A new exhibition is breathing fresh life into Far North Queensland’s rich artistic legacy, as local artists draw inspiration from a landmark moment in Australian art history.

Running until 4 October 2025, Escape Artists - Contemporaries in FNQ brings together an eclectic collection of contemporary works by painters, sculptors, ceramicists, potters, and photographers from across the region. 

Presented by Port Douglas Artists Inc., the exhibition is housed at the Port Douglas Community Hall and is a bold reimagining of a pivotal 1998 exhibition of the same name, originally held at Cairns Gallery. 

That earlier event celebrated the modernists who journeyed to Far North Queensland throughout the mid-20th century, captivated by the region’s untamed beauty. 

It was accompanied by the influential book Escape Artists: Modernists in the Tropics, which spotlighted the adventurous spirits of renowned Australian artists such as Ray Crooke, Donald Friend, Sidney Nolan, Margaret Olley, Brett Whiteley, Russell Drysdale, and Ian Fairweather.

These artists had broken away from the constraints of city life and mainstream art scenes, immersing themselves in the lush, tropical environment of the north.

Their resulting works, produced between the 1940s and 1990s, have since become iconic representations of Australian modernism.

Now, more than two decades later, the Escape Artists spirit lives on through a new generation of creatives who are similarly captivated by the region’s landscapes, light, and cultural textures.

Each artist brings their own perspective to the exhibition, creating a dynamic dialogue between past and present, between the legacy of Australia’s modernist trailblazers and the contemporary voices shaped by life in the tropics today.

Curated by Chrissie McLaughlin and Janet Morris, Escape Artists - Contemporaries in FNQ is a celebration of Far North Queensland as a muse, wild, unpredictable, and endlessly inspiring.