History

For over 40 years Design Tasmania has supported the careers and practices of thousands of design creatives from our island, Australia and beyond to advance the value of design in our daily lives. Our public programs offer over 100,000 visitors a year the opportunity to engage in design and culture to celebrate some of the most highly regarded practitioners in the field of design. From weaving workshops to international innovators and kids' tours, the galleries showcase activities for everyone from the design curious to established design professionals.

A range of professional programs including Designer Membership and career-advancing incubation programs are aimed at facilitating the designers vocation through education as well as commercial opportunities and professional development.

Founded by visionary duo Gary and Patricia Cleveland in 1976 with a series of exhibitions around Tasmanian wood design, Design Tasmania is now nationally recognised as a key agent for promoting a high standard of design practice across disciplines.

Our Design Tasmania Wood Collection began in 1991 with a selection of works curated by our founders and has now grown to hold over 80 pieces making it the largest public collection of contemporary wood design in Australia. From icons such as Kevin Perkins and Brad Moss through to contemporary innovators like Brodie Neill and Scott van Tuil, the collection is available to explore in detail online as well as on display in our Launceston-based galleries. Bi-annual acquisitions are made for the collection through the generosity of our Fellow Members.

Located in Launceston, Tasmania, our galleries span heritage-listed Price Hall (1885) into the connecting Gary Cleveland Galleries and Claudio Alcorso Courtyard. The latter extension was built in 2001 led by architects Richard Leplastrier AO and David Travalia and the Phaidon Atlas of Contemporary Architecture lists it as one of the world's top 1000 contemporary buildings (Phaidon: 2004).

The Design Tasmania Awards, established in 2006, have launched many designers into international opportunities including Alessi and The Museum of Modern Art Design Store as well as local and national stockists and partnerships.

Design Tasmania's mission is to advocate for excellence in design and extend the visibility of design practice through the belief that design makes the difference not just to a privileged few, but to all in our community.