Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre

About the Gallery

Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre is located on the New England Highway, three hours’ drive northwest of Sydney and under two hours from Newcastle. The town of Muswellbrook lies in the Upper Hunter Region among a diverse rural and industrial economy encompassing coal mining, farming, viticulture, electricity generation and the equine industry.

Achieving regional gallery status in 1976, Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre presents a diverse and engaging exhibition program of curated exhibitions drawn from the collections, local and national art prizes, along with the work of contemporary practicing visual artists in a spacious, historic-meets-modern gallery space.

Collection Strengths

Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre is home to the Muswellbrook Shire Art Collection and Max Watters Collection, both of which were established in the late 1950s. The Max Watters Collection is regarded as one of the most significant collections of its type in rural Australia and showcases some of the most influential names in Australian contemporary art including Tony Tuckson, Grace Cossington-Smith, John Perceval, Robert Dickerson, Garry Shead and Charles Blackman. These works are complemented by the Muswellbrook Shire Art Collection, the core of which are the works acquired as a direct result of the Muswellbrook Art Prize, among the richest art prizes in Australia.

Programming Strengths

Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre hosts three annual acquisitive art prizes – the Muswellbrook Art Prize, Mullins Conceptual Photography Prize and Viola Bromley Art Prize, that building upon the depth and breadth of the collections. The gallery also provides opportunities for the creative development of artists through the Muswellbrook Artist in Residence program, as well as offering art experiences and encouraging cultural engagement through art programs that include a digital public art treasure hunt, children’s detective program, tutored workshops and family activities.

Exhibition Spaces

Five exhibition spaces including a gallery dedicated to the display of curated exhibitions drawn from the permanent collections.