Teacher briefing - Ngarn Wa'ngal: Art of the gum tree at the Potter

Secondary teachers are warmly invited to join us on 4 June 2026 for a special afternoon at the Potter Museum of Art.

The event will begin with an introduction and walk through of the current exhibition, A velvet ant, a flower and a bird. Following this, guests will be invited to enjoy light refreshments provided by RESIDENCE, Teachers will then have the opportunity to learn about our new Caring for Collections resource and hear directly from the curators of the upcoming exhibition, Ngarn Wa'ngal: Art of the gum tree.

Event Schedule:

3:00 - 4:15pm: Intro by curatorial team and self-explore of A velvet ant, a flower and a bird. This is an opportunity for teachers to ask the Curatorial and Learning team questions on the exhibition and relevance to curriculum

4:15 - 5:00pm: Refreshments to celebrate Caring for Collections resource in the Peter Jopling Studio

5:00 - 5:45pm: Hear from the Curatorial and Learning teams on the upcoming exhibition, Ngarn Wa’ngal: The Art of the gum tree 

Exhibition information:

Ngarn Wa'ngal: Art of the gum tree

Tracing its influence through Australian art history and contemporary practice, Ngarn Wa’ngal: Art of the gum tree explores the eucalypt as a source of creative inspiration. ​The gum tree is a dominant feature of many of Australia’s diverse environments, connecting us to this land and shaping our cultural and personal identities. Ngarn wa’ngal is Woi Wurrung for ‘breathing for us’.  Drawing upon the University of Melbourne’s collections as its foundation, with major loans from across Australia, this exhibition brings together historical and contemporary connections to these iconic trees and is designed to ​be a catalyst for wider discussions including Indigenous sovereignty, Australian identity, climate challenges, economics and ecology, as well as the impact of the gum tree abroad. ​

Curators: Curated by Senior Curator, Grimwade Collection, Alisa Bunbury with guest curator Sophie Gerhard, who is also Curator, Australian and First Nations Art, National Gallery of Victoria.

A velvet ant, a flower and a bird

Drawing from the University of Melbourne’s Classics, Biology, and Art collections, alongside new commissions and performances; historic and contemporary art co-mingle to envision intelligence as living, continually evolving, interconnected and interdependent. Each museum floor is presided over by one of these natural entities, creating a kind of garden where there is no pre-established order, but rather an ecosystem in which the analogue and the digital interrelate to give rise to a fantastic mental realm.

Guest Curator: Professor Dr Chus Martínez

Please note: This event is for secondary teachers only. As this event is catered, please list any dietary requirements in the checkout. Questions? Please contact school-bookings@unimelb.edu.au