Trish Barnard. Photo by Temeka Johnson

Full name: Trish Barnard

Role in the project: Research Associate

Brief background bio: Trish Barnard is the former Senior Curator for Indigenous Studies in the Cultures and Histories program at the Queensland Museum. She has extensive experience in the interpretation of collections and the curation of exhibitions, and co-curated (with Peter Denham) the first major survey exhibition of art from Cape York Peninsula, Story Place: Indigenous Art of Cape York and the Rainforest, at the Queensland Art Gallery in 2003. Trish has contributed Indigenous content to many other exhibitions including the successful ‘Enchanted Rainforest’ at the Museum of Tropical Queensland, Townsville. She is interested in new developments and innovations within the industry and regularly writes for exhibition catalogues, commentates on contemporary Indigenous art issues and embraces opportunities to enhance public understanding. Her Master’s thesis at James Cook University explored issues associated with misrepresentation and misappropriation of Indigenous motifs in Australian art. Trish is also an Honorary Research Adviser to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Studies Unit at the University of Queensland. She currently works as a freelance curator, researcher and writer.

Recent publications:

Aaberge, Bård, Barnard, Trish, Greer, Shelley, and Henry, Rosita (2014) ‘Designs on the future: Aboriginal painted shields and baskets of tropical North Queensland, Australia’, Etropic: electronic journal of studies in the tropics, 13 (2), pp. 56-74.

Barnard, Trish and Ryan, Sue. (2014) ‘Ghost Nets: Modern Waste and Ancient Culture’ in Decker, Julie and Ferren, Howard (eds). GYRE: The Plastic Ocean, touring exhibition catalogue, Anchorage Museum, Alaska, Booth-Clibborn Editions, London, pp.148-158.

Barnard, Trish. (2013) ‘Researching the Glenn Cooke Collection’, Objects of Possession: Research Project Newsletter 4, December 2013, pp.8-9.

Barnard, Trish (2009) ‘The appropriation of Indigenous motifs and its influence on contemporary arts and crafts’ in Proceedings of the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair Symposium 2009, pp. 33-36.

Barnard, Trish and Robinson, Olivia. (2007) ‘Thanks, but we’ll take it from here: Australian and Torres Strait Islander women influencing collections’, Museum International UNESCO Quarterly, December issue.