Five Reasons To Visit Newcastle Art Gallery

Newcastle is known for its pristine beaches and laid-back lifestyle, but the city has a third trick up its sleeve: a thriving arts and culture scene. 

At the forefront of all the artistic buzz is the revamped Newcastle Art Gallery, which reopened its doors earlier this year following a years-long expansion. The extensive $145 million collection – including works by Patricia Piccinini, Margaret Olley and Rosalie Gascoigne – is just one of the drawcards.

It’s the exhibition and after-hours programs, plus the hands-on creative workshops, that take the coastal city gallery to the next level. Expect internationally recognised artists, state-of-the-art multisensory installations, a shop with diverse wares from local artisans and soulful after-hours gigs.

Here are five exhibitions and events to catch at Newcastle Art Gallery this spring and summer.

Angela Tiatia: Muse

This spring, Newcastle Art Gallery welcomes esteemed Samoan-Australian artist Angela Tiatia for the largest survey of her 20-year practice. Across video, photography and installations, Tiatia – whose work has shown at Frieze London Art Fair, Tate Modern and Venice Biennale – explores climate, capitalism and colonisation, and their effects on Pasifika communities.

Exhibiting from September 26 to February 7, 2027. Book your tickets.

AA Murakami: New Spring

In an Australian first, London- and Tokyo-based artistic duo Azusa Murakami and Alexander Groves – better known as AA Murakami – bring their cutting-edge immersive art to the gallery with a free entry installation. New Spring is a multisensory work that blends natural phenomena and the duo’s custom-designed technology, with thousands of mist-filled bubbles falling like flowers from tree-like sculptures.

On display from September 26 to January 31, 2027. Find out more.

Anh Do: Seeing with Both Eyes

You’ll know comedian Anh Do from his standup sets and from painting celebrity portraits on Anh’s Brush with Fame. Now, the two-time Archibald Prize finalist puts his brush front and centre in his first ever solo exhibition. Anh Do: Seeing with Both Eyes brings together the artist’s distinctive body of work, including his portrait of the late Bunurong and Wiradjuri actor Uncle Jack Charles, which won the People’s Choice Award at the 2017 Archibald, early character sketches that developed into best-selling children's book series, as well as new and never before seen landscapes.

Exhibiting from November 28 to March 28, 2027. Book your tickets.

Studio Weekends

So, you’ve seen the art and want to get involved? The free and family-friendly Studio Weekends are hands-on art-making sessions taking cues from the exhibitions currently on display. Run by gallery staff who are practicing artists and creatives, the experience is all about making the artistic process approachable for all ages and abilities – no prior experience needed.

Running Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 12pm. Find out more.

Friday Night Sounds

Come for the after-hours art, stay for the enchanting Friday Night Sounds line-up of local and national musicians. Set among the gallery’s displays, each gig takes place alongside creative workshops and unexpected activations. Entry to Friday Night Sounds is free of charge, with some ticketed exhibitions and activities. Check the website for the upcoming schedule.

Running on the last Friday night of the month throughout the year (except for December) from 5pm to 8pm. Learn more. 

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with City of Newcastle.