First Nations culture will be front and centre when Newcastle Art Gallery opens the doors to parts of its long-awaited expansion during the New Annual festival next month.
Visitors will be among the first to step inside the double-height atrium and three brand-new gallery spaces as the city celebrates this major cultural milestone.
The Gallery has commissioned significant new works from Newcastle-based artists Renae Lamb and Adam Manning to welcome visitors into the redeveloped building.
Lamb’s striking songlines design, permanently set into the concrete floor of the atrium, and Manning’s immersive soundscape, weaving together five unique sound environments from Awabakal Country, will provide an immediate and powerful connection to culture and place.
These works will sit alongside suspended sculptures by Awabakal artist Shellie Smith and Quandamooka artist Megan Cope, embedding Indigenous creativity into the very fabric of the Gallery.
Visitors will also be able to experience significant works from the Gallery’s nationally important collection, as well as explore a new gallery shop and Learning Studio.
The inaugural window commission by Newcastle artist Maggie Hensel-Brown will also be unveiled, adding another layer of local creativity to the refreshed spaces.
While the full $145 million collection won’t return until the grand reopening in February next year, the first-look program offers a rare preview of the transformation in progress.
Guided tours will run free of charge each Friday to Sunday, giving the community a taste of the scale and ambition behind the project, which has been supported by all levels of government, the Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation, and the local community.
Newcastle audiences can take part in the first look from next month as part of New Annual. Timed entry will be available each weekend, with free guided tours on offer. For updates on the expansion project and to sign up for the tours, visit newcastleartgallery.nsw.gov.au.
