Brisbane: QAG of QAGOMA

With rain in the forecast, we set today as a museum day. one of them worked out … the other one didn’t.

After breakfast, we used the Kurilpa Bridge to once again cross the Brisbane River to South Bank. Our walk was a short one as the museums are close to the South Bank end of the bridge.

Our first stop was the Queensland Art Gallery … aka QAG. It is the other part of QAGOMA, which stands for “Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art.” Owned by the state, the museum was founded in 1895 as the Queensland National Art Gallery.

I know I’ve said this before. But it bears repeating. Australia knows how to do museums. We loved the collection at QAG … from fabric art, to statuary, to paintings. I had read that two of the most significant works at the museum belonged to Pablo Picasso and Richard Godfrey Rivers … we saw both of them. As well as works by Degas, Tintoretto, Pisarro, and many more whose names we did not recognize. Aboriginal art was also prominently displayed … once again catching our eye.

After lunch at the cafe at QAG — the only time when we experienced a bit of rain — we headed to the nearby Queensland Museum, which is billed as the “… state’s foremost collecting institution.” Exhibits range from prehistoric giants to modern achievements and scientific discovery. We walked in. We walked out. I’m sure the museum is interesting. But today it was overrun by kids of all ages … in town for the World Science Festival. The event continues through the end of the week, so it looks like we’re going to have to take a pass on this one.Read more