Artistic and always tonnes of fun, Brisbane Art Design (BAD) 2023 is back to highlight local art and design luminaries with an inclusive and immersive program of hands-on workshops, open studios, design talks and arty parties that will colour the town across three exciting weekends and showcase the inventive creatives shaping the city.

BAD 2023 is an innovative initiative of Museum of Brisbane (MoB), and this year it marks the third BAD outing with more than 150 cultural events and exhibitions themed around ‘Culture. Community. Clay.’ to be staged in Brisbane City and suburban art hubs. In strengthening community support and promoting local designers, the DIA is a proud BAD Neighbourhood partner.

From 10 to 28 May, the dynamic BAD program will activate three neighbourhoods across three weekends and bring art lovers to the ‘burbs for a creative smorgasbord of pop-up events, after-hours studio tours, exclusive workshops and design-led talks.

Highlights include new commissioned clay works by daring local ceramicists Bonnie Hislop, Steph Woods, Kenji Uranishi, Jane du Rand and Nicolette Johnson at MoB alongside exclusive art dinners, fashion parades, laneway DJs and even chauffeured BAD bus tours of studios and spaces, bringing Brisbane’s artistic collective into sharp relief.

Museum of Brisbane Acting CEO Cathy de Silva said BAD is a wonderful way for the local community to discover the incredibly talented visual artists and designers shaping the creative landscape of the city.

“BAD invites audiences to step into the studios, galleries and workspaces and go behind the scenes of Brisbane’s creative industry to explore new ideas,” Ms de Silva comments. “Museum of Brisbane is excited to present another massive program for BAD, which shows how our art and design sector is growing and thriving. I invite everyone to come out and explore our creative industry throughout May.”

Part of BAD, the DIA this year is hosting DIA Design Days Brisbane in partnership with MoB. Moderated by Dan Spat, DIA’s QLD Branch Chair, the Future of Design industry roundtable on 11 May brings together speakers including Tracy Cooper-Lavery Director, Gallery and Visual Arts at HOTA; Dr Chetana Andary, Chair Creative Arts Research Institute, Griffith University, Queensland; Leah Lang, Queensland Government Architect, Terry Deen, Head of Learning at the Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art and others.

DIA’s Student Crash Course on 18 May brings students and mentors together. We hear from Dominic Nastasi, Dot Dash; Kellie Newman, COX; Kristi Tenni, Arkhefield; Conrad Johnsson, Yellow Goat Design; Darren James, Darren James Interiors and Chloe Middleton, Alcorn Middleton.

Weekend One 12 - 14 May – The City: highlights

Setting the scene for the BAD festival, the city will host the popular Botanica: Contemporary Art Outside in City Botanic Gardens with large scale artworks and artist tours accompanied by food trucks and evening ambience across 10 nights. 

Over at MoB, BAD’s flagship exhibition Clay: Collected Ceramics  introduces this year’s theme with a curatorial focus on the city’s cutting-edge ceramicists with five new exclusively commissioned works on display. 

Look out for pop-up artist studios in the city as well as exhibition talks at Birrrunga Gallery and QUT Art Museum. BAD will also bring the arty vibes to Howard Smith Wharves through live art projections as part of Brisbane City Council’s Outdoor Gallery.

Weekend Two 19–21 May – Northside: highlights

Head north to explore the edgy, design-forward precincts of Fortitude Valley, Newstead, Albion, Bowen Hills, Northshore and Toowong. Delve deeper into the artistic and design process with the In Conversation series hosted by DIA and be sure to meet the makers at Brisbane’s only The Finders Keepers markets for 2023.

Go behind the scenes of some of The Valley’s most intriguing industrial, product and architectural studios on a dedicated walking tour, enjoy the inspired pairing of live art and food trucks at The Black Market Albion and experience a hands-on ceramics workshop with the creative mother-daughter duo at Mas & Miek Ceramic House in Newstead.

Nights are made for Up Late events. Visit independent art spaces after-hours for an intimate look at contemporary pieces at FireWorks Gallery in Bowen Hills, POP Gallery and The Station Brisbane in the Valley, Toowong’s Land Street Gallery and Superordinary in the Northshore precinct.

Weekend Three 26–28 May – Southside: highlights

Check out the creative outlets and fine art institutes in South Brisbane, Woolloongabba, West End, Yeronga and Yeerongpilly for the final weekend of BAD 2023. 

South Brisbane’s Fish Lane will host a wearable art and fashion parade as well as an exclusive art dinner at Southside restaurant, while Echo & Bounce in Woolloongabba will soundtrack the weekend with local DJs for a laneway soiree. 

Take a peek at works in progress and signature pieces at open studios and workshops at the visionary Dead Puppet Society space in Woolloongabba as well as Queensland College of Art – Griffith University and TAFE Queensland in South Brisbane, Metro Arts in West End, The Paint Factory in Yeronga and Yeerongpilly’s Bag End Studio. The Vacant Assembly space in West End will also showcase a spectacular Clayschool alumni show and market. 

Brisbane Art Design concludes its 2023 suburban spotlight of creativity and design with an arty closing party at Yeerongpilly’s Station Road Creative Precinct on Sunday 28 May to celebrate the inspired, expressive and experimental output of the local creative community.

BAD is an initiative of Museum of Brisbane and proudly supported by Brisbane City Council with Major Partner, the Queensland Government.

BAD 2023 takes place from 10 to 28 May.

For more information, visit brisbaneartdesign.com.au