Art Gallery of New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Art Gallery of New South Wales

Facade of the Vernon building and its main entrance
Established	1874; 151 years ago (1874)
Location	The Domain, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Type	Fine arts, visual arts, Asian arts
Visitors	1,349,000 (2016)
Public transit access	St James rail (15 minute walk) Martin Place rail (20 minute walk)Sydney buses

The Art Gallery of New South Wales (AGNSW) is a famous art museum in The Domain, Sydney, Australia. It started as the New South Wales Academy of Art in 1872. Later, it was known as the National Art Gallery of New South Wales from 1883 to 1958. Today, it is one of the biggest and most important public art galleries in Australia.

The gallery first opened its doors to the public in 1874. You can visit the main exhibition areas for free. These areas show amazing art from Australia, including Indigenous Australian art, as well as art from Europe and Asia. A special gallery just for Asian art opened in 2003.

History of the Art Gallery of NSW

How the Gallery Began (1800s)

Garden Palace

The Art Gallery of New South Wales (c. 1900)

In 1871, people in Sydney decided to create an Academy of Art. Their goal was to promote fine arts through classes and exhibitions. The New South Wales Academy of Art officially started in 1872. Its first main activity was organizing yearly art shows.

The very first exhibition of local art was held in 1874. That same year, the gallery bought its first artwork by an Australian artist, Apsley Falls by Conrad Martens. The government also started giving money to help the gallery grow.

At first, the gallery's collection was shown in a different building. In 1879, it moved to a wooden building next to the Garden Palace. This new location officially opened as the Art Gallery of New South Wales in September 1880. The gallery believed that everyone should be able to enjoy art, so they even opened on Sunday afternoons.

Sadly, the Garden Palace burned down in 1882. This made it urgent to find a permanent home for the art collection. In 1883, the gallery changed its name to the National Art Gallery of New South Wales.

In 1895, a new government architect, Walter Liberty Vernon, was chosen to design the permanent gallery building. The first parts of his design opened in 1897. More sections were added in 1899 and 1901. By 1902, the beautiful Grand Oval Lobby was finished.

Growing and Changing (1900s)

Offerings of Peace
(left side of facade)
Inscription: The Real and Lasting Victories Are those of Peace and Not of War.

Offerings of War
(right side of facade)
Inscription: That our House may stand forever and that Justice and Mercy grow.

In 1906, over 300,000 people visited the gallery to see Holman Hunt's famous painting, The Light of the World. The gallery also became home to important art prizes. The first Archibald Prize was awarded in 1921 for portrait painting. The Sulman Prize for genre painting and the Wynne Prize for landscape painting also started here.

In 1926, two large statues called The Offerings of Peace and The Offerings of War were placed in front of the gallery. In 1938, Nora Heysen became the first woman to win the Archibald Prize. That same year, electric lights were installed, allowing the gallery to stay open at night for the first time.

On July 1, 1958, the gallery's name officially changed back to the "Art Gallery of New South Wales."

In 1969, construction began on the Captain Cook wing. This new part of the gallery opened in 1972. In 1975, the gallery held a huge exhibition called "Modern Masters: Monet to Matisse," which attracted 180,000 visitors. The Biennale of Sydney, a major art event, was held at the gallery for the first time in 1976.

The gallery continued to grow. In 1988, major extensions were completed, doubling the gallery's size. In 1994, the Yiribana Gallery opened. This special gallery is dedicated to art by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.

The Gallery in the 21st Century

Art Gallery of New South Wales Sydney with Hermitage Exhibition banners, November 2018.

In 2003, the gallery started its "Art After Hours" program, staying open later on Wednesdays. A new Asian gallery also opened, showcasing art from across Asia. In 2005, the gallery launched "myVirtualGallery" on its website, allowing people to explore art online.

A painting by Frans van Mieris the Elder was stolen from the gallery in 2007. This led to discussions about increasing security. In 2008, the gallery bought Paul Cézanne's painting Bords de la Marne for a record A$16.2 million. Also, the John Kaldor Family Collection, with over 260 works of international contemporary art, was donated to the gallery.

The gallery and surrounds, 2019

In 2010, new contemporary art spaces were created. The gallery also received a generous gift of 142 artworks and A$5 million from Mollie Gowing. This money helps buy new art, especially Indigenous art.

In 2011, an exhibition of China's Terracotta Warriors attracted over 305,000 visitors. Edmund Capon retired in 2011 after 33 years as director. Michael Brand became the new director in 2012. That same year, an exhibition of Pablo Picasso's works drew almost 365,000 visitors, setting a new record for the gallery.

The "Sydney Modern" extension

In 2013, the gallery announced a big plan called Sydney Modern. This project aimed to greatly expand the gallery by 2021. The NSW Government provided A$10.8 million for the planning stages. An international competition was held to choose the design for the new building.

The winning design was by Japanese architects SANAA. This expansion project cost $344 million, with $244 million from the NSW government. The new extension opened in December 2022, almost doubling the gallery's exhibition space. It features many contemporary and installation artworks, with a special focus on First Nations art. The new spaces have large windows with views of Sydney Harbour. They even turned an old underground oil bunker into a unique gallery space called the Tank.

Buildings of the Art Gallery

The Vernon Building

The Vernon designed wing

In 1895, Walter Liberty Vernon was chosen to design the main gallery building. He wanted a classical style, like an ancient temple, for the art museum.

Vernon's building was constructed in four stages. The first part opened in May 1897. By 1901, the entire southern half of the building was complete. People at the time noted how well the building was lit and how the wall colors made a great background for the art.

Old court by Vernon

Main court with a ceiling hung work titled Rally 2014 by Nike Savvas (2014)

The front of the gallery was finished in 1909. However, Vernon's full plans for a large Central Court were never built.

Captain Cook Wing

In 1968, the government decided to complete the gallery as part of the Captain Cook Bicentenary celebrations. This new section, called the Captain Cook wing, opened in November 1972. The architect, Andrew Andersons, designed this wing to look different from the older, classical part. He wanted to show a mix of old and new styles.

The Captain Cook wing used modern materials like travertine flooring. It also had flexible display areas with special lighting and movable walls. This allowed the gallery to change how art was displayed more easily.

The left wall of Art Gallery of New South Wales

Bicentennial Extension

Sixteen years later, in 1988, another large extension was built. This addition doubled the gallery's size again. It added more space for art collections and temporary exhibitions. It also included a new Asian gallery, a theatre, a cafe with views of Woolloomooloo Bay, and a sculpture garden on the roof. Escalators connect the different levels of exhibition spaces.

Asian Art Gallery Expansion

A new and expanded space for Asian art was built and opened in 2003. This addition is known for its glowing, translucent outer walls that look like a "light box" at night. It added 720 square meters of space for both temporary and permanent exhibitions.

The design was by Sydney architect Richard Johnson. It was described as a "floating white glass and steel cube." This new space showcases art from all over Asia, including Buddhist and Hindu art, Indian sculptures, Chinese ceramics, and Japanese works.

Sydney Modern Project

The atrium of the "Sydney Modern" extension

Staircase into the new, underground Tank gallery space in a disused oil bunker.

The "Sydney Modern" project was a major expansion designed by Tokyo architects SANAA. This new extension opened in December 2022. It nearly doubled the gallery's total exhibition space to 16,000 square meters.

The new building features modern, cascading exhibition areas with large windows that offer views of Sydney Harbour. One of its most unique features is the "Tank" gallery. This space was created by turning a large, old underground oil bunker into a cool, columned art gallery. The new extension focuses on contemporary art and especially on art by First Nations artists.

Art Collections

The Art Gallery of New South Wales has a huge collection of art. It started in 1871 with European works and later added important Australian paintings.

The collection is divided into several main categories:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art

The gallery didn't have much Indigenous Australian art until the mid-1900s. In 1948, it received a gift of bark and paper paintings. Later, in 1959, 17 Pukamani grave posts from the Tiwi Islands were placed outside the gallery. This helped people see Aboriginal art as important contemporary art.

The first Indigenous curators were hired in 1984. In 1994, the Yiribana Gallery opened. This gallery is completely dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art. The collection includes early works from the late 1800s, desert paintings, bark paintings from coastal communities, and modern art by contemporary Indigenous artists.

Asian Art

The Asian art collection began in 1879 with a gift of ceramics and bronzes from Japan. Since then, it has grown to include a wide range of art from South, Southeast, and East Asia.

Australian Art

The Australian art collection goes back to the early 1800s. It features famous 19th-century Australian artists like Arthur Streeton, Tom Roberts, and Frederick McCubbin.

The collection also includes many important 20th-century Australian artists such as Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan, and Brett Whiteley.

Selected Australian Artworks

• 

  John Glover, Natives on the Ouse River, Van Diemen's Land, 1838

• 

  Arthur Streeton, Fire's on, 1891

• 

  Charles Conder, The hot sands, Mustapha, Algiers, 1891

• 

  John Russell, In the Afternoon, 1891

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  Tom Roberts, Bailed Up, 1895

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  Frederick McCubbin, On the Wallaby Track, 1896

• 

  George Washington Lambert, Thea Proctor, 1903

• 

  Hugh Ramsay, The Sisters, 1904

• 

  E Phillips Fox, The Ferry, 1910

• 

  Elioth Gruner, Spring Frost, 1919

• 

  Clarice Beckett, Evening, St Kilda Road, 1930

Contemporary Art

The contemporary art collection includes international, Asian, Western, and Australian art in all forms. Thanks to the John Kaldor Family Collection, the gallery has one of Australia's best collections of contemporary art from the 1960s to today. It focuses on modern art movements like conceptual art and minimalism.

Pacific Art

The collection of art from the Pacific region started in 1962. Between 1968 and 1977, the gallery acquired over 500 works from the Moriarty Collection. This is one of the largest and most important private collections of New Guinea Highlands art in the world.

Photography

The photography collection features many important artists like Tracey Moffatt and Bill Henson. It includes Australian photography from different periods, such as early 19th-century works and modern photojournalism. International photographs include European avant-garde art and American photo-documentary works.

Western Art

The gallery has a large collection of British Victorian art, with major works by artists like Frederic Leighton. It also has European art from the 15th to 18th centuries, including pieces by Peter Paul Rubens and Canaletto. These works are displayed alongside 19th-century art by famous artists like Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Paul Cézanne.

The collection also includes important 20th-century British art and major European artists such as Pablo Picasso and Alberto Giacometti.

Selected Western Artworks

• 

  Benjamin West, Joshua passing the River Jordan with the Ark of the Covenant, 1800

• 

  John Constable, Landscape with goatherd and goats, 1823

• 

  Eugène Delacroix, Angelica and the wounded Medoro, 1860

• 

  James Tissot, The Widower, 1876

• 

  John William Waterhouse, Diogenes, 1882

• 

  Lord Frederic Leighton, Cymon and Iphigenia, 1884

• 

  Vincent van Gogh, Head of a Peasant, 1884

• 

  Claude Monet, Port-Goulphar, Belle-Île, 1887

• 

  Paul Cézanne, Banks of the Marne, 1888

• 

  Edward Poynter, The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, 1890

• 

  Édouard Detaille, Vive L'Empereur, 1891

• 

  Samuel Peploe Still life – Apples and Jar, c. 1912

Temporary Exhibitions

Amida celestial Buddha

The gallery hosts about 40 temporary exhibitions each year. Some of these require an entry fee. The gallery is also home to major Australian art prizes. These include the famous Archibald Prize, the Sulman, Wynne, and Dobell art prizes. The gallery also shows ARTEXPRESS, which displays amazing artworks by high school students from New South Wales.

The National Exhibition

The National is a special series of art exhibitions that happens every two years. It features contemporary Australian artists. This event is a partnership between the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Carriageworks, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA). The first "National" exhibition was held in 2017.

The National 2021: New Australian Art was the third in the series. It showcased new projects by 39 artists and groups.

Brett Whiteley Studio

The Brett Whiteley Studio is located at 2 Raper Street, Surry Hills. This was the actual workplace and home of the Australian artist Brett Whiteley (1939–1992). Since 1995, the Art Gallery of NSW has managed it as a museum.

Gallery Programs and Facilities

The gallery offers many programs for visitors:

• Education: They create resources for students of all ages, linking to the art collection and exhibitions.
• Volunteer Guides: Guides give tours of the art and exhibitions to school groups, members, and other visitors.
• Conservation: Experts work to protect and preserve artworks. They prevent damage and ensure art is safely displayed, stored, or moved.
• Public Programs: The gallery hosts talks, films, performances, courses, and workshops. They also have programs to help people with special needs access the art.

Bicentennial Wing – contemporary art spaces at the escalators (2014)

The gallery also has useful facilities:

• Cafe
• Restaurant
• Library and archive
• Study room
• Gallery Shop
• Centenary Auditorium (90 seats)
• Domain Theatre (339 seats)

How the Gallery is Run

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is a special organization created by law. It is led by a board of trustees. The gallery also supports other groups, like the Art Gallery of NSW Foundation. This Foundation is the main fund for buying new art. It raises money from donations and uses it to purchase artworks for the collection.

The gallery also has strong support from companies like Aqualand Projects and JPMorgan Chase.

VisAsia is an organization that promotes Asian arts and culture. The Brett Whiteley Foundation helps people learn about and appreciate the art of Brett Whiteley. The Art Gallery Society of NSW is a membership group that helps members enjoy art and raises money for the gallery's collection.

Directors of the Gallery

Board of Trustees

The board of trustees has ten members, including a president and vice president. At least two members must be knowledgeable about visual arts.

Presidents of the Board

See Also

In Spanish: Galería de Arte de Nueva Gales del Sur para niños

• Bill Boustead, senior conservator 1954–1977
• List of national galleries
• List of largest art museums