Newcastle Art Gallery is set to become the largest public gallery in New South Wales outside of Sydney, with plans now revealed for its grand reopening in February 2026. The expanded facility will feature an additional 1,600 square meters of exhibition space and will debut with "Iconic, Loved, Unexpected," the first large-scale showcase of the gallery's nationally renowned collection, including rarely seen and never-before-displayed works.
With more than 7,000 pieces in the collection valued at $145 million, the gallery building has nearly doubled in size to accommodate this extensive artistic treasure trove. Newcastle Art Gallery Director Lauretta Morton described the grand reopening as marking a bold new chapter for the city's vibrant arts scene.
"Since the bequest from Dr. Roland Pope 80 years ago, our collection has grown by over 500 percent, and the expansion allows us to share these incredible works with our visitors in a major new way," Morton explained. "It felt important that we reopen the gallery with the first in-depth look at our collection, one that celebrates national icons from the 19th and 20th centuries, while also revealing the untold stories of artists whose work has too often been overlooked."
Morton emphasized that First Nations culture will be at the heart of the first look inside the expanded gallery. More than 500 works of art by artists spanning from the early 19th century to today will be presented in "Iconic, Loved, Unexpected." The exhibition will showcase works by renowned artists including Joseph Lycett, William Dobell, Margaret Olley, John Olsen, Nell and Lottie Consalvo, alongside prominent First Nations artists Emily Kam Kngwarray, Sally Gabori, Tracey Moffat, Archie Moore, and Albert Namatjira.
The inaugural exhibition will also feature international artists, ranging from French sculptor Auguste Rodin to Japanese avant-garde ceramicist Kazuo Yagi. Newcastle Art Gallery recently announced a major gift of 25 works of art from the private collection of investment banker Simon Mordant and his wife Catriona, a theater costume designer and art director. This donation represents the largest gift the couple has ever given to a single institution and includes works on paper by Ngarrindjeri artist Ian Abdulla, a collage combining digital print and oil by John Young, and sculptures by local Newcastle artist Jamie North.
To celebrate the reopening, Newcastle Art Gallery has commissioned a series of works by Australian artists specifically for the new space. Internationally renowned artist Fayen D'Evie has created two architectural-scale sculptures designed to improve accessibility of the floating staircases from the original 1977-built gallery for visitors who are blind or have low vision. These sculptures incorporate tactile versions of key works of art, allowing visitors to interpret the collection through touch.
Wiradjuri and Wongaibon artist Renae Lamb will present "Dabuyarra murun: A story of life, legacy, and connection" (2025), a work inspired by strong women and connecting stories, strategically installed where the original 1977 building meets the new expansion. A four-meter-high sculpture by seventh-generation Newcastle resident and proud Awabakal descendant Shellie Smith, created in collaboration with fabricator Julie Squires, will greet visitors from above the front entry.
This commission represents one of the first major works for Smith and consists of 30 cast aluminum fish shimmering in a spiral school formation. The piece draws inspiration from the artist's fishing experiences with her grandmother in Port Stephens, the deep connection between the Awabakal people and their Saltwater Country, and a rare possum skin cloak housed in the Smithsonian collection.
Suspended in the new central atrium is "Kinyingarra Guwinyanba (Off Country)" (2022) by Quandamooka artist Megan Cope, featuring 44 poles adorned with a bouquet of rock oyster shells. Music composer Adam Manning, born on Awabakal/Worimi Country and with Kamilaroi kinship, will present a Sonic Acknowledgement of Country comprising five distinct soundscapes drawn from Awabakal and Worimi Country in the Newcastle area.
Additionally, a large-scale window decal commission will be displayed by Newcastle-based artist Maggie Hensel-Brown, who uses traditional lacemaking techniques to create contemporary works of storytelling. This piece will be presented across the windows of the gallery's learning studio.
To mark the start of the New Annual Festival on September 26, the gallery will unveil its shop, learning studio, and new commissions. The gallery will operate on a limited schedule, opening each Friday through Sunday with timed entry and free guided tours before the full grand opening in February, when it will be open seven days a week.
City of Newcastle Chief Executive Jeremy Bath described the gallery expansion as the city's biggest ever capital works project. "While the almost $50 million cost to double the size of the gallery is significant, it's a fraction of the value of the $145 million collection it will soon exhibit," he stated. "Finally, some 49 years after its first incarnation, we are ready to remove the covers of this new version of the Newcastle Art Gallery."
The final cost of the project will only be determined when construction is complete. According to Newcastle Council's contract register, the art gallery construction price sits at $51.75 million, including $3.5 million in variations. Bath noted that 100 percent of the GST payable on the gallery expansion is refunded to the City of Newcastle, making the actual cost $47.05 million.
Bath credited the expansion to "a decade of local political courage" during a time when investment in cultural infrastructure was not widely recognized as a contributing piece of the local economy. "Typically, if a project's gestation is more than 10 years, then it simply doesn't happen," he observed. "Fortunately, the expanded Newcastle Art Gallery has been important enough to our city to ensure we get to the finish line in February next year."
The building was designed by award-winning architects Clare Design in collaboration with Smith and Tzannes Architects and Arup Engineers. A publication exploring 165 works from the collection will be released for pre-sale ahead of the reopening. Further information about the grand reopening and the complete 2026 exhibition program will be announced in the coming months.
