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Painting the Celestial is a retrospective exhibition by Ipswich based painter, Leonard Brown.

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Leonard Brown — Painting the Celestial

Enter the dazzling world of LightPlay, where curiosity sparks and ideas really come to light!

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IAG Kids: LightPlay

Join the Ipswich Art Gallery Visitor Services team for a unique guided tour of our current exhibitions.

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Slow Looking Tours — Last Sunday of every month

Join us in our Children's Gallery on Friday mornings for play-based explorations of our current IAG Kids exhibition, LightPlay.

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Toddler Time: LightPlay

The art of Leonard Brown is a unique phenomenon in Australian art. He is highly regarded as a painter of sublime, minimal abstract canvases and these paintings are held in major public art collections throughout Australia, including the National Gallery of Australia, Queensland Art Gallery, National Gallery of Victoria, Art Gallery of South Australia and Art Gallery of New South Wales. At the same time, Leonard Brown is an accomplished icon painter following the ancient conventions and methods of Byzantine and Medieval Russian icon painting. Many of his icons are consecrated and are in liturgical use in churches throughout the world as well as finding homes in domestic environments and are held in private and public art collections. He is also a figurative artist of repute and was the winner of the Brisbane Portrait Prize (2019) and has been awarded numerous other art prizes including, The Blake Prize for Religious Art (2010).



Painting the Celestial is the first comprehensive retrospective exhibition of Leonard Brown’s work to have been presented anywhere in Australia and traces the artist’s development for more than five decades. The Ipswich Art Gallery is being transformed for this exhibition to include a gold-radiating sanctuary where Leonard Brown’s icons can be sympathetically displayed. His abstract paintings are being shown in greater numbers and in more depth than ever before. To enter the world of Leonard Brown’s art is to embark on a transformative experience. Both his painted icons and abstract works have the ability to transport the viewer to a different and more spiritual plane of existence. 

 







Leonard Brown was born in Brisbane in 1949 and he has lived in Ipswich for the past twenty years. This spectacular and beautiful exhibition celebrates the work of one of Australia’s most significant living artists. 

 







Sasha Grishin AM, FAHA Emeritus Professor, Australian National University Curator: Painting the Celestial: A retrospective exhibition by Leonard Brown 

<h5>An Ipswich Art Gallery exhibition</h5>

Step into a world where light becomes an element of creativity, curiosity, and discovery.

Immerse yourself in an environment filled with glowing possibilities. Using light boxes, overhead projectors, torches, and translucent materials, investigate how light behaves, and experiment with kaleidoscopic patterns that shift and change with every movement. Build, arrange, and transform your surroundings, revealing the surprising ways light interacts with shapes and textures.

Use your body to paint with light, watching colours mix and shadows stretch in unexpected ways. These playful interactions encourage curiosity, problem‑solving, and a deeper understanding of cause and effect.



LightPlay&nbsp;embraces the educational philosophies of Reggio Emilia and REmida to provide a creative environment for children which encourages collaborative play, experimentation and discovery-based learning. The environment is intentionally designed to support open-ended discovery of ideas through hands‑on interaction.

Let your imagination shine and experience the wonder of illuminated discovery at LightPlay! <a href="https://shugorei.bandcamp.com/album/the-sounds-of-uncertain-walls-futashika-na-kabe-no-oto-ep" sop="true">Sounds for Uncertain Walls | Futashika na Kabe no Oto by Shugorei</a>&nbsp;accompanies this exhibition - click the link to listen

Slow Looking is a technique for thoughtfully and intentionally engaging with artworks. Move beyond first impressions and take the time to deeply observe and connect with selected works in this experiential Slow Looking Tour.























Explore key artworks through guided prompts for both adults and children. No art knowledge is necessary, simply come along and enjoy. 





















<ul><li>45 min tours are hosted on the last Sunday of the month </li><li>Sunday 29 March, Sunday 26 April, Sunday 31 May 2026 | 10.30am - 11:15am</li><li>With a focus on works in <a href="https://ipswichartgallery.qld.gov.au/exhibitions/leonard-brown-painting-the-celestial" sop="true">Leonard Brown &mdash; Painting the Celestial</a></li></ul>

















































No bookings required, recommended for ages 12 and up. Minors must be accompanied by an adult.

Toddler Time includes hands-on activities, song and sensory play designed to engage and nurture artistic expression and build connection.





















Friday mornings, 1 hr session from 10:00am – 11:00am between&nbsp;these dates:&nbsp;





Friday, 24 April 2026 - Friday, 26 June 2026

































































<ul><li>no Toddler Time sessions during school holidays</li></ul>







































Bookings are not required for families and individuals, just drop in!

The Ipswich Art Gallery is located in d’Arcy Doyle Place, a pedestrian mall section of Nicholas Street between Brisbane and Limestone Streets in the Ipswich CBD.

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Planning a visit? Here's what you need to know

Ipswich Art Gallery takes play seriously. Our goal is to create
dynamic pathways for lifelong relationships with art.

Structured around our guiding principles, our kids programs celebrate
the spontaneous creativity within each child.

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Looking for our kids programs?

Contribute to a legacy that preserves Ipswich’s cultural heritage for future generations. Every gift helps foster a vibrant, creative community and supports the acquisition of significant artworks and treasures for our city.

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Support the gallery

Find the Ipswich Art Gallery in d’Arcy Doyle Place in the Ipswich CBD adjacent to the Nicholas St precinct.
The Ipswich Art Gallery is a visual arts and social history museum presenting a dynamic program of exhibitions, heritage displays and an extensive program for children and families.

Ipswich Art Gallery