National Museum of Australia

How can art bring history, culture, and community together in a meaningful way?

For the “Riding the Olympic Wave: Breakthrough Sports” exhibition at the National Museum of Australia (NMA), I collaborated with museum curators, the International Olympic Committee, and exhibition partners to design and install large-scale murals that celebrated the spirit of sport and innovation. This grant-funded project reflected our shared commitment to fostering creativity, education, and sustainability.

A key highlight was a paid mentorship for Surfcoast, Victoria Indigenous artist Jessi Rebel, supporting emerging talent and amplifying diverse voices. Together, we adhered to museum standards by using low VOC paints to ensure the safety of artefacts while delivering eight engaging and vibrant murals in the museum’s main foyer, The Gandel Atrium.

The project extended beyond the artwork itself, including media features, education workshops, and public engagement activities such as an educational film for the museum archives and five full-day school holiday programs for ages 5-17, all connected to the exhibition.

Completed on budget and within a two-week timeline, the mural was brought to life through collaboration with the Head Curator, international stakeholders, and local partners. After-hours access, police checks, and security clearance ensured a smooth and secure process.

Location: Main foyer, The Gandel Atrium, National Museum of Australia.

Year
2024

Client
National Museum of Australia

Spacious indoor gallery with colorful murals of athletes playing basketball and holding a flaming torch
Mounted dinosaur skeleton displayed in a modern museum gallery
Natural history museum interior with a large dinosaur skeleton above colorful murals and modern exhibits
Colorful mural of a roller-skating woman with purple skin and turquoise clothing in an indoor transit station, beside a framed Australia poster.
Audience watches a speaker present the “Riding the Olympic Wave” sports exhibition at the National Museum of Australia.
Museum gallery featuring a vintage white car, BMX cyclist mural, and exhibition displays for breakthrough sports and ancient Egypt.

“Bohie was Great. We needed to create a different vibe in the main atrium of the National Museum for an exhibition on new Olympic Sports and Bohie came up with a concept that was bang on. And then to top it off she came in on time and on budget (and was great to work with).”

— Dr Jono Lineen, Curator, National Museum of Australi

Audience watching a speaker at the National Museum of Australia during a sports exhibition presentation
Three people pose in front of a colorful flame mural inside a modern building.
Skateboard stenciling workshop poster for a winter school holiday program, featuring two skateboarders and sessions Thursday 11 and Friday 12 July.
Two young skateboarders pose with their skateboards in front of a colorful mural at an indoor exhibit.
Two people pose beside a colorful mural of a roller-skating figure inside a shopping center.
Artist wearing a paint-splattered apron draws on a colorful circular artwork at a table covered with paint markers and art supplies, with a drawing tutorial displayed on a wall-mounted TV.
Art workshop table covered with painted skateboards, paint palettes, brushes, markers, and craft supplies