Media Release - Qantas Founders Museum 2025 GAMAA Award Win

Qantas Founders Museum is proud to announce it has been awarded the Projects & Organisations Award at the 2025 Queensland Gallery and Museum Achievement Award (GAMAA) Awards, recognising the groundbreaking Yayoi Kusama installation, The Spirits of the Pumpkins Descended into the Heavens.

This national recognition highlights the Museum’s commitment to innovation in curatorial programming, blending world-class contemporary art with its rich aviation heritage. The award celebrates the Museum’s ability to deliver ambitious cultural projects that engage audiences and strengthen Longreach’s reputation as a leading destination for both tourism and the arts.

Senior Curator Sarah Johnson was instrumental in delivering the Kusama installation and ensuring the project aligned with the Museum’s vision to expand its cultural footprint.

“This award is a testament to the creativity and hard work of our team, and especially Sarah’s leadership,” said Tony Cullen, CEO of Qantas Founders Museum. “It shows that a regional institution can deliver projects of national significance and create transformative experiences for visitors.”

The Kusama installation drew significant visitation, with over 25000 people experiencing the immersive installation. This reinforces the Museum’s ability to attract major exhibitions, while also providing opportunities for local and regional communities to access globally recognised cultural experiences.

Senior Curator Sarah Johnson said, “By showcasing that the Museum could attract, deliver, and promote a major international art installation, Yayoi in the Outback proved that major contemporary art has a home in regional Australia—and that if we exhibit it, they will come.”

The GAMAA Awards are regarded as one of the most prestigious accolades in the Australian galleries, libraries, archives, and museums sector, recognising excellence and innovation across the industry.

About Qantas Founders Museum: Located in Longreach, central western Queensland, Qantas Founders Museum tells the story of Australia’s national carrier and the spirit of aviation innovation. The Museum is also home to the Longreach Museum of Art, bringing unique cultural experiences to Outback Queensland.

The Yayoi Kusama installation was on loan from the National Gallery of Australia as part of the Art Across Australia Program.

HEADER IMAGE: The Honorable John-Paul Langbroek MP, Minister for Education and the Arts, Qantas Founders Museum Senior Curator Sarah Johnson and Qantas Founders Museum CEO Tony Cullen at the 2025 GAMAA Awards Brisbane, 9 September 2025.

ENDS

For additional information, please contact:  

Sarah Johnson, Senior Curator, Qantas Founders Museum  

Phone: 07 4658 3737

Mobile: 0418 268 949

Email: sjohnson@qfom.com.au Website: www.qfom.com.au

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