Grand Reopening of Newcastle Art Gallery Set for February 2026

The reimagined Newcastle Art Gallery – the largest public gallery in NSW outside Sydney – will reopen in February 2026 after a major expansion that has more than doubled its size.

Originating from a bequest in 1945, the existing Gallery building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on Friday 11 March 1977 and today holds one of the finest public art collections in Australia, consisting of over 7,000 works of art valued at $145 million.

Designed by award-winning architects Clare Design, in collaboration with Smith and Tzannes Architects and Arup Engineers, the expansion builds on the original brutalist architecture with an additional 1,600 square metres of exhibition space, a secure international standard loading dock, a new café, retail shop, multi-purpose program space and learning studio. The redevelopment enables the Gallery to present long-term displays of its world-class permanent collection for the first time, alongside ambitious Australian and international exhibitions.

The grand reopening will be headlined by Iconic, Loved, Unexpected, the first large-scale presentation of the Gallery’s nationally renowned collection. Spanning two levels, the exhibition brings together national icons, well-loved favourites and unexpected gems, including never before and rarely seen works.

More than 500 works of art by local, national and global artists from the early-nineteenth century to today will be presented, including works by renowned artists with local connections, Joseph Lycett, William Dobell, Margaret Olley, John Olsen, Nell and Lottie Consalvo; nationally and globally-recognised First Nations artists Emily Kam Kngwarray, Sally Gabori, Tracey Moffatt, Archie Moore and Albert Namatjira, alongside works by international artists from French sculptor Auguste Rodin to Japanese avant garde ceramicist Kazuo Yagi.

A companion publication delving into 165 works from the collection will be released for pre-sale ahead of the reopening. Accompanied by short texts written from a range of perspectives including art historians, academics and curators, alongside contributions by poet Jazz Money, climate scientist Joëlle Gergis, historian Santilla Chingaipe and futurist Ana Tiquia, the publication offers fascinating insights and alternative ways to consider the collection.

To celebrate the reopening, Newcastle Art Gallery has commissioned a series of new works by Australian artists presented across the site.

Internationally renowned artist Fayen d’Evie has created two architectural-scale sculptures, titled (reflecting air) “…Touch enabled her to discern minute details… which often pass unnoticed…”, to improve accessibility of the floating staircases from the original 1977-built Art Gallery for visitors who are blind or have low vision, incorporating tactile versions of key works of art to interpret the collection through touch. Wiradjuri and Wongaibon artist Renae Lamb presents Dabuyarra murun: A story of life, legacy, and connection (2025) inspired by strong women and connecting stories, installed where the original 1977 building and the new expansion meet.

A four metre-high sculpture by seventh generation Novocastrian and proud Awabakal descendant Shellie Smith in collaboration with fabricator Julie Squires, will greet visitors from above the front entry. One of the first major commissions for the artist, the work, made up of 30 cast aluminium fish shimmering in a spiralling school, is inspired by the artist’s fishing experiences with her grandmother in Port Stephens, the connection between the Awabakal people and their Saltwater Country, and a rare possum skin cloak in the Smithsonian collection.

The significant work Kinyingarra Guwinyanba (Off Country) (2022) by acclaimed Quandamooka artist Megan Cope, featuring 44 poles adorned with a bouquet of rock oyster shells, is suspended within the new central atrium, placing this recent acquisition in the heart of the new expanded building.

Music composer Adam Manning, born on Awabakal/Worimi Country and with Kamilaroi kinship, will present a Sonic Acknowledgement of Country, comprising five distinct soundscapes drawn from Awabakal and Worimi Country in areas surrounding Newcastle. A large-scale window decal commission will also be on display by Newcastle-based artist Maggie Hensel-Brown, using traditional lacemaking techniques to create contemporary works of storytelling, presented across the windows of the Gallery’s Learning Studio.

To mark the launch of the New Annual Festival on 26 September, Newcastle Art Gallery will unveil three new gallery spaces, the gallery shop, learning studio and new commissions. The Gallery will be open each Friday to Sunday with timed entry and free guided tours during this period, before the grand reopening in February 2026 when the Gallery will be open seven days a week.

City of Newcastle CEO Jeremy Bath said the completion of the expanded Art Gallery is the city’s largest ever capital works project.

“While the almost $50 million cost to double the size of the Gallery is significant, it’s a fraction of the value of the $145 million collection it will soon exhibit. Finally, some 49 years after its first incarnation, we are ready to remove the covers of this new version of the Newcastle Art Gallery. This is a purpose-built building that ensures the Newcastle Art Gallery rightly takes its place as one of Australia’s leading cultural institutions. The result has been made possible through a decade of local political courage, commenced at a time when investment in cultural infrastructure was not recognised as a contributing piece of the local economy as it is today. Typically, if a project’s gestation is more than 10 years then it simply doesn’t happen. Fortunately, the expanded Newcastle Art Gallery has been important enough to our city to ensure we get to the finish line in February next year.”

“The grand reopening of Newcastle Art Gallery marks a bold new chapter for our city’s vibrant arts scene, positioning the Gallery as a cultural landmark for New South Wales,” said Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton OAM.

“Since the bequest from Dr Roland Pope 80 years ago, our collection has grown by over 500 per cent, and the expansion allows us to share these incredible works with our visitors in a major new way. It felt important that we reopen the Gallery with the first in-depth look at our collection, one that celebrates national icons from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, while also revealing the untold stories of artists whose work has too often been overlooked. First Nations culture will be at the heart of our first look inside the expanded Gallery in September, with visitors able to experience significant works by First Nations artists in the collection alongside new commissions. We look forward to revealing more details for our grand reopening program in the coming months.”

Newcastle Art Gallery recently announced a major gift of 25 works of art from the private collection of Simon Mordant AO and Catriona Mordant AM, the largest number of works of art the leading philanthropists have ever gifted to one institution. An exhibition celebrating the significant acquisition will be presented as part of the reimagined Gallery’s inaugural exhibition program.

More information: newcastleartgallery.nsw.gov.au

Further information on the grand reopening and 2026 exhibition program will be announced in the coming months.