Sydney Art Galleries
From the old masters and the great art movements to splendid colonial and indigenous art and striking contemporary works, you'll discover revered art in Sydney’s leading galleries. Check out the exciting events calendar for national and international art exhibitions in this beautiful harbour city.
The National: New Australian Art presents the latest ideas and forms in contemporary Australian art. See works from more than 60 artists at three of Sydney’s premiere cultural venues – the Art Gallery of NSW, Carriageworks and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia – from 29 March to 21 July.
Australia’s most extraordinary art event returns to the Art Gallery of NSW from 11 May to 8 September. The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes brings together the best portrait, landscape and subject or genre artists for one of the most highly anticipated exhibitions of the year.
For the fusion of Asian and Australian fashion, explore the beautiful designs of one of Australia’s most celebrated fashion designers, Akira Isogawa, at the Powerhouse Museum. The eponymous exhibition is on from 15 December to 30 June and features a wonderful collection of his creations.
The Art Gallery of NSW is Sydney's most important public gallery and showcases significant works of Australian artists and one of the world's largest permanent exhibitions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. Admission is free to the gallery in the Domain, near the Royal Botanic Garden.
Enjoy rolling exhibitions, from international shows to the Archibald Prize for portraiture. Among the many Australian collection highlights are Russell Drysdale's 1945 Walls of China, John Olsen's 1963 Five Bells, Arthur Streeton's 1891 Fire's On and Frederick McCubbin's 1896 On the Wallaby Track.
The gallery's elegant Chiswick restaurant and the Café at the Gallery have vistas of Sydney Harbour and the heritage Finger Wharf in Woolloomooloo. From the gallery, you can stroll through the Royal Botanic Garden to the Sydney Opera House and to the Museum of Contemporary Art in The Rocks.
The MCA, which has a rooftop cafe with gorgeous views of the Sydney Opera House, has an emphasis on living artists and includes paintings, photography, video, sculpture and installation art. Walk to nearby Observatory Hill for the S.H. Erwin Gallery in the historic National Trust Centre.
A diverse range of splendid independent galleries worth visiting include the Olsen Irwin Gallery in Woollahra, the Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation in Paddington and the White Rabbit Gallery, which displays modern Chinese art in Chippendale, a stroll from the bustling streets of Chinatown.