THE OYSTER FARMER

Project Summary

During February and March 2026, Artist Felicia Lloyd will be working openly within the gallery space, using this exhibition period as an active research phase. Visitors are invited to engage with the artist-researcher, view works-in-progress, and contribute their own stories, recollections, and knowledge of the Passage, Bribie Island, and oyster culture in the region.

This project is funded by the Regional Arts Development Fund - a partnership between the Queensland Government and City of Moreton Bay to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.

This open, conversational approach reflects a belief that history is not fixed, and that understanding grows through exchange. The stories of oysters — ecological keystones, cultural anchors, and industrial commodities — are deeply entwined with the identity of Moreton Bay.

Placing this beside an exhibition of Uncle Ron Powell’s paintings - The Love of Bribie, the studio is both an exhibition and a listening space, where live research and community engagement focusing on the cultural, ecological, and historical significance of oyster farming in the region.

This period allows research of industry history, engagement with local restoration initiatives, and testing new processes in the studio. Outcomes will be a refined concept and experimental works-in-progress that form the groundwork for a future exhibition.

Oysters are deeply woven into the story of Moreton Bay. Once abundant and central to First Nations communities and colonial industry, their decline has had lasting ecological and cultural impacts. Today,restoration projects are bringing oysters back, symbolising resilience, community renewal, and ecological balance.

Open Studio Dates: 13 February – 9 March 2026: Open 10am – 2pm (Closed Tuesday and Thursday)

Events: Exhibition opening: Sun 22 February from 130-330pm - Artist talk: Sun 22 February from 200pm.