About
Umbrella is a leading independent platform for contemporary and experimental arts practice operating on Wulgurukaba and Bindal Country (Townsville, North Queensland).
We have a four-decade legacy of bringing art and audiences together. We amplify critical and creative voices, support communities, incubate creativity and collaboration, and advocate for new models and investment in the arts.
We believe in the power of commune, bringing together diverse voices and perspectives of our region and beyond. In dialogue, through creative arts practices, we transgress traditional hierarchies of centre and periphery, which are place-based. We nourish curiosity, exploration, and more profound experiences with the region and all its peoples. We acknowledge the beauty of the in-between spaces. We invite partnership and collaboration to create encounters and meaning in a complex world.
Umbrella runs an annual program of onsite and touring exhibitions, public programs, arts residencies, studio access, professional development programs, special events and a biannual festival, Pop Up North Queensland (PUNQ). Umbrella is integral to our region’s thriving culture and creative economy.
Vision
To be an inclusive platform for independent, experimental contemporary arts practice in a globalised dialogue.
Mission
To express and amplify our distinctive and authentic North Queensland voices.
Umbrella Strategic Plan
Umbrella Annual Reports
Open Hours
Tues - Fri: 9am-5pm
Sat - Sun: 9am-1pm
Gallery closed Mondays, public holidays and during exhibition install weeks.
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Contact
408 Flinders Street,
Gurambilbarra (Townsville),
Qld, 4810 Australia
PO Box 2394,
Gurambilbarra (Townsville),
Qld, 4810 Australia
Send us a message here
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Acknowledgement of Country
Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts respectfully acknowledges the Wulgurukaba of Gurambilbarra and Yunbenun and the surrounding groups of our region - Bindal, Gugu Badhan, Nywaigi, Warrgamay, Bandjin and Gudjal - as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we gather, share and celebrate local creative practice. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders as the first people of Australia. They have never ceded sovereignty and remain strong in their enduring connection to land and Culture.
Umbrella is a Dealer Member of the Indigenous Art Code. This means we are committed to fair and ethical trade with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, and transparency in the promotion and sale of artwork. As a Dealer Member and signatory to the Code we must act fairly, honestly, professionally and in good conscience in all direct or indirect dealings with artists.
Help Us Elevate Regional Artists
We champion artists, amplifying their distinctive and authentic voices. We are an inclusive platform for independent, experimental, contemporary arts practice in local, national, and international arts landscapes. We have a thirty-six year history of connecting artists and audiences and we couldn't do it without your support.
Umbrella Studio Contemporary Arts is registered as a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) with the Australian Taxation Office. Donations to Umbrella are tax deductible for amounts of $2 or more. Click here to donate.
Acknowledgements
Umbrella is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland, part of the Department of Communities, Housing and Digital Economy, and by the Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, an initiative of the Australian, state and territory governments. | Umbrella is supported by the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation and receives funding from Creative Australia through the Australian Cultural Fund. | Townsville City Council is a funding partner of Umbrella's program.