MIRIAM STANNAGE BIOGRAPHICAL DATES

1939 Born 20 March, Northam, to James Eakins Stannage and Helen Russel Stannage, née Masters. Father – Anglican priest.

1943 Family moves to .

1944 Brother, Charles Thomas, born.

1945–54 Educated at Perth College.

1955 Undertakes secretarial training at Underwood Business College. Begins office position at Guildford Grammar School.

1956–58 Completes two years of a three-year course in nursing at Royal Perth Hospital.

1958 Appointed Assistant Matron at Church of England Girls Grammar School, Canberra. Returns to Perth in December.

1959 Takes office work at C.P. Bird and Associates, accountants, Perth.

1961–62 On an overseas trip, visits England, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Ireland, Canada and USA.

1963 Takes office work at Elder Smith & Company, Perth.

1964 Commences part-time outdoor landscape art classes at University of Western Australia with teacher William Boissevain.

1965 Takes evening art classes with William Boissevain at Adult Education, Perth. Commences evening painting, drawing and life classes with teacher Henry Froudist at Adult Education, Perth. Leaves position at Elder Smith & Company. Opens her own gallery, Rhode Gallery, Shenton Park, Perth. Opens first group exhibition 5 December.

1966 Manages Rhode Gallery in afternoons and does part-time cleaning in mornings. Continues evening classes and Saturday portrait classes with Henry Froudist. Meets Guy Grey-Smith, who encourages Rhode Gallery. Becomes committee member of Contemporary Art Society formed by Grey-Smith, May.

1967 Relinquishes Rhode Gallery to Ian Buring of Hesling-Archer Galleries, Adelaide. Teaches art therapy classes at Heathcote Hospital, Applecross. Continues classes with Henry Froudist. Takes first opportunity to exhibit work in Contemporary Art Society exhibitions and University of Western Australia Guild exhibitions. Visits Two Decades of American Art in Sydney, August.

1968 Completes one year of part-time Art Certificate studies at Claremont Technical College. Continues classes with Henry Froudist. Father dies 16 July.

1969 Holds first solo exhibition at Old Fire Station Gallery, September. Teaches art therapy, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital and Crippled Children’s Home, Mosman Park. Becomes Secretary of the Contemporary Art

1970 Leaves 22 November on SS Canberra. Visits England, stays with brother and family for Christmas in Cambridge. Travels to Paris to take up studio residency at Cité des Arts Internationale as Fellow of Power Institute.

1971 Returns to England for two months before returning to Australia.

1972 Teaches part-time evening classes in painting and drawing at Fremantle Technical College, Midland Technical College and Mount Lawley Technical College.

1973 Continues part-time teaching. Works toward exhibitions. Travels to Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide for contact with commercial galleries. Works one day per week, Old Fire Station Gallery.

1974 Continues part-time teaching and teaches at University of Western Australia Summer School.

1975 Teaches outdoor landscape class at Victoria Park Technical College. Holds solo exhibition, Tolarno Galleries, Melbourne.

1977 Continues teaching part-time evening classes. Works in office at furniture factory. Designs memorial stained-glass window for St Matthews Church, Shenton Park, Perth, in memory of her father, dedicated May 1977.

1978 Continues teaching, with the addition of work at Western Australian Institute of Technology (now ).

1979 Visits England, France, Spain and Italy.

1980 Attends short photography course, Subiaco Technical College, March. Marries Tom Gibbons, 22 November.

1982 Travels to Sydney for Sydney Biennale Exhibition and solo exhibition at Hogarth Galleries.

1984 Teaches part-time, Western Australian Institute of Technology. Appointed Artist-in-Residence, Praxis, November.

1985 Appointed Artist-in-Residence, Western Australian College of Advanced Education, Mt Lawley, Perth. Teaches part-time, Western Australian Institute of Technology.

1986 Visits England, Italy (including Venice Biennale) and USA (including exhibition The Spiritual in Art).

1988 Attends Bush Survival Course. Undertakes relief teaching at Curtin University.

1989 First major retrospective, Miriam Stannage: Perception 1969–1989, presented at the Art Gallery of Western Australia.

1993 Tom and Miriam move to their newly built home in Joondanna, Perth.

1996 Attends short computer course at Tuart Hill TAFE.

2000 Appointed Artist-in-Residence, International Art Space Kellerberrin Australia, Kellerberrin.

2005 Mother Helen Stannage dies, 12 September.

2006 Major retrospective, Miriam Stannage: SENSATIONS, held at John Curtin Gallery, Curtin University of Technology.

2012 Husband Tom Gibbons dies 16 February. Brother Tom Stannage dies 4 October.

2016 Publication of monograph Miriam Stannage: Time Framed, UWAP. Exhibition Miriam Stannage: Survey 2006–2016 held at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, University of Western Australia.

2016 Died Sunday 11 September, Perth, Western Australia.

Document produced during research for the exhibition Miriam Stannage: Survey 2006 – 2016 at the Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery, University of Western Australia, on show 30 July - 24 September 2016.