Blair McNamara - Australian Artist, Painter, Photographer and surfer.

Blair McNamara is a painter, a photographer, a musician and a surfer. His art is highly respected and awarded as a unique translation of Australian beach culture. As a strong component of the Queensland visual arts scene, he skilfully and appropriately captures much of the cultural and environmental conundrums that have developed over the years in his vulnerable Sunshine Coast paradise. His career includes gallery paintings, local, international and touring exhibitions, residencies, public tutorials and numerous public art commissions. Many of Blair's paintings, photographs and murals are in corporate, private and public collections.

Fine Art graduate 1981, Queensland College of Art, Seven Hills

2018 Parallel Lines Exhibition, CoolArt Gallery, Coolum Beach, Qld.
2017 Naming of Sunshine Coast Exhibition, Noosa Regional Gallery, Qld.
2017 50th Anniversary Sunshine Coast Region, Uni. S.C. Art Gallery, Qld.
2016 Niyama Per Aquum Resort, Maldives
2015 “Aqualinea”, Patio, Noosaville & Bundall, Gold Coast, Qld.
2014 “Timber Tides & Time”, Christine’s Gallery, South West Harbor, ME, USA
– “Oceanica”, Patio, Noosaville, Qld.
– Noosa Art Series, Trentham Wines labels, CoolArt Gallery, Coolum Beach
– “Fibro Coast”: Gold Coast City Gallery 15 Feb – 23, USC Gallery 12 June – 16 August, Qld.
2013 Ten Mile Beach Holiday Studio, Coolum Beach, Qld.
2012 Kart Space Gallery, Peregian Beach, Qld.
2009 “Surf Skate Punk” Beachouse Gallery, Kingscliffe, N.S.W.
2008 “Oceanica Semantica”, S.O.T.A. Gallery, Hong Kong

2003 “Recent Works”, Fox Gallery, Brisbane City, Qld.
1998 “South American Works”, CoolArt, Coolum Beach, Qld.
1996 “Seascapes” Noosa Sheraton, Noosa, Qld.
1995 “Aqueous”, Noosa Regional Gallery, Tewantin, Qld.
1994 “Outside the Blue & White Flags”, Buderim House Gallery, Buderim, Qld.
1993 “America’s Cup – Australian Art”, Spinaker Gallery, San Diego, USA
1992 Coco’s, Noosa National Park, Noosaville, Qld.
1991 Gold Coast Fine Arts, Bundall, Gold Coast City, Qld.
1990 Michael Milburn Gallery, New Farm, Brisbane, Qld.
1989 Verlie Just Gallery, Brisbane, Qld.
1988 Katz Wizka, Coolum Beach, Qld.
1985 Cintra Galleries, Milton, Brisbane, Qld.
2005 “Coodabin/Shoodabin”, USC Gallery, Qld.
2002 “Emocean”, CoolArt Gallery, Coolum, Qld.

Artemisia Gallery, Chelsea, New York
Christine’s Gallery, Maine, U.S.A.
S-O-T-A Gallery, Hong Kong
Artemis, South Yarra, Melbourne
Ten Mile Beach Gallery, Coolum, Qld.
CoolArt, Coolum Beach, Qld.
University Sunshine Coast Art Gallery, Qld.
KartSpace, Peregian Beach, Qld.
Hofficina d’Arte Gallery, Rome, Italy
Percolator Gallery, Paddington, Qld.
Fox Galleries, Brisbane, Qld.
Sandra Walters Art Consultancy, Hong Kong
Pivotal Gallery, Richmond, Victoria

Art Collections, Surfers Paradise, Qld.
Beachouse Gallery, Kingscliffe, N.S.W.
Eumundi Gallery, Eumundi, Qld.
Moda Gallery, Paddington, N.S.W.
Buderim House Gallery, Buderim, Qld.
Bridges Gallery, Katoomba, N.S.W.
Dakota Center Gallery, Fort Lauderdale
Spinnaker Gallery, San Diego
Montville Galleries, Noosa, Qld.
Gold Coast Fine Arts, Bundall, Qld.
Coco’s, Noosa National Park, Qld.
Michael Milburn Gallery, Brisbane, Qld.
Sandbag, Noosa, Qld.

2014 Matthew Flinders Anglican College, mural
2013 University of Sunshine Coast, photography acquisitions
2013 Sunshine Coast Council murals
2012 Bendigo Bank, Marcoola Traders Assoc. mural
2008 Sunshine Coast Art Prize finalist
2006 Sunshine Coast Art Prize finalist
2005 R.A.D.F. art grant recipient
2004 Noosa Regional Gallery Art Prize first prize
1999 Gloria Hotels, Bolivia, mural
– Fitzgibbon Hotels, Brisbane, mural
1998 Peruana-Americana Institute, Peru, mural
1997 Cairns Domestic Airport Terminal mural

1995 Tourism Noosa cover art
1994 Vic.Council of Adult Ed. cover art
– Noosa Arts Festival poster art
1993 Noosa Arts Festival poster art
1991 Twin Waters Resort mural
1989 Tourism Queensland mural
1988 World Expo ’88 French Pavilion first prize
1987 Coolum State High School, mural
1986 Yoga manual publication illustrations
1985 Lightning-Bolt surfwear fabric & screen art
1984 BTQ 9 TV Production scene art murals
1983 Qld. Supreme Court Building mural

Park Lane Hotel, Hong Kong
Marriott Hotel, Hong Kong
Marriott Hotel, Surfers Paradise
Conrad Jupiters Casino, Gold Coast
Bundaberg Historical Museum, Qld.
Cairns Domestic Airport, Qld.
Wasserman & Wise, New York
Sunshine Coast Council, Corporate Collection
Coolum Beach Library, Qld.

University of the Sunshine Coast Collection
The Qld. Supreme Court, Brisbane
Victorian College of Adult Education
Centro Cultural Peruano Norte Americano, Peru
Abused Child Trust, Brisbane
Redeemer Lutheran College, Rochedale
Somerset College, Mudgeeraba
Good Shepherd College, Noosaville

2016 Niyama Per Aquum Resort, Maldives
2010 Luther Heights Combined Schools Youth Camp, Coolum
2009 Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery, Bundaberg
2007 Mountain Creek State High School, Sunshine Coast
2006 Couran Cove Island Resort, Gold Coast
– Writers Artists Readers Month, Sunshine Coast
– Coolum Beach Primary School, Sunshine Coast
2005 Noosa Regional Gallery, Sunshine Coast
2002 Creative Juice Combined Schools Art Camp, Sunshine Coast
2000 Sydney Town Hall Restoration Program, Sydney

1999 Gloria Hotels, La Paz, Bolivia
1998 Peruana Americana Institute, Arequipa, Peru
1994 Sunshine Beach State High School, Sunshine Coast
1992 Creative Arts Centre, Hyatt Regency Coolum, Sunshine Coast
1989 Coolum Beach State High School, Sunshine Coast
1988 World Expo 88, French Pavilion, Brisbane
1987 Maleny Folk Festival, Sunshine Coast
1986 Creative Juice Combined Schools Art Camp, Sunshine Coast
1985 Maleny State High School, Sunshine Coast

2014 Caloundra Regional Gallery, Arts Debate
– Mountain Creek State High School
– ABC Coast FM, Sunshine/Cooloola Coasts
2013 Sunshine Coast Architecture Awards, M.C.
2011 Coolum Focus Group, S.C.Council initiatives
2010 Bundaberg Regional Art Gallery, floor-talk
– ABC Cooloola/Sunshine Coast FM
2009 Indigenous Well-Being Center, Bundaberg (for EDGEware)
– Bundaberg Region – State, Primary and Private Schools
– Zinc Radio, Wide Bay
– ABC Wide Bay FM
2008 Sunshine Coast Environment Awards, M.C.
– ABC Cooloola Sunshine Coast Coast FM
2007 Australasian-Pacific Urban Planning Conference, U.S.C. Social Sciences Dept.
– War Widows Guild, Maroochy R.S.L.

2006 World Architecture Day Forum, University Sunshine Coast
– Australian Seachange Taskforce Conference, Port Douglas
– Maroochy Legacy Sub Branch, Maroochy R.S.L.
2005 University Sunshine Coast Art Gallery, floor-talks
– ABC Cooloola / Sunshine Coast, Coast FM
2004 Coolum Integrated Land Use & Traffic Study Board Member
– Combined S.C. Schools Minister’s Excellence In Art Awards, Panel Judge
2000 Centro Cultural Peruano Norte Americano, Peru
1998 La Paz Language School, Bolivia
1995 Noosa Regional Gallery, floor-talk
1993 Saint John’s College, Nambour, presenter
1986 Nambour State High, tutorial

Stateline Qld., ABC television
Weekender, BTQ 9 television
Channel 7 News
Winn Television News
ABC Coast FM Wide Bay
ABC Coast FM, Sunshine & Cooloola Coasts
ABC Coast FM, Gold Coast
ABC 6.12 4QR Radio, Brisbane
Vogue Living Australia, Magazine
Art & Design Australia, Magazine
Surf News Europe, Magazine
Resort Life Australia, Magazine
Noosa Blue, Magazine
Vic. C.A.E. Magazine

Time-Off Magazine, Qld.
The Courier Mail
The Sunday Mail
The Sydney Morning Herald
Sing Tao Daily, Hong Kong
Sunshine Coast Daily Newspapers
News Mail, Bundaberg
The Gold Coast Bulletin
Quest Newspapers, Brisbane
City News, Brisbane
The Coolum Advertiser
Noosa Journal
Noosa Citizen

Recent Works VIEW ALL