Abstract

The Gay Museum, an exhibition project by artist Jo Darbyshire at the Western Australian Museum in 2003, has provoked keen interest and debate among museum professionals. Moreover, the discussion has been less about its thematic content - that is, the social history of gay and lesbian experiences - and more about the intersection and conflicts between curatorial and artistic practice. This paper - through the voices of the artist/curator and her curatorial supervisor - deals with some of the issues raised by the exhibition research and development program. It examines the tensions that existed between the expectations of the artist and those of the museum community, and the difficulties experienced in reconciling these divergent interests. It also opens up debate about the centrality of ideas and/or objects in museums, and discusses this project's experience of re-interpreting collections to represent histories for which institutions have not traditionally collected. Finally, the paper reflects on how The Gay Museum suggests possibilities for collaborations between artists, curators, and others, and expands the opportunities for using museum collections in new ways.