The University Galleries, Newcastle

About the Gallery

The University Galleries consists of The University Gallery, Watt Space Gallery, and The Senta Taft Hendry Museum

The University Gallery is renowned for ideas driven contemporary exhibitions from art practitioners and researchers – locally, nationally, internationally and from our own University community. For over 25 years it has been a site for cross-disciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange that champions creative thinking and engagement. Set in an award-winning building designed by internationally renowned Alumnus, Peter Stutchbury, the University Gallery exhibits a wide range of artistic production from First Nations artists, international exchanges, touring and local artists. Throughout the year our calendar continues to present a dynamic series of innovative and diverse exhibitions and events, curated in support of our students, our researchers, our staff and our community.

The Watt Space Gallery is the longest running student gallery in Australia and continues to excite audiences through its diverse and dynamic calendar. Located in the heart of Newcastle, Watt Space is a centre for contemporary ideas. Since its establishment in 1989, Watt Space has been a community leader in innovation and creative experimentation. The gallery has a proud legacy of featuring talented emerging and established cross-disciplinary artists and curators. Watt Space Gallery is committed to its long history of student professional development opportunities and is continually evolving to best serve our student community. Our student internship placements challenge students to step outside their comfort zone, inspire new ways of thinking and acquire practical, transferable workplace skills in a supportive and fast-paced environment.

The Senta Taft Hendry Museum is a dedicated knowledge keeping place located underneath the University Gallery. Housing a culturally significant and diverse collection of items from Oceania, the Museum was originally established in 2011 to house the generous donation of works collected by Senta Taft Hendry, who began acquiring objects from the 1950s during her travels throughout Papua New Guinea, surrounding Pacific islands and numerous Australian Top End communities. Today, the Museum displays a growing collection of over 200 unique items with thanks to numerous additional objects from generous donors.

Collection Strengths

The University Art Collection is a growing collection of over 2,700 individual works of art and culturally significant material that contributes to the learning, enjoyment and wellbeing of our community and adds to the unique culture and built environment of the University of Newcastle.

Since the Collection’s establishment over sixty years ago, the University Art Collection has continually evolved to reflect the best of both regional and nationally significant creative practices. In recent years the Collection has focussed on the acquisition of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island artwork and our Collection constitutes over one third Indigenous art created by artists from across the breadth of Australia. The diversity of artworks that comprise the Art Collection speak to the University of Newcastle’s reputation as an institution that values innovation, equity and excellence through learning and creative thinking practices.

The Art Collection encapsulates both a proud history and a mission to support and respond to progressive and contemporary issues, today and into the future.

Exhibition Spaces

The University Gallery exhibition space totals 226.5 square metres, 62 lineal metres and 2.9m wall height.

Watt Space Gallery has four exhibition spaces. Gallery One is 56.14 square metres, 31.08 lineal meters and 3.2m wall height. Gallery Two is 21.47 square metres, 17.53 lineal metres and 3.7m wall height. Gallery Three is 12.28 sqaure metres, 11.77 lineal metres and 3.7m wall height. The Media Space is 15.2 square metres, 12.07 lineal metres and 3.6m wall height.