Your Guide to Art Exhibitions Across Australia
Immerse yourself in the dynamic realm of Australian art and culture,
brought to life by an eclectic range of exhibitions. Take a sneak peek
into the ongoing showcase of creativity that awaits you.
VIC
65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art
May 30 - November 22 2025
Potter Museum of Art
After an extensive period of renovation and renewal, the Potter Museum of Art at the University of Melbourne has finally re-opened with its debut exhibition ‘65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art.’ Featuring more than 400 works, ‘65,000 Years’ celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, whilst also comprehensively exploring Australia’s dark colonial history.
Australian Tonalism: A selection from the John and Peter Perry Collection
Open until July 27
Hawthorn Town Hall Gallery
The Town Hall Gallery’s exhibition Australian Tonalism is a vivid exploration of Australian art history. Drawing on the private collection of John and Peter Perry, this exhibition focuses on Tonalism, a Melbourne-based art movement that grew in popularity following World War I. Featuring artists such as Max Meldrum and Clarice Beckett, this exhibition is a celebration of Australian modernism at its best.
BRETT WHITELEY: INSIDE THE STUDIO
June 28 - October 5
Shepparton Art Museum
One of Australia’s most iconic artists, this exhibition provides a fascinating insight into the life and creative practice of Brett Whiteley. Drawing from the collections of the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the Brett Whiteley Studio, Whiteley’s multidisciplinary artistic genius will be on full display, with his iconic paintings and prints featured alongside sculptures, photographs, and collages. For all fans of Whiteley’s works and wanting an intimate look inside his studio life, this exhibition will be a must-see.
A Modern Turn
March 16 - September 28
Castlemaine Art Museum
With a focus on the development of modernism in Australia, Castlemaine Art Museum’s ‘A Modern Turn’ is a vivid celebration of Australian art, embracing a broad range of artists and art styles. This exhibition features artists such as Dorothy Braund, Eric Thake, and Sybil Craig and includes works across various mediums that individually speak to what it means to embrace modernity. For fans of 20th Century Australian art, this exhibition should not be missed.
NSW
Archibald, Wynne, Sulman Prizes 2025
10 May - 17 August
Art Gallery of New South Wales
Held annually at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Archibald, Wynne, Sulman Prizes are the most well renowned art competitions in Australia. Celebrating Australian contributions to the portraiture and landscape genres, the Archibald, Wynne, and Sulman prizes are infamously known for their ability to spark national conversations about art. Seeing these artworks in person offers visitors the chance to see Australian art history be made first-hand.
CLARICE BECKETT Paintings from the National Collection
Clarice Beckett 'Yellow Leaves, Alexandra Avenue'
3 June - 7 September
Wagga Wagga Art Gallery
On view for the first time, the works of Clarice Beckett which were donated by the artist’s sister in 1972 are touring the nation. Capturing the life and scenery of her coastal neighbourhood, Beckett was deeply attuned to the effects of colour, light and atmosphere on her surroundings. Her innate sensibility led to the creation of her iconic images, which evoke the simple joy in suburbia and fleeting nature of a stable environment during the beginning of modernisation.
ACT
Cézanne to Giacometti: Highlights from Museum Berggruen / Neue Nationalgalerie
May 24 - September 21
National Gallery of Australia
The relationships between groundbreaking European modern artists and their Australian counterparts lies at the core of the NGA’s latest exhibition. Drawing from the ‘Museum Berggruen / Neue Nationalgalerie’ in Germany, this exhibition of over 150 works showcases some of Europe’s most celebrated modernist painters, and illuminates how Australian artists introduced these new practices to Australian art audiences.
QLD
Spectrum
July 5 2025 - February 8 2026
Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art
The QAGOMA’s newest exhibition ‘Spectrum’ delves into the vivid world of Australian abstract paintings, with a focus on the developments of modernism in Australia and the rise of the Abstract art movement. Featuring artists such as John Peart, Helga Groves and Michael Johnson, this exhibition covers a dynamic range of art, from the 1960s to the Contemporary era. For lovers of Australian abstract art, this exhibition is a must-see.
National Interest: Australian Art in the 20th Century
Until February 21 2027
Hervey Bay Regional Gallery
Hervey Bay Regional Gallery’s ‘National Interests’ exhibition is an exploration of the development of modernism in Australia. Pairing works from the gallery’s own collection with significant works from the National Gallery of Australia, this exhibition delves into the interconnected nature of Australian nationalism and the creation of a distinct national art movement. Featuring artists such as Arthur Boyd, Keith Namatjira, Sidney Nolan, and Margaret Preston, this exhibition captures the broad scope of modernism in Australia.
Enjoy This Trip: The art of music posters
June 7 - August 17
HOTA: Home of the Arts, Surfers Paradise
Drawn from the National Gallery of Australia’s extensive collection, Enjoy This Trip is a celebration of Australia’s vivid music history. Showcasing music posters from the 1960s to the 1980s, this exhibition is one of nostalgic exploration, inviting visitors to be transported back in time.
SA
Dangerously Modern: Australian Women Artists in Europe 1890–1940
Thea Proctor ‘The Spotted Jug’
May 24 - September 7
Art Gallery of South Australia
The role that female Australian female artists played in the development of modernist art is a narrative that has long been overlooked in the art historical canon. The AGSA’s Dangerously Modern is a celebration of female artistic ingenuity. Featuring more than 200 works of art, this exhibition is a journey of discovery, highlighting some of Australia’s best known 20th century female artists.
Rethinking Australian Art
Philippe Le Miere ‘Alice Kelly and Family’
Currently Showing
Art Gallery of South Australia
By re-hanging these selected artworks from their collection, the Art Gallery of South Australia aims to re-explore Australian Art History. Challenging the notion of a national art scene that was isolated or singular, this presentation of art showcases the intricate and revolutionary shifts that took place in Australian art following the Second World War - including the emergence of Aboriginal art, the momentum of the Feminist art movement, and the ascent of conceptual art and postmodernism.