NOVEMBER TONY ALBERT, JUAN FORD and SCOTT REDFORD are selected artists in the 2008 OPTIMISM exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art. TONY ALBERT's work 'SORRY' has been recently acquired by the gallery as part of the exhibition. OPTIMISM continues until the 22 February 2009. Tony Albert has also been selected to exhibit work in 'HALF LIGHT: Portraits from Black Australia'. HALF LIGHT is the first major survey of the work of Australian Indigenous artists engaging with the photographic medium and the portrait. The exhibition continues until the 22 February 2009. In other news, look out for Tony Albert's 'AustrALIEN' velvet in the Queensland Indigenous Arts Marketing and Export Agency (QIAMEA) calendar for 2009.   JOACHIM FROESE exhibits two series of works 'Portrait of my Mother' and 'Archive' at the Monash Gallery of Art from 7 Nov 2008 - 25 Jan 2009. OCTOBER STEPHEN HART will be celebrating the 20th Anniversary of his work 'Conversation' which was launced in 1988 at the Bathurst Regional Gallery. SEPTEMBER Congratulations to SCOTT REDFORD who is the WINNER of the 2008 Sunshine Coast Art Prize for his painting 'Reinhardt's Silver Instant Painting' (2008). DANIEL WALLWORK has been selected to work on a major public art project for the 'Da Vinci Business Park' at Brisbane's Old International Airport. Wallwork is also a finalist in the 2009 ABN AMRO Emerging Artist Award with his new work 'Christmas Beetle' (2008) and is a new acquisition in the Cairns Regional Art Gallery with his work 'Rhino Horns' (2007). SAMUEL TUPOU's work 'Half-Feke' (2008) selected by Little Creatures Brewing for their corporate collection after its exhibition in the 2008 Freemantle Print Award. AUGUST DADANG CHRISTANTO exhibited a major new work 'Gathering' (2008) in the group exhibition 'Recovering Lives' at the Drill Hall Gallery, ANU Canberra, 7th Aug - 21st September. Curated by Dr Caroline Turner, 'Recovering Lives' explores the means by which forgotton or hidden lives can be recovered through unusual archival sources and through creative practices such as visual art, film-making and performance. JULY JUAN FORD, DANIEL TEMPLEMAN and SAMUEL TUPOU exhibit works in 'NEO GOTH: BLACK IS BACK' curated by Alison Kubler and opening at the University of Queensland Art Museum at St Lucia. The exhibition featured works by leading contemporary Australian artists and continues the 21st September 2008. JUNE JENNIE JACKSON was highly commended for her work 'Sweet Subterfuge' in the 2008 Alice Art Prize. MAY JUDITH WRIGHT's first survey show 'Conversations' at the Drilly Hall Gallery, ANU Canberra, 15 May - 22 June 2008. The exhibition included works from 1987 to present day. Judith Wright also in 'Silver-lined: Contemporary artsits and the Performing Arts Collection' at the Arts Centre in Melbourne until the 13th July 2008. ALFREDO + ISABEL AQUILIZAN selected to participate in 'Concrete Culture' - the first of three exhibitions to be staged over three venues. Curated by Felicity Fenner, 'Concrete Culture' examined relationships between art and architecture in rapidly evolving cities, revealing how Asian and Australian art can engender community, regional and international dialogue. Subsequent exhibitions held at Casula Powerhouse, Sydney and Zendai Museum of Modern Art, Shanghai in 2009 - 2010. 'Concrete Culture' opens from May 29 - July 5 2008 at the Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney. APRIL MEL ROBSON exhibited new works in 'Australian Ceramic Stories' at the Dubbo Regional Gallery from April 5 - May 18 2008.  JOACHIM FROESE showcases a major new work 'Portrait of my Mother' at Dell Gallery, Queensland College of Art, South Brisbane. This is a seminal work in Froese's career and explores themes of portraiture, still life and death. The exhibition co-incides witht the Queensland Festival of Photography. MARCH Congratulations to STETPHEN HART - FINALIST in the WYNNE PRIZE 2008. The entry work 'Life is Lethal' will be on display at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until the 18th May 2008.  CARL WARNER completed 'Infinity Forest' - a major public art project for the new Evolutions building located on the cnr Tank St and North Quay Brisbane. The work covers 60sqm and is 5 stories high. The project was initiated through Urban Arts Projects Brisbane. JANET LAURENCE, DADANG CHRISTANTO and ALFREDO + ISABEL AQUILIZAN have been selected to participate in 'Handle With Care', an exhibtion curated by Felicity Fenner as part of the 2008 Adelaide Biennial of Art, Art Gallery of South Australia. JANUARY TONY ALBERT show new work in 'The Revenge of Genres: Contemporary Art from Australia' at La Cite Internationale des Arts, Paris, from Jan 9 - Feb 3 2008.