The landmark exhibition Wedgwood: Artists and Industry, will travel to the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery in an Australian exclusive from the UK’s iconic Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in 2025. The gallery is located in Townsville, in regional Queensland, which is a major tourism location.
Two iconic brands – the V&A and Wedgwood – come together to present 100 objects at the Perc Tucker Regional Gallery, opening in April.
Townsville City Galleries director Dr Holly Arden says, “Wedgwood is a coup for us, further cementing Townsville as the north Queensland capital of arts and culture.”
This will be the first time that Perc Tucker has hosted a paid exhibition, and Arden says that it brings the Gallery “into line with other nationally recognised galleries that host internationally-renowned artworks”.
The Gallery is looking forward to welcoming the visitors who will travel interstate to see this remarkable collection.
Townsville Councillor, Liam Mooney, notes that the city has a long history of championing Australian ceramics. “Perc Tucker Regional Gallery is the home of the North Queensland Ceramic Awards, which celebrates excellence in Australian ceramics during its biennial exhibition.”
Mooney continues, “Hosting Wedgwood: Artists and Industry takes the city’s reputation as a ceramics hub and catapults it to the next level, showcasing our city’s arts scene on an international stage.”
What to expect to see
The V&A Wedgwood Collection’s chief curator Catrin Jones says the museum was thrilled to be sharing some of its most prized pieces with Australian audiences as part of this brand new exhibition.
“We’re delighted that our exhibition Wedgwood: Artists and Industry is travelling to Townsville for its first leg in 2025. This exhibition showcases the artistry of Wedgwood and the extraordinary technical innovations that mark out this company over four centuries through highlights from the V&A’s Wedgwood collections and archives,” says Jones.
The exhibition charts the complex history and cutting-edge creativity of Wedgwood. Arden explains, “Visitors to Perc Tucker Regional Gallery will be amazed by pieces spanning more than 200 years across five distinct chapters, giving them the chance to learn the history of this household name and its global impact on the world of ceramics, while exploring a completely immersive exhibition experience.”
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She adds, “This is nothing like looking inside your grandma’s china cabinet. The company’s founder Josiah Wedgwood was like an early Kim Kardashian – a brand powerhouse. At the same time, the Wedgwood story is woven into Australia’s colonial history. Explorer Joseph Banks actually supplied Josiah with clays sourced from Sydney Cove, which were used to create a medallion commemorating the landing of the First Fleet in 1788.”
Wedgwood: Artists and Industry will be presented at Townsville’s Perc Tucker Regional Gallery from April to August 2025. This exhibition is ticketed.
