From psychedelic rock posters to Australia’s pub rock era, a new exhibition will take visitors on a colourful journey through decades of music and graphic design.
Opening at Redcliffe Museum on Saturday, 7 November, Enjoy this trip: The art of music posters will showcase more than 50 Australian and international posters from the National Gallery of Australia’s collection, accompanied by a soundtrack featuring the bands represented.
Leanne Santoro, Curator, Sharing the National Collection at the National Gallery of Australia, said the exhibition grew from an extensive collection of music posters acquired in 1978.
“This is one of the largest collections of music posters in an art institution in the world, and many of them had never been displayed before,” Leanne said.
The exhibition features American posters from the 1960s and 1970s, including the famous Woodstock poster by Arnold Skolnick, alongside Australian designs from the 1970s and 1980s.
Psychedelic San Francisco Roots, Iconic Artists, and Nostalgic Sounds
The exhibition also explores the origins of psychedelic poster art in San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district, where the counterculture movement inspired artists including Victor Moscoso and Wes Wilson to develop a style using vibrating and kaleidoscopic colours and melting fonts.
Visitors will discover psychedelic artwork associated with bands such as The Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane, as well as posters celebrating Australian musicians including Mental as Anything, Goanna and Stephen Cummings.
Among the featured artists are Bonni MacLean, one of the era’s best-known women poster designers, and Australian designer Paul Worstead, whose posters for Mental as Anything drew on Australian suburbia and popular culture.
Leanne said the exhibition offered visitors an opportunity to appreciate the craftsmanship behind music posters, particularly their distinctive colours and typography.
“There’s nothing quite like seeing the posters in person to appreciate the craft and creativity that went into making them,” she said.
For visitors who remember the music of these decades, Leanne hoped the exhibition would also bring back memories.
“For anyone old enough to have seen these bands live or even play their music at home, there should be a feeling of warmth and nostalgia,” she said.
Redcliffe Museum is open Wednesday to Friday from 10am to 4pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 3pm. Entry is free.
Enjoy this Trip: The Art of Music Posters
- 7 November 2026 – 21 February 2027
- Redcliffe Museum
- 75 Anzac Avenue, Redcliffe
- Find more information here.
Read more stories from our Redcliffe Guide print magazine here:
- Reddy Roundup: Updates from the Community
- What’s Hot Around Town
- Podcast Review: The Pub Quiz Pod
- The Fox
- The Calm Before the Storms: What Jobs to Tackle Now
- Get Hands-On at Gaming and Hobby Expo
- Spangled Perch Leiopotherapon Unicolor
- Organic Gardening in November
- Thank Your Teacher With a Thoughtful Gift
- Coffee Culture Brewing on the Peninsula
- Convoy for Kids Rolls Into Redcliffe For A Cause
- Haven for Craft Brings Heartfelt Creations
- Lumber of Love for Redcliffe and District Woodcraft Society
- Happy Hens Happier Homes
- “Lady” Robertson: An Unexpected Life
- Still Going Strong at 86
- Blue Day Event Brings Men’s Health Into Focus
- Community Effort Gets Nathan’s Bus Back on the Road
- Wildlife Spotlight: Redcliffe’s Most Cuddly Marsupials
- Redcliffe Volunteer Awards
- Recycling Week: Small Change Adds Up
