This is a list of exhibitions held by the Australian Performing Arts Collection at the Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, organised chronologically and grouped by decade until 2017. Since 2017, the Australian Music Vault has housed a permanent exhibition utilising the APAC collection. The collections on display are rotated regularly. Previous exhibitions have toured nationally and internationally, while other collections are occasionally loaned.
1980s +YearExhibition DatesExhibition TitleExhibition SummaryExhibition CuratorExhibition CataloguePress/Reviews/Notes19814 Mar-19 AprManipulating Reality: The Mask and Puppet as TheatreNina Stanton.First major exhibition of Performing Arts Collection, then known as Performing Arts Museum (PAM). Held at National Gallery of Victoria.1982? Jun-23 JanThey Call Me MelbaCelebrating Nellie MelbaNina Stanton"The Legend Still Lives" .Opening exhibition of PAM. Two costumes were lent to Metropolitan Opera in New York in 1983.1982? Oct-?Penny Plain, Tuppence Coloured198227 OctFleshtights and Footlights: Costume Design from the Golden Age of Pantomime.198326 Feb-? Nov Bourke Street on Saturday NightFrank Van StratenOpened by Daryl Somers. Designed by Shaun Gurton.19831 Oct-?Diversions198327 Oct-11 DecThe Fashion Diary of a Victorian Housewife - Dame Edna's Wardrobe 1956-1983Featuring costumes from Dame Edna EverageRan for seven weeks.198319 Dec-12 FebBeat! Australian Pop and Rock CultureJanine BarrandFeatured displays dedicated to Split Enz and Skyhooks (band). Poster designed by Bloody Good Grafix.198418 Feb-?Meet You At Allans198418 Feb-?Just Across Princes Bridge198420 Feb-29 AprDon Quixote: The Creation of a BalletKaren Reichelt.Designed by Laurie Carew.198410 Apr-?A Track Winding Back... A Jack O'Hagan Tribute19847 May-15 JulMagic! An ExhibitionFrank Van Straten and Janine Barrand198430 May-?Crass Art: Contemporary British Punk Graphics198416 Jul-?The Fabulous Phonograph of Thomas RomeHeld in the Concert Hall. Featuring a 90 year old Edison phonograph.198416 Jul-26 AugHarry Jay - Seeing StarsContains photographs by Harry JayHeld in the Concert Hall.198423 Jul-30 SepHer Majesty's: A 50th Birthday CelebrationFrank Van Straten19848 Oct-9 Dec Pin-UpFrank Van StratenHeld in the Concert Hall.198420 Oct-?The Glory of Chinese Opera198422 Oct-?Ashton's: The Spirit of the Circus198417 Dec-24 FebHorror! A Spine Chilling ExhibitionKaren Reichelt19851 Mar-11 MarShowing TogetherKaren ReicheltHeld for Moomba Festival198518 Mar-2 JunAll the Fun of the FairJanine Barrand and Mimi Colligan19851 Apr-?Strike Me Lucky!: The Great Days of Australian Vaudeville.198520 May-?Joan Sutherland: La Stupenda.198510 Jun-8 SepAustralian TV: The Story So FarVirginia Mullumby, Frank Van Straten, and Karen Reichelt198529 Jul-?Three Faces of Percy Grainger.198523 Sep-1 DecDressed to ThrillJanine BarrandExhibition came from National Film and Sound Archive, Canberra (NFSA)19857 Oct-24 NovArt and the Theatre in VictoriaFrank Van Straten.Celebrating Victoria's 150th Birthday. A Travelling Exhibition presented in association with the regional galleries of Victoria. 19858 Dec-16 FebHorror! IIKaren Reichelt198516 Dec-?Still Alive198610 Feb-?Pavlova: Invitation to the DanceExhibition repeated in April 1996198624 Feb-?Thanks for ListeningFrank Van Straten198614 Apr-?Amazing! Tim and Debbie Discover the Performing Arts Museum198612 May-17 AugClips: The Music Video Exhibition.Sally Dawes19867 Jul-?Animated Classics198615 Sep-?A Peep into Dame Edna's Closet19866 Oct-?Split Enz: Sew This is the Enz19862 Dec-?Christmas Curiosity Shop198613 Dec-22 FebHorror! III: The Nightmare ContinuesKaren Reichelt19879 Mar-?Triffitt!198712 Mar-?Silent Smiles198712 Mar-?Moomba Schools Video Awards Exhibition198728 Mar-?Moomba MIMA Film and Video Festival198715 Apr-12 JulMarvellous MelbaCelebrating Nellie Melba. Joan Rutley, Frank Van StratenSecond exhibition on Dame Nellie Melba.198722 Jun-? Spangles at Sundown198727 Jul-13 SepGone BushFrank Van StratenExhibition came from NFSA, Canberra198721 Sep-?The SixtiesKaren Reichelt, Janine Barrand198726 Oct-21 FebConstable198827 Feb-?Dance! - The National Bicentennial Dance Exhibition19887 Mar-?Comedy Makes an Exhibition of ItselfGreg SealyOriginal title 'See The Funny Side' - Part of 1988 Melbourne International Comedy Festival198821 Mar-?The Mo Show198828 Mar-?The Great Music MakersLouis Kahan drawings1988? May-?NIDA ExposedCollections from National Institute of Dramatic Art, Sydney198827 Jun-?La Mama: Happy Birthday!19884 Jul-11 SepGeorge Dreyfus at Sixty198819 Jul-14 AugHistoric Australian Theatre PostersPeter SumnerIn association with Joseph Lebovic Gallery, Sydney198822 Aug-12 FebThe Neighbours ExhibitionKaren Reichelt198819 Sep-16 NovPerformers In BronzeBusts by Peter LatonaAustralian Bicentennial Authority Touring Exhibition 198828 Nov-?Take '88Touring NFSA exhibition198928 Jan-?Special People19894 Feb-?Evie!Tribute to Evie Hayes198922 Feb-26 AprHooray For Hollywood!Vintage Movie PostersFrank Van Straten19891 Apr-?The Fish of AprilLuzio Grossi photographs19898 May-6 AugOut of the BoxJanine Barrand, Sally Dawes198910 Jun-22 OctThe Beatles...All Those Years AgoCelebrating The Beatles visit to Australia, 25 years agoKaren Reichelt19894 Sep-29 OctDesigns for Glamour: Angus Winneke's Tivoli Fantasies19894 Sep-?Melba's CommodeExhibited in Museum foyer198915 Sep-?Max Dupain's Dancers198916 Dec-12 MarDestination: Fantasy.Frank Van Straten, Nina Stanton
1990s YearExhibition DatesExhibition TitleExhibition SummaryExhibition CuratorExhibition CataloguePress/Reviews/Notes199017 Mar-?Broadway Revisited19901 Apr-24 MayLaugh: Exhibiting Humour In Television AdvertisingTV ads which used humour to get their message across.Part of Melbourne Comedy Festival199014 April-?Mahler In Wax199019 May-?The Great Music MakersLouis Kahan Drawings Second time exhibited19905 Jul-2 SepFanfare: The Wonderful World of Collectors and Collecting.199013 Aug-11 NovChevron Nights199015 Sep-18 NovThe Last EdwardiansExhibition of memorabilia and photographs documenting the life of Violet Trefusis.In association with the Melbourne International Festival199020 Nov-2 DecExperimenta.Held at National Gallery of Victoria199010 Dec-15 FebCarnegie Hall: 100 YearsExhibition from USA partner199010 Dec-31 MarDestination: Fantasy: The Adventure Continues19917 Mar-Drag! Things Aren't Always What They Seem199115 Apr-21 JulRockbiz: Back Stage and on the road with Crowded HouseJanine Barrand19916 JunPounder: A Great Lady of the Australian Theatre199112 Aug-17 NovSuch Stuff as Dreams are Made On - An Exhibition of Melbourne Theatre DesignersSally Dawes199112 SepOscar Asche: The Rise and Fall of a Theatre GiantDeveloped in association with the Queensland Performing Arts Trust 19915 DecStars In Your Eyes199112 Dec-26 AprReturn to Destination: FantasyNina Stanton199217 Jan-15 MarNew Orleans And All That Jazz"New Orleans and all that jazz"Collections for the New Orleans Jazz Club Collections, courtesy of Louisiana State Museum. Includes Australian jazz content loaned from APAC, Playbill, and Australian Jazz Archives, in association with the Mazda-Montsalvat Jazz Festival. Held at Westpac Gallery, Arts Centre Melbourne.19925 Mar-26 AprClick! The Lens of Laurie Richards.19929 May-19 JulTV Times - 35 Years of Watching Television in Australia.Exhibition from the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney19925 JunThe Imagemakers: Australian Directors in Frame.Exhibited at the State Library of NSW in August 1991199229 Aug-29 NovEntertaining Melbourne199212 SepA Dance Treasury from the Australian Ballet Archives199215 Sep-14 DecInge King Sculpture ExhibitionHeld at National Gallery of Victoria19924 DecJust Pretend I'm Not Here - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds on Tour.Photographic exhibition by Peter Milne of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds On Tour, Europe 1992Janine Barrand199212 Dec-28 MarIn One Ear...and Out the Other19935 MarBack on the Bill!J. C. Williamson Posters19932 Apr-25 AprThe Jimi Hendrix Exhibition19931 May-27 JunStrictly Success: Strictly BallroomExhibition from Powerhouse Museum, Sydney19931 MayThe Romper Stomper ImagesExhibition from the Photographer's Gallery, Melbourne19937 Jul-5 SepMuch Ado About Shakespeare199314 Jul-5 SepLaugh Away Your Worries199317 Sep-28 NovTimewarp: The Seventies ExhibitionCarolyn Laffan199317 SepYOU! Photographs of You, the AudiencePhotographs by Emmanuel Santos.199327 Nov-5 FebA Handful of Characters: Puppets from AustralasiaPreviously exhibited at East West Gallery, Melbourne199318 Dec-20 MarStowaway: The Adventurous Exhibition199410 FebBallet Shoes Transformed into ArtworksFrom Western Australian Ballet199424 Mar-1 MayBob Marley: An Exhibition199415 Apr-12 JunCorroboree: Sights and Sound of the First AustraliansCarolyn Laffan.199411 May-26 JunA Special Madness: Celebrating the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Beatles in Australia.199415 Jun“Welcome to Television”Laurie Richards photographs. 19946 Jul-11 SepMemories of MelbaDesigned by Anna French199427 AugNational Treasure: A Tribute to Gertrude Johnson and the National Theatre199421 Sep-27 Nov“Ego Is Not a Dirty Word”: The Skyhooks ExhibitionCelebrating twenty years since The Skyhooks released their debut album,199416 Nov“We Laugh at Death” 199410 Dec-22 MarOut of this World: The Science Fiction ExhibitionCarolyn Laffan199525 FebSweethearts of Rhythm: All-Ladies Dance Bands of the 1920s and 1930sDr Kay Dreyfus19951 Apr-16 JulA Pack of Cards: Comedy Makes An Exhibition Of Itself19951 Jun-3 SepMarilyn - An AppreciationExhibition on Marilyn Monroe for 40th anniversary of the release of The Seven Year Itch.199525 Jul-11 OctJaffas Down the Aisle: A Century Of Cinema-GoingCollaboration with the NFSA Melbourne office. Designed by Mark Wager199519 Oct-6 DecThe Art of Stage Design: Costumes by Kristian FredriksonDesigned by Anna French199511 Dec-21 AprOnce Upon A Pantomime: A Topsy-Turvy ExhibitionCarolyn Laffan19968 MarHidden Desires: One Hundred Years of Victoria's Women PlaywrightsCarolyn Pickett with Carolyn Laffan19964 May-14 JulReal Wild Child: Australian Rock Music Then and NowExhibition from the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney. Opened by Michael Gudinski199617 MayOut there: Images at the Edge of Melbourne's Music SceneAngela JoostePart of Next Wave Festival199630 Jul-17 NovTivoli: A Positively Titillating ExhibitionFrank Van StratenTravels to Queensland Performing Arts Complex 19 Feb-4 May 1997.19965 Oct-17 NovTom Roberts Retrospective.Held at Art Gallery of South Australia19964 Nov-7 NovPlaybox 21st Birthday Exhibition19963 Dec-1 AprIt Came from Backstage: An Exhibition of Theatrical Thrills199727 Mar-15 JunPunkculture: Images from a Music RevolutionAustralian content curated by Angela JoosteProduced in association with Exhibit-A, London and Write Angle, Australia199724 Apr-31 JulDance People DanceA travelling exhibition of the National Library of Australia1997MayRehearsing Rites – Tim WebsterCarolyn Laffan 19971 Jul-30 NovTechno'tainment: Revealing Theatre TechnologyElyse White199715 Dec-1 FebThe Circus Comes to Town. 150 Years of Australian Circus.199717 Jan-26 JanCircus Comes To Town: Summer Live - Circus1998JulHandspan Puppets19986 Oct-28 FebKindred Spirits: The Performing Arts Family1999FebGreen Room Awards Exhibition Honouring Bud Tingwell199926 Mar-27 JunHumphriana: The Alter Egos of Barry Humphries19993 Apr-30 MayDame Edna's Frock-A-Thon: A Journey From Cardigan to Couture.Costume Designed by Stephen Adnitt1999Jul-AugReady Steady Go!: Photographs of the Australian Rock and Pop Scene, 1956–71.199914 Aug-30 NovDirector's Cut: Roger Hodgman at Melbourne Theatre CompanyCarolyn Laffan1999Sep-OctThe Magic of it all199910 Dec-6 FebArchibald Prize1999Dec-FebMr Brodziak and the Beatles1999Dec-FebPlease Leave Quietly: Images From Melbourne's Independent Music Scene
2000s