A new lens: Emerging researcher perspectives on the Grimwade Collection

A new lens is the outcome of the 2026 Miegunyah Student Project Awards, bringing together new perspectives on the Grimwade Collection through diverse lenses of University of Melbourne students.

Supported by the Russell and Mab Grimwade Miegunyah Fund, the exhibition brings together works on paper, decorative arts and objects from the Grimwade Collection alongside creative responses developed by the students through their research and practices. Spanning across animation, science, architecture, art history, Indigenous studies, cultural materials conservation and dance, the projects explore new ways of encountering the collection, drawing on the students’ individual areas of study, creative practices and perspectives.

Over the course of the six-month project, awardees work closely with the Grimwade Collection and museum professionals to develop their projects. Their work culminates in this exhibition, a public presentation and a written report.

The 2026 Miegunyah Student Project Awardees

• Teeb Arallel Faculty of Fine Arts and Music | VCA Animation & Zofia Witkowski-Blake Faculty of Science | Master of Science
• Timothy Clifford & Kleo Guthrie Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning | Master of Architecture
• Hugh Magnus Faculty of Arts | Art History Honours
• Jack Norris Faculty of Arts | Doctor of Philosophy (Indigenous Studies)
• Wawe Ransfield Faculty of Arts | Master of Cultural Materials Conservation
• Peter Spring Faculty of Fine Arts and Music | Master of Dance

Project team

Shirley Liu, Academic Engagement Coordinator; Carly Richardson, Collections Coordinator; Alisa Bunbury, Senior Curator of Grimwade Collection; Ian Bunyi, Exhibitions Officer; Jack Farly, Technical Design Manager.

About the Project Gallery

The Project Gallery is a new space on Level 1 of the Potter Museum of Art, located in close proximity to our teaching and learning studios. It was established as a responsive and collaborative space to showcase interdisciplinary research, art-led student projects, and outcomes from creative residencies and academic fellowships.

Read more

Acknowledgements

The project is made possible through the generous support from the Russell and Mab Grimwade Miegunyah Fund.