A Talk with Megan Williams 

Exploration into the behind the scenes at the UniSC art gallery 

Megan Williams may not be a name many people are familiar with, but her work for local artists in the community and for The University of the Sunshine Coast has been widely appreciated over her 6 years at UniSC.   

Located at Sippy Downs campus, Megan juggles many different roles at UniSC, from the manager and curator of the art gallery, to part-time lecturer in Design. From March 1st to May 27th, Megan and her team hosted local Australian artist Julie Fragar—a Sydney trained painter based in Brisbane.   

Her exhibition, Julie Fragar: Biograph mainly combines emotional and personal moments in her own life into beautifully layered pieces. Just as Megan says, the work ‘ plays between the space of biography and autobiography.’ Being Julie’s first exhibition of such a large quantity of her work it was truly quite an important occasion, with around eighty pieces in the show.   

“She brings a really psychological aspect to the activity of painting,” Megan continues. She then goes on to mention that the show spans over twenty-five years of work and had expressed that the art works needed to be shown and admired.   

“It’s very conceptually driven work, and it appeals on many layers.”  

What Megan particularly likes about this exhibition is they are images to unpack and pick apart. Julie’s recent show explores her past jobs and experiences, including family history.   

Paintings that look at life and death and as Megan expressed, they are, ‘Images to interrogate and unpack.’    

The show is not only being held at the UniSC Sippy Downs art gallery as it is part of a touring gallery. Starting in Townsville, making its way down tot, stopping in at Tweed Reginal Gallery, before it ended in the Rockhampton Museum of Art. Megan smiled as she expressed her joy for Julie’s as her work was being shared throughout the state and just over the border.  

“It’s great that the work of this important contemporary Queensland painter is being celebrated quite widely.”  

The exhibition has been widely enjoyed by students on campus, too. Many students have stopped by repeatedly to enjoy the work, and a number of classes have visited the gallery to use the work as material for their course, spanning from education to the creative industries.   

“It’s been really wonderful,” Megan says.   

The gallery is constantly sourcing new artist to exhibit, with programming planning occurring eighteen to twenty-four months in advance. They except a broad range of art, one being survey exhibitions which is dedicated to one artist work, such as Julie’s Biography exhibition. Occasionally, the gallery even curates group showings, putting together multiple artist who share similar mediums or themes. Megan explains that the gallery works with a lot of other organisations. Through this their work is shared with the UniSC gallery: such as the event with Julie Fragar and the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery.  The gallery also loans their personal collection to other regional galleries, as the UniSC gallery has the largest collection of local work in the region.    

Megan then goes on to mention that the gallery is generally looking for artists just starting out or mid-way through their career and wants to support artists in the Sunshine Coast region. As Megan says they are, ‘Interested in the gallery being a space where community and art come together.’    

When asked how students can get a step up in the industry, Megan explains how every year in November the gallery will host a design exhibition for design students to present their Capstone Projects to the local community. It’s an important opportunity for students to network with local professionals in the area as well as showcase their skills.    

“The best way to get your work out there is support your peers and build your community.”    

Megan also mentions other artists run initiative around the coast that can further a design students’ career as an artist, spaces such as Lantana Space at Caloundra or the Old Ambulance station in Nambour.    

Some of the pieces appear to have really resonated with the audience, and myself. One such painting title is The Single Bed, a multi-layered piece that touches on growing old in wake of Julie’s birthday. The painting oozes with mystery as each layer unlocks a new path of ideas to follow.   

“Every time I look at one of her works, I see something new in it. They always present me with a new surprise.”  

“I think they’re quite brave works,” Megan continues, expressing Julies disklike for word. I can’t help but agree with this comment. The art brings to light a slew of emotions as new scenes within the paintings come to the surface.    

Julie is known for constantly saying, when asked about what inspires her art: “Life’s a big mess, and so there’s plenty of big things to look at and explore in art.”  

Which is clearly shown in her work. Using her life as her main source of inspiration really make the art raw and full of emotion.    

“I like that there is an honesty to that, and I think that that is what resonates with  audiences.”  

Writtes Matilda Thompson.
Photos: Courtesy of UniSC Art Gallery.