Simon Poole Bio and CV
Bio
My creative pathway has taken several routes over the years, having worked as a town planner for Local Government and then starting my own business in headwear both as a milliner and hatter. On selling up and travelling Australia in 2001 | arrived in Cairns from Adelaide and spent the next 10 years consolidating my experiences with formal qualifications.
I completed a diploma in Visual art majoring in sculpture, a certificate in Public Art and finally a degree in Creative Industries. Then moving to Broome for a few years and then 4 years in a small town called Menzies in the remote Goldfields region of the WA outback, I immersed myself in making lots of art. I am now on the road again experiencing the wonders of the Australian landscape and gaining inspiration wherever I look.
Curriculum Vitae
2005-2008 Bachelor of Creative Industries, James Cook University, Cairns campus
Awarded an Academic Medal for course work (grade of distinction or better).
2003 Diploma of Visual Arts (major sculpture), Tropical North Queensland TAFE
2003 Certificate in Public Art, Tropical North Queensland TAFE, Cairns campus
1997 Success Factor, Metco, course in Business and Costing Analysis
1994 South Australian Enterprise Workshop, government run course for entrepreneurs
1978-1984 South Australian Institute of Technology, Bachelor Urban Planning (incomplete)
Working History
2022-2024 New house build Menzies WA
2018-2023 Carer, wife with MS, travel to Sydney regularly for treatment
2017-2018 Executor of Estate, friend, Port Douglas Qld
2015 Executor of Estate, mother-in-law, Melbourne, Victoria
2014-2016 Carer, father with dementia, Adelaide, South Australia
2013 Design and implement Policy and Procedure manual for retailer, Azure, Broome,WA
2012 Yardman, Habitat Resort, Broome, WA
2012 Director Yap!Yap! Artist Run Initiative, Broome, WA
2011-2013 Volunteer Co-ordinator, Broome Factory Art Gallery, Broome, WA
2010 Art Judge, Malanda Show, Tablelands, Cairns, Qld
2010 Curator, ‘Precipitation’, Tableland Regional Art Gallery, Atherton, Qld
2010 Director, HUGS, Heads Up Gallery Space, Abbott St, Cairns Qld
2009 President, Friends of the Cairns Regional Art Gallery Association
2009 Curator, ‘The Diana Bowden Shell Jewellery Exhibition’, Go Troppo Arts Festival,
Port Douglas, Qld. Research and deliver historic exhibition of shell jewellery
Grant for Regional Arts Development Fund
2009 Curator, ‘Story- Line’ exhibition, Festival Cairns Event, 32 artists
2009 Art Judge, Atherton and Malanda shows, Tablelands, Cairns, Qld
2008-2010 Director, HeadsUp Arts, artist run initiative- artists promoting artists, Cairns Qld
2008 Event Director, ‘2008 Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas Art Prize’, plan, organise and
deliver art exhibition involving 130 artists, $20k prizes and opening masquerade
2007 Project Supervisor, ‘Tank Tales Project’, Tanks Art Centre, Cairns, Qld
Supervision of 4 CJP indigenous workers preparing reports for Cairns City Council
under their Cultural Tourism Strategy and plan public art trail strategy.
2007 Relief Curator, Tanks Art Centre, Cairns City Council
2007 Project Artist, ‘Filthy Garbage’, Tanks Art Centre, Cairns Qld
2006 Workshop Artist, Assemblage sculpture workshop with school, Machans Beach
2006 Casual Installation Technician, KickArts Galleries, Cairns, Qld
2005-2007 Assistant Director, The Upholstery Contemporary Arts Group, Cairns
2004 Renovation of own dwelling, Whitfield, Cairns Qld
2004-2005 Partner, The House Art Space, private artist studios and exhibition space, Cairns
2004 Assemblage Sculpture Workshop, Gab Titui Art Centre, Thursday Island Qld
2003-current Acme Handyman Company, self employed handyman, painter, decorator
2001 Tropical Reef Shipyard, casual labourer, Cairns, Qld
2000-2001 Tour of Australia, collection of visual and temporal imagery
1999-2012 Redevelopment of residential properties
1984-2001 Managing Director and co-owner, The Adelaide Hatters, The Mad Hatters Hat
Factory Pty/Ltd. Designer, manufacturer, retailer, wholesaler, importer and exporter
of headwear.
1977-1984 Burnside City Council, Planning Inspector
Past Memberships
Friends of the Cairns Regional Gallery, HeadsUp Arts, Cairns Art Society, The Upholstery
Contemporary Arts Group, KickArts, Artworkers, National Association of Visual Artists, The
Broome Factory (Broome WA), Art above the 26th (Broome WA), Yap!Yap! Artist collective.
Solo Exhibitions
11/24 ‘Mongrels, Mutts and Mates’, Goldfields Art Centre, Kalgoorlie WA12/10 ‘Art Rocks Too’, Tablelands Regional Art Gallery, Atherton, Qld
1/10 ‘Transparency’, Cell Art Space, Cairns
05/09 ‘Art Rocks!’, Cairns Regional Art Gallery
09/08 ‘Nudge Nudge Wink Wink’, KickArts Gallery, Cairns
07/08 ‘Digital Landscapes’, Cairns Regional Art Gallery
06/08 ‘Assemblage Ensemble’, Installation Cell Art Space, Cairns
Public Collections
Menzies Shire, WA Art Collection
City of Kalgoorlie Boulder Art Collection
Department of Main Roads, corporate tower, Lake Street, Cairns
Cairns City Council, Spence Street, Cairns
Queensland Transport, vehicle registration office, Kenny Street, Cairns
Department of Main Roads, Traffic Signal Box, cnr, Grafton Street and Aplin Street
Selected Awards
Overall winner, Leonora WA, Leonora Golden Gift Art Prize 06/24
People’s Choice Award, Innisfail Art Society Biennial Art Exhibition, Innisfail 10/11
People’s Choice Award, Tropical Pride Exhibition, Tanks Art Centre, Cairns 8/11
Tabletop Sculpture Award, Mareeba Art Society 49th Annual Exhibition, Mareeba 7/11
Peter Pini Memorial Portrait Award, Cooktown Art Society 33rd Annual Competition 5/11
Highly Commended, Artists of the North, Tanks Art Centre, 05/10
Highly Commended, Cairns Art Society 63rd annual open art competition 10/09
Heather Blair Memorial Award, Cairns Regional Art Gallery, Community Exhibition Program 08/08
New Product Award, Cairns City Council, 09/07
Highly Commended, Painting, Cairns Port Authority, Cairns Art Society, 10/07
Highly Commended, sculpture, Benchmark Developments, Cairns Art Society 10/07
Unpacker Prize, Landscape painting, Oceania art competition, Port Douglas, 05/07
3D award, ‘The Sofitel Reef Hotel Casino award’, Cairns Art Society 59th annual comp., 09/05
Best Outback Painting, Dr Edward Koch Foundation, Open Art Competition, 07/04
Grants
Individually I have successfully applied for and acquitted grants and offers for the following…
2009 Regional Arts Development Fund, $8,000, curating.
2009 Arts Queensland, Industry Development Initiative, $2,000, exhibition travel costs.
2009 Arts Queensland, Development and presentation Grant, $10,000 offered but not taken up.
Selected Group Exhibitions since 2008
6/14 ‘Broome Factory Artists’, Broome WA
8/14 ‘Shinju Matsuri Festival, Broome WA
8/11 ‘Strand Ephemera’, The Strand, Townsville, QLD
11/10 ‘The Salon’, Annual post card exhibition, Cairns Regional Art Gallery, Cairns
12/10 ‘The Blunt 2010’, portraiture exhibition, Pink Phoenix Gallery, Cairns
10/10 ‘Compact Prints 2010’, International print exhibition and exchange, Townsville, Qld
9/10 ‘Cairns Art Society 64th annual competition’, Cairns Regional Gallery
8/10 ‘Swell Sculpture Festival’, Currumbin, Gold Coast, Qld
6/10 ‘Ukulele Art Exhibition’, Cairns Regional Art Gallery
6/10 ‘Showcase’, Cell Art Space, Lake Street Cairns
6/10 ‘Creative Century’, Pepper Street Art Centre, Magill, Adelaide SA
5/10 ‘Artists of the North’, Cairns Art Society, Tanks Art Centre, Cairns
4/10 ‘Precipitation 2010’, Tablelands Regional Art Gallery, Atherton, Qld
12/09 ‘Blunt Edge of Portraiture’, Pink Phoenix Art Gallery, Cairns
12/09 ‘Hidden Treasure’, Annual Post Card exhibition, Cairns Regional Art Gallery, Cairns
10/09 ‘Cairns Art Society annual competition’, Cairns Regional Art Gallery, Cairns Qld
10/09 ‘Chaotic Perfection’, Go Troppo Arts Festival, Port Douglas, Qld
10/09 ‘Monsoon Passage’, Go Troppo Arts Festival, Port Douglas, Qld
09/09 ‘Story Line’, HeadsUp Art Gallery Space, Cairns
09/09 ‘Esplanart’, Ephemeral public art exhibition, Festival Cairns event
04/09 ‘Local Colour’, HeadsUp Arts group exhibition, Vito Restaurant, Palm Cove, Cairns
04/09 ‘Artists of the North’, Cairns Art Society, Tanks Art Centre, Cairns
10/08 ‘Compact Prints 2008’, International print exhibition and ex, Umbrella Studio,Townsville
09/08 ‘Heysen Prize’, The Hahndorf Academy, Hahndorf, SA