“Moving into our 45th year, we draw inspiration from our founding mission to inspire the community to embrace design, through programming that encourages diversity and inclusivity as well as championing design professionalism. Our mission is to continue the advancement of practice through a networked community of designers within Tasmania, developing professional skills and learning, and enabling sales and work opportunities to ensure commercial success. In 2021, we’re telling stories that reflect the changing paradigms of design now and into the future.”
–Claire Beale, Executive Director

Design Tasmania celebrates a significant 45th Anniversary in 2021 through a programme of events, exhibitions and activities, that looks back in order to look forward.

Two major survey shows will take audiences through milestones in the movement of craft and design in Australia, from Tasmanian entrepreneur Claudio Alcorso to the Australian Design Centre’s touring exhibition Living Treasure: Prue Venables. Executive Director Claire Beale will also be staging exhibitions with a contemporary focus on design responding to experimentation and innovation from bioplastics in fashion through to excellence in wood design.

Jam Factory’s Margaret Hancock Davis (Senior Curator) and Brian Parkes (CEO) will tour ‘Concrete: Art Design Architecture’ to Design Tasmania, the final exhibition in a series exploring materials.

Ruth Longford, Creative Producer at Nayri Niara will explore Tasmanian Aboriginal connection to country, culture and to the sacred in an exhibition outcome partnered with Design Tasmania at LongHouse in Hobart.

The Design Tasmania Awards will be returning in 2021 after a hiatus in 2020, once again showcasing the best of design in Tasmania across a range of disciplines.

Women in Design has evolved into a new program, shifting from the locally-hosted colloquium to an expanded format incorporating an international campaign.

Exhibitions

PLAY, Group Show (Mona Foma) curated by Claire Beale
Prue Venables, Living Treasures: Masters of Australian Craft curated by Lisa Cahill, a touring exhibition by the Australian Design Centre
Claudio Alcorso - La Dolce Vita curated by Claire Beale in association with MONA and QVMAG
CONCRETE– art, design and architecture curated by Margaret Hancock Davis (Senior Curator) and Brian Parkes (CEO, Jam Factory)
Design Tasmania Wood Collection – the next 45 years curated by Claire Beale

Projects & Programmes

Nayri Niara @ Longhouse Gallery, Hobart, Tasmania
Pin your Practice, Various Locations, Tasmania
Women in Design, International Campaign
The Soil Project, Various Locations, Tasmania
Design Tasmania Awards, Launceston, Tasmania
For full schedule and more information see full exhibitions listing at the end of this press kit.

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