002 — About Jacqueline Armitstead
Curator.
Advocate.
Pioneer.
An award-winning independent curator, arts manager and writer with 30 years' experience at the intersection of art, architecture and community.
30
30+
Years Experience
2*
AIA Art + Architecture Prize
50+
Major Projects Curated
1994
Practice Established
001 — Overview
Jacqueline Armitstead has provided strong leadership and highly successful arts advocacy across Queensland’s art, design, government and construction industries — holding senior positions within both the Arts and Queensland government sectors, and serving on the curatorial teams at Griffith University Art Museum and artisan.
Pioneering public art management and practice in Queensland — one project, one artist, one community at a time.
Jacqueline Armitstead — Director, AAC
1994
Artworkers Alliance Curator / Project Manager Art + Architecture
Jacqueline was engaged as artworkers alliance’s inaugural Curator/Project Manager, Art + Architecture. During her six years at Artworkers Alliance she devised the largest and most successful database of Queensland artists.
Pioneering BizArts — commissioning local designers for site-specific furniture, lighting and art collections.
Working with a diverse range of clients including high-profile firm Gadens, Jacqueline secured sponsorship, developed benchmark projects and advised government and business — including providing the first Terms of Reference for the appointment of cultural consultants and artists for the Queensland Government.
1999
Department of Public Works Senior Project Manager Public Art (Inaugural)
With the advent of Art Built-in, the Department of Public Works — Project Services and Arts Queensland — supported the development of a specialist public art procurement position. From 1999–2004, Jacqueline was engaged as Project Services’ inaugural Senior Project Manager (Public Art) to manage the rollout of the policy across all government departments.
In 2004, she was employed as Art Built-in Procurement Manager, before commencing freelance consulting in 2005.
— NEWS
Jacqueline Armitstead Invited as Peer Assessor for Arts Queensland 2024
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September 2013
— NEWS
Jacqueline Armitstead Invited as Peer Assessor for Arts Queensland 2024
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September 2013
— NEWS
Jacqueline Armitstead Invited as Peer Assessor for Arts Queensland 2024
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September 2013
003 — First Nations Advocacy
One of the first curators to commission First Nations artists in Queensland.
Jacqueline has worked extensively with First Nations artists and communities, ensuring policy guidelines incorporate First Nations protocols as they relate to the commission of public art — across projects in Cairns, Townsville, Brisbane, Ipswich and beyond.
Artists Commissioned
Ron Hurley (Late)
Kangaroo Point Cliffs Boardwalk & Neville Bonner Building
Laurie Nilsen (Late)
Ipswich Courthouse
Archie Moore
Southbank Institute of Technology
Sam Tupou
Ipswich Courthouse
Arone Raymond Meeks (Late)
Cairns Regional Gallery — Inaugural
Michael Boiyool Anning
Cairns Convention Centre
Ken Thaiday Snr
Cairns Convention Centre
Brian Robinson
Cairns Convention Centre
2005
Cox Rayner Architects Sole Consulting Curator 2005 – 2011
From 2005–2011, Jacqueline was engaged as sole consulting Curator for Cox Rayner Architects (now COX Architecture), curating and managing many significant benchmark projects throughout Queensland.
In 2005, she was also engaged by the State Library of Queensland to curate sufferance — a visual art exhibition attracting national recognition in a major review in The Australian.
AIA (Qld Chapter) Art + Architecture Prize — Ipswich Justice Precinct 2010, Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 2013.
During 2013–2014, Jacqueline was Guest Curator for the Silver exhibition at Museum of Brisbane, City Hall — attracting considerable media attention for both its curatorial model and the calibre of artists represented.
2021
Brisbane City Council Senior Curator — Public Art Policy Brisbane 2032
In 2021–2022, Jacqueline was engaged as Senior Curator on the successful team to write new public art policy for Brisbane City Council: Design Led City: Public Art Policy. She provided significant leadership and advice on policy guidelines, identified key stakeholders, undertook all stakeholder consultations and ran the major workshop in preparation for Brisbane 2032: Olympic and Paralympic Games.
In 2024, Jacqueline was invited to act as a Peer Assessor for Arts Queensland.
In 2004, she was employed as Art Built-in Procurement Manager, before commencing freelance consulting in 2005.
2010
AIA Art + Architecture Prize
Ipswich Justice Precinct — recognised as a benchmark project across both the arts and architecture industries.
2013
AIA Art + Architecture Prize
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre Extension — a landmark public art outcome.
2019
Churchie Emerging Curator Program
Founded by Jacqueline in association with the Institute of Modern Art — the only initiative of its kind in Australia.
Positions & Roles
2021–22
Senior Curator — BCC Design Led City: Public Art Policy
2013
Committee Member — The Churchie Emerging Art Prize
2005–11
Sole Consulting Curator — Cox Rayner Architects
1999–04
Senior Project Manager, Public Art — Dept of Public Works
1994–99
Inaugural Curator / Project Manager — Artworkers Alliance
Education & Development
BFA
Bachelor of Arts (Fine Art) — Griffith University, Queensland College of Art
Grant
Arts Queensland Professional Development Grant — Placements at San Francisco Art Commission & Public Art Development Trust, London
Board
Board Member — Fusions (Qld Potters Association) & Queensland Centre for Photography
2024
Peer Assessor — Arts Queensland
