Dianne Finnegan’s CV
Dianne’s Master of Arts thesis was on the denudation chronology of the southern Gawler Ranges, Lake Gairdner area in semiarid South Australia and her Honours thesis was based on the coastal geomorphology of southern Yorke Peninsula. While studying at the University of Adelaide and subsequently lecturing at the now University of South Australia, she conducted field trips in South Australia. She has travelled to remote aboriginal art centres around Australia, meeting artists on country.
Dianne has given lectures and workshops throughout Australia and around the world. A highlight was a lecture given at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. She has taught at several community colleges, arts centres, shops and a studio class that ran for almost 30 years.
The author of books and articles on quilting, she was named one of the 88 leaders in the quilt world by the Japanese company Nihon Vogue, Dianne was also named International Quilting Teacher and awarded the Jewel Pearce Patterson International Quilting Teacher scholarship for 1994, which culminated in an exhibition of works by her and her students at the International Quilt Festival in Houston. The course she taught introduced Aboriginal art to the students.
Dianne’s Works reside in public collections including the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, the Powerhouse Museum, the Royal North Shore Hospital, and in private collections in Australia, USA, Canada, Britain and China.
Judge, Juror, Selector;
2002 Royal Canberra Show
Narrabri Cotton Expo
2000 Melbourne Quilt Show
1996 The Quilters’ Guild Exhibition
Melbourne Quilt Exhibition, juror
1995 Chairman of subcommittee to select a quilt for the Atlanta Olympic Committee
1994 Chairman of selectors of Colours of Australia, touring quilt exhibition, member of subcommittee
1994 Royal Canberra Show
St Ives Show
1990 Royal Sydney Horticultural and Agricultural Show
St Ives Agricultural Show
1989 Hunters Hill Quilt Show
Royal Sydney Horticultural and Agricultural Show
1988 Quilt Australia
Teaching artist;
Kuringai Community Art Centre
Lane Cove Centrehouse
Kirribilli Neighbourhood Centre
Waverley-Woolhara Arts Centre
Hunters Hill Annex of Chatswood Evening College
Chatswood Evening Colle
Exhibitions;
2022 Royal North Shore solo exhibition (Covid dependant)
2022 Waverton Hall (Covid dependant)
2012 Royal North Shore Hospital permanent collection
2011 Tree of Life exhibition, Royal North Shore Hospital
2010 Barometer Gallery, Paddington
2009 Barometer Gallery, Paddington
2008 Primrose Park Art Centre, North Sydney
2005 The New Quilt, Manly Regional Art Gallery and Museum
2002 Hunters Hill Quilt Show
2000 Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games
1999 Germany
1998 The World Quilt, Tokyo
1996, 1998 The New Quilt, Manly Regional Art Gallery and Museum
1996, 1997 Hands All Around, International Quilt Market and Festival, Houston and touring exhibition of USA
The Quilters’ Guild, Sydney
The Hunters Hill Quilters
The Australian Quilt and Craft Festival, Melbourne
1995 Nagoyah, Japan, Charlton, USA, Holland
1994 Meat Market, Melbourne
1994, 1993 International Quilt Market and Festival, Houston
Group exhibitions, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
Glenaeon School, Cromer Craft Show,
The Quilters’ Guild exhibiton, Sydney
1992 Group exhibitions (curator), Lewes Gallery, Penrith Regional Art Gallery, Campbelltown City Art Gallery,
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery
Mudgee Regional Art Gallery
Maitland Regional Art Gallery
Exhibition of historic Sydney quilts for the Historic Houses Trust exhibited at Elizabeth Bay House in June - September, 1998.
The Quilters’ Guild Exhibition, Sydney
Kuringai Community Art Centre
Campbelltown City Art Gallery
1991 Group exhibition, Spain, sponsored by Department of Trade
Awards;
2018 Nominated for Senior Volunteer of the year
2017 Nominated for Imagination Award
2002 Energy Australia National Trust Heritage Award for National Quilt Register website
2001 Financial Review Magazine National Sponsorship Awards, national finalist, Commercial Bravery
2000 Australian Sports Medal for Fundraising
Most Outstanding Fundraising Project for 2000, Fundraising Institute of Australia
1998 Best Member’s Quilt, the Hunters Hill Quilt Show
1996 Best Member’s Quilt, the Hunters Hill Quilt Show
1993/4 Jewel Pearce Patterson International Quilt Teacher Scholarship, Houston, USA
Best Local Quilt, Hunters Hill Quilt Show
1988 Australian Bicentennial Award, Woman of Achievement
1988 Quilt Australia Award in the first national quilt exhibition
Lectures;
Victoria and Albert Museum, London; American Museum in Britain, Bath; International Quilt Festival, Houston, USA; Canada, New Zealand, Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences, Sydney; The Quilters’ Guild and diverse clubs and guilds across several Australian states e.g. Probus, View Club, Masonic Widows, Embroiderers Guild NSW.
Curator;
Photographic exhibition, Royal North Shore Hospital
QUILTS 2000 exhibitions in Sydney Olympic Park for the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games and in the Athletes village,
Feature décor throughout Athletes’ Village and Administration buildings for Olympics and Paralympics
Exhibitions throughout Australia including Parliament House Canberra and Sydney for QUILTS 2000
Elizabeth Bay House for the Historic Houses Trust (now SLM)
Centrepoint, Sydney for Quilt Australia ’88
Campbelltown City Art Gallery, Lewes Gallery, the Penrith Regional Art Gallery, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, Hunters Hill Town Hall, Kuringai Community Art Centre,
Publications;
2017 Unlocked Donor Profile, Dianne Finnegan. (Sydney Living Museums summer, 16)
2012 Textiles: The Art of Mankind Mary Schoeser (Thames and Hudson)
Walker, M and Gleeson, G (Allen and Unwin) contribution p21
2002 Australian Country Threads vol. 1 no 6, profile of studio class
2001 Down Under Quilts articles, personal profile and historic quilts article
2000 QUILTS 2000 Australia Celebrates (QUILTS 2000, Sydney), Author of text
1999 Australian Patchwork and Quilting articles: Prairie Quilt; Southern Cross; Gathering of Friends; personal profile
1998 Australian Patchwork and Quilting article
Down Under Quilts article
1997 Australian Patchwork and Quilting article, Australian Bush Quilts
1996 Better Homes and Gardens American Patchwork and Quilting article,
Handmade (Australia) August article
1995 Colours of Australia, Directions in Quilts (J.B. Fairfax Press, Sydney). Author, for The Quilters’ Guild
1994 88 Leaders in the Quilt World Today Nihon Vogue (Nihon Vogue),
The Best of Handmade (Harper Collins),
Craft and Home, article,
Handmade, article
Australian Country Craft essay on the history of Australian quilting
1992 The Quilter’s Kaleidoscope How to Design and Create Individual Interpretations of Favourite Quilts (Simon and Schuster. Sydney) Author
1991 Craft Arts International review
1990 Piece by Piece; the Complete Book of Australian Quiltmaking (Simon and Schuster, Sydney) Author
1990 Handmade cover shot and article, Australian Womens Weekly article
1989 Australian Quiltmakers the people and their art (Simon and Schuster, Sydney). Introduction
1988 Quilt Australia (Bay Books, Sydney). Introduction. Assisted by a grant from the Women’s Program, Australian Bicentennial Authority
Committees and Voluntary work;
2012 - Arts and Heritage Committee, Royal North Shore Hospital
2006 -2017 Team leader, Soft Furnishings Group, Sydney Living Museums
2002 Committee, Australian Quilt Study Group
2001 Advisor, Australian Quilt Documentation Register
Editor, committee member, Furniture History Society of Australia
Board member, The Good Age Foundation, Royal North Shore Hospital
Committee, Australian Quilt Study Group
1998-2000 Executive, QUILTS 2000, special fundraising project, Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games
1997 Exhibition Committee, Sydney Quilt Stories at Elizabeth Bay House, Historic Houses Trust (SLM). Wrote catalogue content.
President and Exhibition Secretary, Hunters Hill Quilters
1994 Colours Exhibition committee, The Quilters’ Guild
1992 President, Hunters Hill Quilters
1990 Newsletter editor, Hunters Hill Quilters.
1989 Organiser of Community quilts project for palliative care ward, Greenwich Hospital
1988-2018 Fundraiser for charities and museum quilt collections
1986-88 President, The Quilters’ Guild
Convenor Quilt Australia ’88, first national quilt exhibition
1985 Publicity Officer, committee member, The Quilters’ Guild
1984 President, Lane Cove Centrehouse Community Arts Centre
Artist in Residence;
Primrose Park, for North Sydney Council;
Scots School, Albury
Workshops and courses;
USA, Canada, Scotland, New Zealand, South Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia, ACT, studio.