their everyday worlds, and the deeply imaginative visual language they use to connect with those worlds. Focusing on the oeuvres of 13 artists, many of whom have worked for a decade or more with APA, this exhibition reveals the development of their individual styles and interests over time. Each artist works with a unique visual language that, while recalling some familiar idioms in the history of art and popular culture, is redolent with a keen observation of the mysteries, quirks and ambience of contemporary existence.

The Museum is deeply grateful to Anthony for his dedicated work on this project, which has grown from his earlier collaboration with APA in 2017, and prior to joining the Museum, his experience working at The Dax Centre. It takes a sincere and sensitive curator to work with this studio, and I congratulate him on a successful and vibrant exhibition.

The Museum thanks the participating artists in the exhibition for their enthusiasm, dedication and creative contributions and we are thrilled to be premiering a number of recent works as well as eight ambitious new commissions.

Intimate Imaginaries has been made possible through close collaboration between the Museum and Arts Project Australia, our Project Partner, over the past two years. We are grateful to former Executive Director Sue Roff for her enthusiasm for the project and for supporting the partnership at the outset. We extend our appreciation to the current Executive Director Liz Nowell for eagerly continuing this collegial relationship.

We thank the many dedicated APA staff for their tremendous commitment to the exhibition, particularly Curator and Gallery Manager Jo Salt, who has worked closely with Anthony to oversee the logistics of this major exhibition.

I also extend my thanks to APA studio manager James McDonald for his insightful and passionate essay on the history and ethos of the studio and its unique role in both supporting and advocating for their many talented artists.

We are grateful for the generous support of the private and public lenders to the exhibition: the Merri-Bek Art Collection; the Monash University Collection, courtesy of Monash University Museum of Art; and the National Gallery of Victoria.

This project has been assisted by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.

This exhibition has also been generously supported by the TarraWarra Contemporaries Donor Circle who help commission major contemporary art projects by Australian artists to be premiered at TarraWarra Museum of Art each year.

I also acknowledge and thank the TarraWarra Museum of Art Foundation; our Sponsors: Arnold Bloch Leibler, Chubb Insurance and AON; our Museum Partners: Paoli Smith Creative, International Art Services and RACV Club; and our Learning and Engagement Program Supporters, Media Partners and Event Partners.

Finally, I extend my thanks to all the staff and volunteers at the Museum for their dedication and commitment, and for their support and enthusiasm for Intimate Imaginaries.

Dr Victoria Lynn
Director, TarraWarra Museum of Art

Arts Project Australia
Director’s Foreword

Liz Nowell

As Executive Director of Arts Project Australia, I am delighted to introduce Intimate Imaginaries, the first Australian museum exhibition solely dedicated to presenting the work of our remarkable studio artists.

For 50 years, Arts Project Australia has remained steadfast in its commitment to supporting artists with intellectual disabilities and advocating for their rightful place in the art historical canon. This exhibition marks a critical step forward on that journey and reflects a profound shift — one that moves disabled artists from the periphery to the centre of contemporary art. Too often, artists who do not fit neatly into traditional categories of art are pushed to its edges. Intimate Imaginaries challenges this notion and stands as an important moment of recognition, one that I hope signals a lasting change in how the broader art world views and embraces the work of artists with disabilities.

Founded in 1974, APA has grown from a small disability arts organisation into a pioneering gallery and studio program that is internationally celebrated for its support of over 150 artists. Our ethos is rooted in the belief that art is a powerful means of expression and connection, and we are proud to champion artists whose practices challenge perceptions, transcend expectations, and enrich contemporary art discourse.

This year, Arts Project Australia celebrated its 50th anniversary with a series of events that reflected on our journey, acknowledged our achievements, and looked forward to a future where APA artists are fully embraced by the broader art community.

Intimate Imaginaries is a key highlight of our anniversary year, marking a new chapter in APA’s ongoing work to push the boundaries of what is possible for artists.

The significance of this exhibition cannot be overstated. For the 13 artists involved, having their work shown in a museum of TarraWarra’s stature is a profound validation of their practice, and recognition that they belong at the heart of contemporary art. This show allows our artists to be seen and appreciated on their own terms, and I hope it will contribute to a much-needed redefinition of the contemporary art canon. We also hope Intimate Imaginaries will inspire other institutions to continue broadening their scope and deepening their engagement with APA artists, and with disabled artists more broadly.

This project is the culmination of a decade-long relationship between TarraWarra Museum of Art’s dedicated and passionate curator, Anthony Fitzpatrick, and the many artists of Arts Project Australia. Congratulations to you all on this momentous occasion. I extend my deepest gratitude to Anthony, as well as Victoria Lynn, Patrice Sharkey, and the TWMA team for their leadership and commitment to championing neurodivergent artists. I would also like to thank the extraordinary community that is Arts Project Australia: our many artists, staff, Board members, and supporters, all of whom made this exhibition possible. It is an honour to witness this moment where artists with disabilities are given the platform they so deserve.

Liz Nowell
Executive Director, Arts Project Australia

NETS Victoria
Foreword

Nasalifya Namugala Namwinga

NETS Victoria in partnership with TarraWarra Museum of Art (TWMA) and Arts Project Australia (APA) is delighted to present the dynamic artwork of 13 contemporary Australian artists in the extraordinary exhibition Intimate Imaginaries.

Originally presented at TWMA between 30 November 2024 and 10 March 2025, this hugely successful exhibition showcased the talents and creativity of selected studio artists from APA, a highly respected arts organisation supporting artists with intellectual disabilities, that enjoys a national and international reputation for artistic excellence. Recognising the immediate impact of Intimate Imaginaries and its potential to resonate with communities around the country it was clear to NETS Victoria that the exhibition should continue on, so that its reach and impact might be felt in more public galleries in Victoria and beyond.

Celebrating individual vision, inventiveness and the imagination, it features Fulli Andrinopoulos, Samraing Chea, Alan Constable, Wendy Dawson, Bronwyn Hack, Julian Martin, Chris O’Brien, Anthony Romagnano, Lisa Reid, Mark Smith, Cathy Staughton, Georgia Szmerling and Terry Williams.  Each of these artists presents a distinctly personal world view and yet their artwork captures the energy of a collective in a connected, creative and inspired studio environment. It is curated by Anthony Fitzpatrick, held in high regard for his professionalism and thoughtful and inclusive approach to engaging exhibition projects.

This exhibition supports artists to represent themselves in public and professional-facing opportunities through programs such as in-conversation events with the exhibition curator and workshops, recognising diverse capacities, interests and access needs. It encourages tour venues to engage local communities and supported studios in activities, workshops and events, further cultivating their visual arts ecology with their unique regional expertise, knowledge and networks.

On behalf of the NETS Victoria Board of Management, I would like to thank and congratulate our tour partners, Victoria Lynn, Director and staff at TWMA, and Liz Nowell, Executive Director and team at APA for their collegiate exhibition tour support, the participating artists for their captivating creations and curator Anthony Fitzpatrick for his relentless enthusiasm for this project. I would also like to acknowledge the important assistance of the Australian Government through the Visions of Australia program, and the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria and the Touring Victoria grant program.

Nasalifya Namugala Namwinga 
NETS Victoria Board of Management