BANK Art Museum Moree is nearly at the halfway mark of its 2025 exhibition program, with adored indigenous performer Roger Knox headlining a slew of performances and exhibitions scheduled for the next six months.
Knox, affectionately known as the ‘Johnny Cash of Australian country’, will perform at BAMM on Friday, July 4 from 6pm with beloved Australian musician and songwriter, Toby Martin.
Knox was raised on the Toomelah Aboriginal Mission at Boggabilla and taught to play guitar at an early age by Charlie Duncan.
He is now a much-loved entertainer and storyteller and tours nationally and internationally.
Toby Martin is a musician and songwriter and best-known as the lead singer of Sydney-Gadigal rock band, Youth Group.
The group has released five studio albums, toured the world, won an ARIA, and released a No.1 single in 2006, Forever Young.
Tickets to Roger Knox and Toby Martin are available at Roger and Toby at BAMM July 4.
The BAMM exhibition program, presented under the vision of newly appointed Director Rosie Dennis, is currently exhibiting the Biennale Portrait Prize in the main gallery, which will run until July 19.
The main gallery is also displaying Cultural Gifts, which includes more than 50 objects collected by Robert Bleakley during his tenure as Head of Tribal Art at Sotheby’s in the 1970s.
“This significant collection of Aboriginal objects offers a rare opportunity to engage with the material culture of First Nations communities from across Australia,” Ms Dennis said.
Comprising carved tools, ceremonial objects and early examples of cultural exchange, many of the objects were originally taken to Britain by colonial travellers as ‘souvenirs’.
“The collection invites critical reflection on histories of collection, displacement and the enduring cultural knowledge embodied in each object,” Ms Dennis said.
From August 1 to September 13, BAMM will present three exhibitions concurrently.
Boundaries: Transcended sees 700 tiny ceramic homes created by hundreds of people who came together in celebration of the resettlement of refugees in the Hunter Valley, encouraging reflection on community building.
New Horizons presents work by five emerging artists from Gamilaroi Country, Janice (Genus) Giffin, David (Crockett) Craigie, Glenda Nicholls and George See, exploring connection to culture, land, and wildlife.
Conversation Starters brings together a unique collection of framed personal objects – from heirlooms to collectables – curated by Moree framer Kerrie Matchett.
“The program this year is underpinned by energy, enthusiasm and drive, starting from home – our incredible collection, the diverse community of the township of Moree, the wide-open plains of the north-west, and the two rivers that border the region,” Ms Dennis said.
The BAMM Regional Art Fair also relaunches this year from September 26 until October 18.
Centring on deep connections to place, the 2025 edition will span painting, sculpture, ceramics, screen, textiles, and photography, and include five micro-gallery exhibitions by artists practicing and living in regional Australia.
One of the most defining and influential artworks of the twentieth century, Nan Goldin: The ballad of sexual dependency will be presented at BAMM from October 30 to December 19 as part of the National Gallery of Australia’s inaugural photographic touring program, The Bowness Family Foundation Photography Touring Program, supported by the Bowness Family Foundation.
In a New South Wales exclusive, the exhibition at BAMM will see all 126 vintage colour photographs from the groundbreaking series, the last of which was recently acquired by the National Gallery.
Decades-long in the making, The ballad of sexual dependency offers an intimate glimpse into the lives
of Goldin’s community and the post-punk, creative, queer scene of the Bowery district of New York in the late 1970s.
Detailing highly personal narratives and relationships with tremendous emotional power, Goldin refers to the work as her ‘public diary’, with overarching themes of love and empathy, and the tension between autonomy and interdependence in relationships.
From 30 October to January 31, 2026, BAMM will present an exhibition by award-winning photographer Joshua Morris and young men who have collaborated in the Garage Barbershop program.
Alongside the exhibition program, BAMM is delivering a series of live public programs including the BAMM Concert Series.
Upcoming concerts will feature William Barton and Véronique Serret in Heartland, and Roger Knox with Toby Martin performing songs from Knox’s forthcoming album Buluunarbi and The Old North Star, due for release later this year.
BAMM will also deliver community engagement programs, including Team Trampoline, a collaborative project by Adelaide-based interdisciplinary artist Meg Wilsonby working with community and school groups across Moree.
Garage Barbershop, a project conceived by barber Charles Lomu that offers young men an opportunity to learn skills while participating in a photographic exhibition is also programmed. Workshops for these programs will take place from April to September, culminating in an exhibition from August 1 to September 13.
BAMM director Rosie Dennis is delighted to showcase the 2025 program.
“This year, we are not only continuing to celebrate rich local connections but also expanding our reach to bring leading Australian and International voices to the forefront.
“I am incredibly excited that BAMM will be the first and only venue in New South Wales to present Nan Goldin’s iconic series, The ballad of sexual dependency.
“This year’s program allows us to shine a spotlight on the stories that make BAMM a cultural cornerstone, and to create a space that fosters creativity, sparks conversation, and strengthens our position as a vital hub for the arts in the region and beyond,” she said.
BAMM 2025 program highlights
BAMM Biennale Portrait Prize: May 30 – July 19
Cultural Gifts: May 30 – July 26
Boundaries: Transcended: August 1 – September 13
New Horizons: August 1 – September 13
Conversation Starters: 1August – September 13
