James C Sourris AM Collection

James has a lifetime of experience in the motion picture industry including exhibition, distribution, and investment in production. Alongside his professional roles he also has extensive experience – over forty years – in funds management.

As a third generation cinema owner (James' grandfather commenced trading in Armidale in 1921), James went on to become principal and chairman of Australia Multiplex Cinemas (AMC) Pty Ltd in 1994. AMC was sold to Hoyts Corp Pty Ltd in 2010.

James was awarded the Order of Australia (AM) in 2011 and is an Honorary Life Member of the Motion Picture Exhibitors Association of Queensland.

The production and development of this collection is made possible by philanthropic support through the Queensland Library Foundation.

6 min. 44 sec

Sandra Selig digital story: The James C Sourris AM Collection

Artist Sandra Selig interviewed by Hamish Sawyer. Part of the James C Sourris AM Artist Interview Series 2017-2018.

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8 min. 33 sec

Gordon Hookey digital story: The James C Sourris AM Collection

Artist Gordon Hookey interviewed by Bruce McLean. Part of the James C Sourris AM Artist Interview Series 2017-2018.

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6 min. 13 sec

Peter Bellas digital story: The James C Sourris AM Collection

Former gallery director Peter Bellas interviewed by Robert Lingard as part of the James C Sourris AM Artist Interview Series 2017-2018.

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6 min. 16 sec

Dr Philip Bacon interview: The James C. Sourris AM Collection

Dr Philip Bacon AM talks to Louise Martin-Chew about his career as an art gallery director covering the establishment of his gallery in July 1974 in Fortitude Valley Brisbane, artists represented and exhibitions.
Interviewed 26 February 2018

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6 min. 40 sec

Lawrence Daws interview: The James C. Sourris AM Collection

Lawrence Daws talks to Bettina MacAulay about his life, his paintings and computer generated prints, and how his interest in philosophy, literature and psychology has influenced his work.
Interviewed 26 February 2016

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7 min. 44sec.

Gareth Sansom interview: The James C. Sourris AM Collection

Gareth Sansom talks to Steve Cox about his life, art practices and success at winning the Hugh Williamson Prize, McCaughey Memorial Prize and Dobell Prize for Drawing.
Interviewed 21 December 2016

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8 min. 15 sec.

Doug Hall AM interview: The James C. Sourris AM Collection

Doug Hall AM talks to Rex Butler about his career as an art gallery director beginning at age 21 and the creation of the Asia Pacific Triennial.
Interviewed 15 December 2016

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7 min. 05 sec.

Helga Groves interview: The James C. Sourris AM Collection

Helga Groves talks to Jane O'Neill about her life, art and influences on her practice such as landscape and geology which she is interested in at both a macro and micro level.
Interviewed 13 December 2016

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8 min. 42 sec.

Ray Hughes interview: The James C. Sourris AM Collection

Ray Hughes talks to Glenn Barkley about his life and his career beginning with Gallery1Eleven in Red Hill, Brisbane.
Interviewed 31 August 2016

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5 min. 50 sec.

Anne Wallace interview: The James C. Sourris AM Collection

Anne Wallace talks to Sean Sennett about her art, her studies at the Slade in London and her upbringing.
Interviewed 24 November 2015

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6 min. 56 sec.

William Robinson interview: The James C. Sourris AM Collection

William Robinson talks to Vanessa Van Ooyen about his art, his success at winning the Archibald Prize and his busy life as both a teacher and an artist.
Interviewed 6 February 2016

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8 min. 09 sec.

Leonard Brown interview: The James C. Sourris AM Collection

Leonard Brown talks to Angela Goddard about his art, his first solo exhibition at age 19, and his involvement with the Anglican Franciscan Friars and Russian Orthodox Church.
Interviewed 1 December 2015

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6 min. 14 sec.

Peter Kennedy interview: The James C. Sourris AM Collection

Peter Kennedy talks to Max Delany about his art, his artistic career, and being credited with presenting the first exhibition in Australia to use neon light.
Interviewed 16 March 2015

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5 min. 47 sec.

Sebastian Di Mauro interview: The James C. Sourris AM Collection

Sebastian Di Mauro talks to John Stafford about his art, his artistic career, and the influence of his Sicilian background.
Interviewed 15 October 2014

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5 min. 44 sec.

Ian Smith interview: The James C. Sourris AM collection

Ian Smith talks to Louise Martin-Chew about his life and his art in the past, present and future.
Interviewed 8 May 2014

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4 min. 58 sec.

Normana Wight interview: The James C. Sourris AM collection

Normana Wight talks to Noreen Grahame about her art, her artistic career, the influence computer technology has had on her art and her future aspirations.
Interviewed 21 August 2014

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6 min. 48 sec.

Fiona Foley interview: The James C Sourris AM Collection

Fiona Foley talks to Louise Martin-Chew about her life as an artist and the influences on her practice including her sense of justice, desire to tell the hidden histories, her family memories and her love for Aboriginal culture.
Interviewed 19 Jun 2013

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6 min. 13 sec.

Judith Wright interview: The James C Sourris AM Collection

Judith Wright talks to Julie Ewington about her childhood imaginary world, that which has influenced her art including the loss of her baby girl and the fragility of human life, as well as discussing various aspects of her artist works.
Interviewed 12 Jun 2013

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8 min. 17 sec.

Gordon Shepherdson interview: The James C Sourris Collection

Gordon Charles Halloran Shepherdson talks to David Burnett about his art, and the influences on his practice including having worked in an abattoir, the sea, fishing and darkness.
Interviewed 31 Aug 2012

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6 min. 35 sec.

Madonna Staunton interview: The James C Sourris AM Collection

Madonna Staunton talks to Professor Robert Leslie Lingard about her art and life, the influences on her art including her childhood, fragile health, and poetry, the various artists and experiences that she has encountered and that which motivates and inspires her.
Interviewed 4 Apr 2012

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6 min. 15 sec.

Richard Bell interview: The James C Sourris AM Collection

Richard Bell talks to Rex Butler about the development of his artistic practice, about winning the Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award and the artist group Proppa Now.
Interviewed 19 April 2011

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5 min. 03 sec.

Luke Roberts interview: The James C Sourris AM Collection

Luke Roberts talks to Doug Hall about growing up Catholic in Alpha (Qld), being a gay artist and his show AlphaStation/Alphaville at the Institute of Modern Art in Brisbane, Queensland.
Interviewed 26 February 2011

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5 min. 42 sec.

Vernon Ah Kee interview: The James C Sourris AM Collection

Vernon Ah Kee talks to Daniel Browning about his art, his family, the artist group Proppa Now and being an Aboriginal artist.
Interviewed 6 December 2010

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6 min. 07 sec.

Judy Watson interview: The James C Sourris AM Collection

Judy Watson talks to Louise Martin-Chew about her art practice, her family and the future of Aboriginal art in Australia.
Interviewed 31 May 2011

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The James C Sourris AM Collection

The James C Sourris AM Collection consists of interviews with significant Australian artists and figures in the art world. It is a growing collection that provides insight and context to the practice of some of our most respected artists.

Each artist is profiled via three distinct recordings: a full-length interview between the interviewer and the artists, a 30 minute version, optimised for education purposes and a shorter version, generally 5 to 9 minutes in length that gives a quick taste of that person’s artistic practice.

All of the recordings are transcribed and available for viewing online – via State Library’s catalogue, OneSearch, YouTube or Vimeo. They can be used for research today but also by future generations to reveal insights about the artists and their practice, and to explore the artists' work in the context of their life story.

These engaging stories present a unique opportunity to learn a little more about a number of important artists.

The James C Sourris AM Collection - AM Interview Series is part of the Australian Library of Art at State Library of Queensland.

Education resources

The James C Sourris AM collection offers a unique insight into the life and work of contemporary Australian artists. Supplemental education resources encourage students to delve into the lives and works of contemporary Australian artists such as Vernon Ah Kee, Judith Wright and Fiona Foley. The James C Sourris AM collection education resources support the delivery of the Queensland Senior Visual Art syllabus and ACARA Visual Art outcomes.

Grade Levels: Primary years, Middle years, Senior years
Subject Areas: Visual Art