Indigenous Australian Art Exhibit | Portland Art Museum Tour

A Landmark Exhibit Lands in Oregon

Portland Art Museum today launches the largest exhibition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art ever displayed in North America. Titled The Stars We Do Not See, the show features 147 individual works from more than 100 Indigenous Australian artists. It remains open to the public through January 3, 2027. This presentation stands as the only West Coast stop for a tour organized by the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

Don Urquhart, the co-interim director of the Portland Art Museum, spent years planning this arrival. He expects the scale and vibrancy of the works to resonate with the local community. The collection spans from the late 19th century to current contemporary pieces. Bank of America provides the primary sponsorship for the North American tour. Marc Compton, the bank’s president for Oregon and Southwest Washington, states that the goal is to increase access to such significant cultural displays.

The Scope of Indigenous Expression

Kathleen Ash-Milby, the senior curator of Native American art at the museum, notes that the range of materials and styles will likely surprise many viewers. The exhibition moves beyond traditional expectations by showcasing a mix of desert map paintings, ochre bark pieces, and experimental textiles. It also includes new-media works that incorporate neon, video, and photography. Many of these items have never traveled to North American soil before now.

One centerpiece is the monumental Anwerlarr Anganenty, known as Big Yam Dreaming, painted by Emily Kam Kngwarray in 1995. This work measures over nine feet by twenty-seven feet. It depicts a deep network of roots. The title of the entire exhibition comes from the work of Gulumbu Yunupiu, a senior Yolu artist who used specific symbols to distinguish between visible stars and the invisible ones in the night sky. Other pieces, such as Destiny Deacon’s Snow Storm, push the boundaries of how museums typically display Aboriginal material culture.

Education and Future Outreach

Curators designed the exhibit to make complex cultural ideas accessible to broad audiences. Many paintings that appear as simple abstract patterns to the casual observer are actually intricate maps layered with specific tribal laws and historical stories. The museum has included several tactiles, carried over from the installation in Denver, to help visitors engage physically with the objects. This effort aims to bridge the gap between Western art perspectives and the world's oldest continuous living culture.

Public programming kicks off on September 27 with a conversation featuring Dr. Jessica Clark of the National Gallery of Victoria and artist Ricky Maynard. The museum also scheduled an educator night and multiple film screenings. PAM CUT will host screenings of works like The Drover’s Wife during Free First Thursday events. After the Portland run ends in early 2027, the tour will move to the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts to conclude its journey across the United States. A companion book published by the National Gallery of Victoria and the National Gallery of Art is available for those seeking further historical context.