Curriculum Vitae


Education

2003-2007Doctor of Philosophy, Monash University, Melbourne
1996-1999Master of Arts (by Research), University of Royal Melbourne
Institute Of Technology. (R.M.I.T.)
1993-1994Postgraduate Honours, B.A. Fine Art (First Class). University of R.M.I.T.
1987-1991Bachelor of Arts, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria
1965-1967T.S.T.C. (Secondary Teaching-Art), Melbourne T.C., Uni. of Melbourne,
R.M.I.T., Caulfield I.T., Prahran I.T.

Grants, Awards & Residencies

2015Australian Artists’ Grant — a NAVA initiative, sponsored by Janet Holmes a Court, supported by Visual Arts Board, Australia Council for the Arts.
2014Shortlisted, Geelong Contemporary Art prize
2012Shortlisted, Geelong Contemporary Art prize
2007Shortlisted, Geelong Acquisitive Print Awards, Geelong Gallery
2005Shortlisted, World Year of Physics Art Prize, Macquarie University, Sydney
2005Shortlisted, Geelong Acquisitive Print Awards, Geelong Gallery
2005Arts Council England Grant with Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Gallery, U.K.
2004Post Graduate Travel Grant Award, Monash University
2003Australian Post-Graduate Award, (PhD. Monash University)
2003Shortlisted, R. and M. McGivern Art Prize, Maroondah City Council, Melbourne
2002Shortlisted, Geelong Contemporary Art Prize, Geelong Gallery
2000Arts Victoria Arts and Professional Development Grant, New Work (Illuminating Evidence)
2000Studio-Residency, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France
2000Shortlisted, Geelong Contemporary Art Prize, Geelong Gallery
2000City of Greater Geelong Arts Sponsorship Grant, Illuminating Evidence and Watermarks, Geelong 2000 Project
2000V.A.C.F. Australia Council Grant, Geelong Gallery for Presentation and Promotion, Geelong 2000 Project
1998Shortlisted Geelong Contemporary Art Prize, Geelong Gallery
1998Pat Corrigan Artist Grant, Managed by N.A.V.A. with financial assistance from the Australia Council
1997Studio-Residency, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris, France
1997Arts Victoria Arts 21 International Cultural Exchange Program, T.I.G.A.R. Inc. for Encounter – Confrontation, Dialogues in Contemporary Art, Australia–Italy
1997City of Greater Geelong Arts Development Grant, T.I.G.A.R. Inc. for Encounter – Confrontation, Dialogues in Contemporary Art, Australia–Italy

Solo Exhibitions

2019Umwelten – eco-fields & other universesStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2016Orbit: the Kepler SuiteStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2013The ObservatoryStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2007Out There – in light of remote possibilities — Monash University Faculty Gallery, Melbourne
2006A Remote PossibilityStephen Mclaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2004Night JourneysStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2002Traversing SpaceStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2000FenestrationStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
1999Hyphen — West Space, Melbourne
1999Place: (w)here/(t)here — Part of Momenta: Arts Geelong. Installation, Shop 105 Market Square, Geelong, Victoria
1998Sounding — St.Stephen’s Church, Richmond, Melbourne. (Music Performance by Elysium Ensemble)
1998PunctumStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
1997Paris Par Chance — Studio Installation, Cité Internationale des Arts, Paris
1996FoldStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
1995Re-inscription — Linden Gallery, St.Kilda Arts Centre, Melbourne
1992Nature Morte — James Street Gallery, Geelong, Victoria

Group Exhibitions

2023Listening Earth – Curator: Felicity Spear.
Artists: Lesley Duxbury, Vicki Hallett, Debbie Symons, Rosie Weiss and Felicity Spear.
Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2022Attuned.
Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2021Biosphere – a sense of belonging – Curator: Felicity Spear.
Artists: Harry Nankin, Debbie Symons, Rosie Weiss, Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison, and Felicity Spear.
Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2021May Day. Curator: Stephen Wickham. Group exhibition exploring the Abstract. Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2020–21Third Space, Modern and Contemporary Printmaking. Geelong Gallery, Victoria.
2020Art Aid Gippsland. Gippsland Art Gallery, Victoria.
2020Love in the time of COVID-19. GAG Projects.
2019Space — Gippsland Art Gallery, Victoria.
Curator: Erin Mathews.
2019The Moon — Geelong Gallery, Victoria.
 Curator: Lisa Sullivan.
2019Parallel UniverseStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
Curator: Felicity Spear.
2017Fossil - a slow acting violenceStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
Curator: Felicity Spear.
2017Ad HocStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
Curator: Stephen McLaughlan
2016Sky Lab – Kepler’s DreamLa Trobe University Visual Arts Centre, Bendigo
Curator: Felicity Spear
2015Sky Lab: lines of sight and forces of attractionThe Counihan Gallery in Brunswick, Melbourne
Curator: Felicity Spear
2014Future TenseStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
Curator: Felicity Spear
2014Geelong Contemporary Art Prize — Geelong Gallery, Victoria
(Judges: Charlotte Day, Director Monash Museum of Art; Geoffrey Edwards, Director Geelong Gallery; Lisa Sullivan, Curator, Geelong Gallery)
2014ReflexStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
Curator: Stephen McLaughlan
2013Sky Lab (2013)Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria
Curator: Felicity Spear
2013AlchemyStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2013Geelong’s Built Environment — Geelong Gallery, Victoria
2012Geelong Contemporary Art Prize — Geelong Gallery, Victoria
(Judges: Susan McCulloch, Australian Art Books; Geoffrey Edwards, Director Geelong Gallery; Lisa Sullivan Curator, Geelong Gallery)
2012Seeing Books–The Arts Libraries Society / Australia & New Zealand Conference 2012 — Royal Society of Victoria, Melbourne
2012GroundsStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2011Sky Lab: from where you stand (2011)Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
Curator: Felicity Spear
2011Selected_Sites.1Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2010–2011... a person looks at a work of art ... — Geelong Gallery, Victoria
Works by Anne Zahalka, Edward Heffernan, Eric Thake, Peter Tyndall, Douglas Watson and Felicity Spear.
2009Sky Lab (2009)Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
Curator: Felicity Spear
2009Beyond Visibility: Light and Dust — Felicity Spear (curator), David Malin and Gulumbu Yunupingu
University of Technology Sydney: Gallery
2009Beyond Visibility: Light and Dust — Felicity Spear (curator), David Malin and Gulumbu Yunupingu
Monash Gallery of Art, Melbourne
2009Shared Sky — Ian Potter Centre: National Gallery of Victoria, Federation Square, Melbourne
Curators: Allison Holland and Stephen Gilchrist
2008Three Gallery Artists — Shane Kent, Sara Lindsay and Felicity Spear
Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2007Geelong Acquisitive Print Awards – Geelong Gallery, Victoria
(Judge – Robert Heather, Curator, State Library of Victoria)
2007Stephen McLaughlan Gallery at 45 Downstairs – Melbourne
2006Which Way Is Up? – University of Hertfordshire Art and Design Gallery, U.K.
2006Nicholas: The Life of a Building – Blindside, Melbourne
2005–2006World Year of Physics Art Prize – Macquarie University, Sydney
(Judges – Dr. Paula Dawson, Prof. Bob Clark)
2005Which Way Is Up? – Fermynwoods Contemporary Art Gallery, U.K.
2005Geelong Acquisitive Print Awards – Geelong Gallery, Victoria
(Judge – Dr. Colin Holden)
200505 Formal – Stephen Mclaghlan Gallery, Melbourne
2004Narrative Voices – 45 Downstairs. Melbourne
2003On View: Selected Work by PhD and Masters By Research – Monash University
2003R. and M. McGivern Art Prize – Maroondah Art Gallery, Victoria
(Judges – Jason Smith, National Gallery of Victoria, Dr. Jeanette Hoorn, Uni. of Melbourne, Dianne Tanzer, Gallery Director)
2003A4 Art – West Space, Melbourne
2002The Geelong Contemporary Art Prize – Geelong Gallery, Victoria
(Judges - Jason Smith, National Gallery of Victoria, Geoffrey Edwards-Director Geelong Art Gallery, Louise Tegart, Shepparton Art Gallery)
2002Works on PaperStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne
2001Recent Acquisitions 2001 – Geelong Gallery 2001/2, Geelong, Victoria
2001Celebrating The Exquisite Corpse – Monash Gallery Of Art, Wheeler’s Hill, Melbourne
2000The Geelong Contemporary Art Prize – Geelong Gallery, Victoria
(Judges – Maudie Palmer, Stuart Koop – A.C.C.A.)
2000Melbourne Art Fair 2000 – Stephen McLaughlan Gallery – Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne
2000Illuminating Evidence – The Geelong Gallery, Victoria
2000Celebrating The Exquisite Corpse – Bendigo Art Gallery, Victoria, Touring Exhibition
1999Concealment – Temple Studio, Melbourne
1999Liquid: beyond the city limit, new art from Geelong – The Geelong Art Gallery, Victoria
1999Art Zine – Spencer Street Gallery, Melbourne
1998The Geelong Contemporary Art Prize – The Geelong Art Gallery, Victoria
(Judges – Tedd Gott – Heide M.O.M.A., Linda Michael – M.O.M.A. Sydney, Zarah Stanhope – Monash University Museum of Art)
1998Lodged – Temple Studio, Melbourne
1998A.C.A.F. 6 Melbourne Art FairStephen McLaughlan Gallery, Royal Exhibition Buildings, Melbourne
1997Encounter – Confrontation, Dialogues in Contemporary Art, Australia–Italy – Touring Piedmont, Italy
1996Rumble – Underground Photography – Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
1996Pin-Hole Camera Exhibition – Visual Communication Gallery, R.M.I.T., Melbourne
1995Ready – Wrapped and Self-Sealed – Linden Gallery, St. Kilda Arts Centre, Melbourne
1995Modern Madonnas – The Geelong Gallery
1995Heterodox – Volartile Contemporary Art Gallery, Geelong
1994Artists in City Spaces – National Wool Museum Geelong
1992Dominique Sagan Castlemaine State Drawing Prize – Castlemaine, Victoria
1992Swan Hill Regional Gallery National Print and Drawing Award – Swan Hill, Victoria
1991Survey 12 – The Geelong Gallery
1991Through Womens’ Eyes – The Geelong Gallery
1989Regional Artists Review – Artery Gallery, Geelong

Presentations & Papers

2021AEGIS Art & Ecologies Research Network RMIT Seminar
Webinar
2020The Subjective Conditions of Mapping
2020 MPavilion Young Curators Program
2019Keynote Presentation: Extending Vision (PDF)
Deakin University – Symposium: Art, Visualisation and the Cosmos in Education.
2016Presentation: The Sky Lab Project (PDF)
Given at La Trobe University, Bendigo
2012Presentation: Beyond Visibility
Given at the National Library of Australia for ‘Star Light, Star Bright’ as part of ENLIGHTEN (Canberra Festival), with astronomer Professor Brian Schmidt and author Michael Leunig.
2010Conference Paper: Extending vision: sky-situated knowledge and the artists eye
Given at the seventh international conference on The Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena - Bath, UK (INSAP VII)

Publications & Reviews

2021Hannah Middleton, editor. LIGO Magazine, Issue 18 3/2021 (PDF).
‘Where Imagination Meets Science’ in Art, Music and Gravitational Waves, pp. 14–24.
20202020 Love in the time of COVID-19. GAG Projects | Art Gallery of South Australia.
2019 Talking Art with curator Lisa Sullivan, Viewing The Moon, Geelong Gallery (August 2019).
2019 Ed Ayres Interview, The Art Show. Fly Me To The Moon (July 17 2019) | Webpage (PDF) | Podcast |
2019 Erin Matthews, Stars, Science Fiction and Spacemen – exhibition catalogue essay. ‘SPACE: 50 years since man first stepped on the Moon’, (Gippsland Art Gallery July 2019).
2019 Peter Hill, In Tandem – a short essay on Parallel Universe (April 2019).
2017 Sam Leach, A Fossilised Future (PDF) (24 August 2017), in thearticle.com.au .
2016 La Trobe University and Felicity Spear, catalogue, ‘Sky Lab: Kepler’s Dream’ (August 2016).
2016 National Science Week (August 2016).
2016 Paul Northam, ‘Sky Lab’ articles in the Bendigo Advertiser (28/30 August & 15/20 September)
2016 Enrico Bossan Editor, Rosa Maria Falvo Curator, book – essays/catalogue, ‘Looking Down Under – Contemporary Artists From Australia’, Luciano Benneton Collection, (Fabrica Italy, 2015). www.imagomundiart.com
2015
2014Nicholas Campion, Rolf Sinclair Eds. Culture and Cosmos – A Journal of the History of Astrology and Cultural Astronomy Vol. 16 no 1 and 2, 2012 , proceedings from the seventh conference on the Inspiration of Astronomical Phenomena (INSAPVII), Bath October 2010., University of Wales, UK.
2013Felicity Spear – Sky Lab catalogue essay and artists’ notes, (Latrobe Regional Gallery, Victoria).
2013Ashley Crawford - Profile ‘Star Power’ article in Weekly Review Greater Geelong, May 23-29, Fairfax Media.
2012Anne Bennett - ‘Seeing Artists’ Books as Research’, conference paper, Seeing Books – The Arts Libraries Society / Australia & New Zealand Conference 2012, Royal Society of Victoria, Melbourne
2012Dan Rule - ‘Grounds’ review in The Age (Melbourne, 11/12/2012).
2012Niall Byrne - ‘The Art of Astronomy’ article in Stories of Australian Astronomy 2012, Science in Public, Melbourne.
2011Felicity Spear et al, Sky Lab - from where you stand, brochure essay, (Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne 2011)
2010Sam Leach - Article: Response To Questions - Felicity Spear - Sky Lab, Art Info, February 2010
2009Penny Webb, Sky Lab, article, Galleries, The Age Melbourne Magazine Issue # 62, December 2009
2009Felicity Spear et al, Sky Lab, brochure essay, (Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne 2009–10)
2009Robert McFarlane, Beyond Visibility: light and dust, review - ‘Visual Abundance on Earth and Beyond’. ozphotoreview.blogspot.com
2009FBi 94.5 Sydney, Beyond Visibility: light and Dust, radio interview, Canvas – Arts, Culture and Ideas
2009Richard Jinman, Beyond Visibility: light and dust, article, Art, The Sydney Magazine, Issue 77, Sept. 2009
2009Stephen Zagala, ‘Art for Earthlings’ in Beyond visibility: light and dust, catalogue essay, Monash Gallery of Art, University of Technology Sydney Gallery. (Melbourne 2009)
2009Peter Hill, ‘Art, science and mapping: reconstructing experience’ in Beyond Visibility: light and dust, catalogue essay, Monash Gallery of Art, University of Technology Sydney Gallery. (Melbourne 2009)
2009Stephen Gilchrist and Allison Holland, Shared Sky, feature article, Imprint. Winter 2009 Vol. 44 No. 2
2009Christopher Allen, ‘Heavens Above,’ review, The Weekend Australian, (May 2–3 2009)
2009Allison Holland, ‘The Stars of Terra Australis’ in Shared Sky, catalogue essay, National Gallery of Victoria, (Melbourne 2009)
2008Alison Bunbury, Making a mark – prints and drawings gifted by Ian Brown, catalogue essay, National Gallery of Victoria, (Melbourne 2008)
2007Caroline Durre, Out There – in light of remote possibilities, brochure essay, (Melbourne 2007)
2006Susan McCulloch, The New McCulloch Encyclopedia of Australian Art (The Miegunyah Press & Australian Art Editions 2006) — Entry: ‘Felicity Spear’
2005Alex Selenitsch, ‘Crux: Felicity Spear’ in Which Way Is Up? Brochure essay, (Fermynwoods Contemporary Art and University of Hertfordshire Gallery, U.K. 2005)
2005OzArts Online, www.ozarts.com.au/events/which_way_is_up/
2004Penny Webb, ‘Some Trails Are Worth Following’, review The Age, (Melbourne,16/6)
2004Lynne Boyd, ‘Painting Space’, Night Journeys, brochure essay, (Stephen McLaughlan Gallery May 2004)
2003Pam Clements, Traversing Space, review, Eyeline – Contemporary Visual Arts No. 50
2002Robert Nelson ‘Prize offers fascinating tour of new directions’, review The Age, (Melbourne 21st September 2002)
2002Penelope Richardson, Traversing Space, brochure essay, (Melbourne 2000)
2002Website, Illuminating Evidence – Watermarks: Crossings, home.vicnet.net.au/~geelart/
2001Lesley Harding, Illuminating Evidence – Watermarks: Crossings, review Artlink – Australian Contemporary Art Quarterly Vol. 20 #4
2001Dinah Dysart and Julie Dunne, Art Bank – Australian Art in Public Space, feature article, Dept. Communication, Information Technology and the Arts
2000Robert Nelson, ‘Unravelled Layers’, review, The Age, (Melbourne 30/8)
2000Peter Hill, ‘Some Clues To An Exhibition’, in Illuminating Evidence – Watermarks: Crossings, catalogue essay, (Geelong Gallery 2000)
2000Anonda Bell, Celebrating The Exquisite Corpse, catalogue, (Bendigo Art Gallery 2000)
1999Anna Clabburn, Hyphen – A Place Between Histories, brochure essay, (West Space, Melbourne 1999)
1999Profiles Art Almanac (July 1999)
1999James McGregor, Liquid: Beyond the City Limit – New Art From Geelong, brochure essay, (Geelong Art Gallery 1999)
1999Gallery Art and Australia Vol. 36 No. 4 (Fine Arts Press 1999)
1999Andrew Box, ‘Momenta builds an arts tradition’, review, The Geelong Advertiser, (16/06/1999)
1999Felicity Spear, Oblique Narratives, brochure essay for Michael Vale, Latrobe St. Gallery (Melbourne 1999)
1998Anna Clabburn, ‘Installation Success’, review, The Age (Melbourne, September)
1998Profiles – Art Almanac (July 1998)
1998Rev. Ian Brown & Felicity Spear, Sounding, brochure essay, (St. Stephen's Church, Richmond, Melbourne 1998)
1998Brenda Ludeman, ‘Tessera’, Lodged, brochure essay, (Temple Studio, Melbourne 1998)
1997Anne Carew et al. Encounter – Confrontation, Dialogues in Contemporary Art, Australia–Italy, catalogue essay, (The Geelong Gallery 1997)
1996Stuart Koop, Rumble – Notes on Underground Photography, article, (Centre for Contemporary Photography, July 1996)
1995Robert Nelson, ‘There’s Still Life in the Genre’, review, The Age, (Melbourne 05/19/1995)
1992Joanna Ransome, Nature Morte, review, The Geelong Advertiser, (Geelong 04/06/1991)
1991Rod Carmichael, ‘Survey strikes a blow for sheer quality’s, review, The Geelong Advertiser, (Geelong 09/03/1991)

Collections

The Geelong Gallery
Australian Commonwealth Art Bank
State Library of Victoria (Rare Books Collection)
Monash University Library (Art and Design)
Deakin University Art Collection
Art Gallery of South Australia
National Museum of Australia (ACT)
National Galleries of Scotland
The Ian Brown Collection
Private and Corporate Collections locally and internationally



Felicity Spear is an associate member of AEGIS (Art, Ecology, Globalization and the Interpretation of Science), www.rmit.edu.au/art/research/aegis.

She has written for artists, curated exhibitions, acted as an examiner in the PhD programs at RMIT and Deakin University, participated in floor talks associated with exhibitions at the National Gallery of Victoria, Monash Gallery of Art and the Geelong Gallery, acted as a mentor and guest speaker at the Photography Studies College, and worked as an artist in residence and teacher in secondary schools.

Felicity is also an active member of Landcare in Victoria.