Newcastle Art Gallery Reopens with $48M Redevelopment and 'Iconic Loved Unexpected'
After being closed for four years and undergoing a $48 million renovation, the Newcastle Art Gallery in New South Wales has reopened its doors with the exhibition titled 'Iconic Loved Unexpected.' According to Director Lauretta Morton, the revamped space now allows for the permanent exhibition of the collection for the first time. This showcase includes significant pieces that shape the gallery's identity, such as Megan Cope's 'Kinyingarra guwinyanba (Off Country)' (2022). The collection spans over 130 works, from Joseph Lycett's 'Inner View of Newcastle' (1818) to 1957. Enhancements like a digital audio guide and accessibility features improve the visitor experience, while notable pairings, including Lycett's landscape alongside Abdul Abdullah's 'The Men Who Sold Lies' (2018), evoke strong emotional reactions from attendees, underscoring the gallery's role as a custodian of art.
Key facts
- Newcastle Art Gallery reopened after a four-year closure and $48 million redevelopment.
- The exhibition 'Iconic Loved Unexpected' marks the first time the collection is on permanent display.
- Director Lauretta Morton stated the redevelopment enables the collection to be out on permanent display for the first time.
- The exhibition opens with Megan Cope's 'Kinyingarra guwinyanba (Off Country)' (2022), following the principle 'First Nations first and women first'.
- The Mary and Richard Owens Gallery displays over 130 works, from Joseph Lycett's 'Inner View of Newcastle' (1818) to 1957, the year the gallery was established.
- Interpretation is provided via a digital audio guide accessed through QR codes, not wall text.
- Accessibility features include tactile steel sculptures and a padded bench beneath John Olsen's 'The sea sun of 5 bells' (1964).
- The pairing of Lycett's 'Inner View of Newcastle' with Abdul Abdullah's 'The Men Who Sold Lies' (2018) creates a dialogue about colonisation and historical memory.
Entities
Artists
- Megan Cope
- Joseph Lycett
- Abdul Abdullah
- John Olsen
- Julian Ashton
- John Ford Paterson
- Arthur Streeton
- Rupert Bunny
- Albert Henry Fullwood
- George Bell
- Charles Bryant
- E. Phillips Fox
- Elioth Gruner
- George W. Lambert
- W. C. Piguenit
- Sophie Steffanoni
- Edith Cusack
- Hilda Rix Nicholas
- W. Lister Lister
- Sydney Long
- Jane Sutherland
- James Quinn
- Fiona Lee
- Dani Marti
- Jemima Wyman
- Tamara Dean
- Savanhdary Vongpoothorn
- Julie Rrap
- Joey Hespe
Institutions
- Newcastle Art Gallery
- Art Almanac
- Maitland Regional Art Gallery
- Newcastle Art Gallery Foundation
Locations
- Newcastle
- Australia
- New South Wales
- Sydney Harbour
- Darling Harbour
- Cornwall
- Royan
- Heidelberg