Curating exhibition of the life's work of Tasmanian artist Michael McWilliams involved 'immense' nationwide hunt

Michael McWilliams' most famous paintings often feature the Tasmanian tiger, inhabiting landscapes that are distinctly Tasmanian. However, much like the Tasmanian tiger itself, many of McWilliams' works have also gone missing and are difficult to find, adding an element of mystery to his artistic legacy.

The Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) in Launceston recently completed an unprecedented nationwide "search" for McWilliams' paintings. Shane Fitzgerald, the director, stated that he and his curatorial team faced two major challenges in order to hold an exhibition of 100 paintings encompassing McWilliams' life's work. This extensive project aimed to bring together a comprehensive collection of his art.

Director Fitzgerald explained that the team did not give up and began searching for McWilliams' paintings in galleries and private collections across the country. After two years of effort, they have tracked down "about 90%" of McWilliams' sold paintings, but the rest remain difficult to find. McWilliams stated that seeing his paintings again was "amazing...they're like long-lost old friends," emphasizing the emotional connection he has with his creations.

Director Fitzgerald believes that McWilliams is one of Australia's most successful and well-known artists, and he also acknowledges that he is a "prolific" painter. He explained that the vast majority of McWilliams' paintings are lost to him once they are sold. Although the QVMAG curatorial team knew that the task of finding thousands of McWilliams' paintings would be very difficult, initial "reconnaissance" revealed at least one important fact: most of them were not hanging in galleries. Director Fitzgerald explained that this shows that McWilliams is "well-loved" and that most of his works end up in private collections in Australia and abroad.

Because gallery records are easier to access for specific paintings than private residences, this undoubtedly increased the difficulty of finding McWilliams' works. Director Fitzgerald stated that his team knew from the beginning that the project would be "huge," but they were prepared for the hard work. The first step in tracking down McWilliams' paintings was to work with the artist and his partner, Robert, to gather clues about the possible whereabouts of the paintings.

Director Fitzgerald explained that a lead to a specific collector might not end there, as collectors often privately sell their collections to each other. During the curatorial process, Fitzgerald's team faced the daunting task of selecting only 100 paintings from McWilliams' 2,000 works for the exhibition. "This was particularly difficult because most of his works are outstanding," said Director Fitzgerald. However, once a painting was found and selected for exhibition, in most cases, its owner readily agreed to lend it, Director Fitzgerald said. "\[The reaction from the owners\] has been overwhelmingly positive – many of the collectors who have supported Michael over the past 34 years are very excited about us doing this exhibition."

The final step in acquiring the works was to arrange the logistics of transporting them to Launceston, which Director Fitzgerald said was "quite a complex process" in itself. Director Fitzgerald explained that the two-year "journey" of finding and collecting McWilliams' paintings included many highs and lows. To the team's disappointment, they were unable to track down specific "must-have" paintings. Director Fitzgerald explained that the pressure on the team was particularly high before the opening of the exhibition. He added that as the exhibition neared completion, his staff eagerly anticipated its opening.

Director Fitzgerald explained that the 100 works on display tell a coherent story, paying tribute to McWilliams in a way that you "would see in a major gallery on mainland Australia." For McWilliams, visiting the exhibition at its opening was an opportunity to witness firsthand many of his paintings that he had not seen in decades. *Gentle protagonist: The Art of Michael McWilliams* is on display at QVMAG and will run until March 23, 2025.