At Smith & Singer's auction of Important Australian Art in Sydney, three paintings sold for over a million dollars each, led by Howard Arkley's 'Contemporary Units' (1988) at $2 million. In-room bidders secured the top lots, with collectors crowding the auction room despite rainy weather.
Sydney Fringe Festival has announced its full 2025 program, featuring over 460 events and more than 2,900 artists across four precincts and ten festival hubs this September. Highlights include the immersive theatre experience 'When Night Comes' by Broad Encounters, internationally acclaimed shows by storytelling duo Wright & Grainger, the return of the Queer and First Nations Hubs, and the reopening of the Eternity Playhouse as the home of the Off Broadway Hub. The festival kicks off with a free street party at The Rocks on 4 September, and includes SIDESHOW performances, the Cabaret Hub at Marrickville Town Hall, and a new group exhibition by Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative.
A new exhibition titled “A Whimsical Life—the art of Linda Catchlove” opens at the Museum of Economic Botany in Adelaide Botanic Garden, celebrating the late South Australian artist Linda Catchlove. The show runs from May 31 to September 14 and features her botanical watercolours, Disney animations, children’s book illustrations, and personal tools, blending meticulous botanical illustration with whimsical fantasy elements inspired by her early career at Disney Studios in Sydney.
The LensCulture Portrait Awards 2026 have announced their winning and shortlisted photographers, showcasing a diverse range of styles from documentary realism to conceptual invention. Highlights include an Australian photographer's winning portrait of a 'barefoot volcanologist' and poignant series documenting the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the reclamation of identity in post-colonial contexts.
Artist Liss Fenwick has created a photobook titled 'The Colony' by feeding a collection of historical Australian novels, described as 'settler fan fiction,' to a colony of termites. The insects consumed the books over several years, leaving behind hollowed, sculptural remains that Fenwick photographed. The resulting work documents this process of organic transformation, where the physical texts are digested and reshaped.
The article presents a collection of notable Australian cultural events and announcements from March 2026. It highlights the addition of the viral 'Succulent Chinese Meal' speech to the National Film and Sound Archive, a profile of 'Squid Game' composer Jung Jae-il, pianist Jayson Gillham's announced tour with a Palestinian-Jordanian musician ahead of a court case, and Kylie Minogue's scheduled performance at the AFL Grand Final.
Guardian Australia's picture editor Carly Earl selected the publication's top three photographs for March, highlighting a total lunar eclipse, the Iranian women's football team's tense departure, and a portrait of a man displaced by Cyclone Narelle. The monthly series provides insight into the craft of photojournalism, showcasing the technical skill and narrative power behind compelling images while elevating the work of Australian photographers and the stories they capture.
This article is a photographic roundup of notable wildlife encounters and discoveries from around the world. It features images including an award-winning photo of an Iberian lynx in Spain, a brushtail possum found in an Australian airport toy store, an Arctic fox in Canada, and a newly discovered emerald pit viper in Cambodia.
The 2026 Australian Urban Design Awards have been announced, celebrating projects that prioritize pragmatic, community-focused design over sculptural spectacle. Winners include the Campbelltown station commuter car park in Sydney, praised for its civic dignity and greenery; the St Kilda pier redevelopment in Melbourne, which balances engineering with tourism and penguin habitat protection; and Balam Balam Place in Brunswick, a cultural landscape honoring Indigenous history.
Thousands of worshippers gathered at Lakemba Mosque in south-western Sydney to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan. The event, one of Australia's largest Eid gatherings, saw families and individuals congregating at dawn for prayers and community festivities.
Finnish artist Kari Kola has unveiled 'Lighting the Sound,' the world's largest light installation, in Albany, Western Australia. The work, spanning over 10 million square meters across King George Sound, uses massive beams of colored light to transform the night sky over three weekends as part of the city's bicentenary celebrations.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) has announced the six artists selected for its prestigious Primavera 2026 exhibition, a key annual showcase dedicated to emerging Australian artists aged 35 and under. The selected cohort includes Khadim Ali, Moorina Bonini, Dennis Golding, Jazz Money, Kate ten Buuren, and Constantina, whose practices span painting, sculpture, video, installation, and digital media, reflecting a diverse and interdisciplinary approach to contemporary art.
Four emerging Indigenous artists from Nagula Jarndu, a women's art centre in Broome, have been selected to present their work at Revealed, an annual Perth showcase of new and emerging Western Australian Aboriginal artists. The artists—including Ebony Pierik—created large-scale silk pieces using hand-carved linocut blocks, now displayed in the main gallery of the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (PICA). The exhibition, curated by Whadjuk, Balladong and Wilman Noongar artist Zali Morgan, also features a large-scale art market where thousands of works are sold directly to buyers, with 100% of proceeds going to the artists.
CookieRun: Kingdom, the mobile game franchise, is opening a new art exhibition titled "Legacy of the Kingdom" at the Ara Art Center in Insa-dong, Jongno District, central Seoul, running from Friday through April 23. The exhibition features 10 high-quality collaborative artworks by Korea's master artisans, including lacquerware inlaid with mother-of-pearl (najeon chilgi) by Sohn Dae-hyun, a buncheong vase by Park Sang-jin, and gold-leaf work by Kim Gi-ho, alongside interactive media art by Nerdy Artist Union. Visitors can use special wristbands to trigger projections and visual effects. Devsisters CEO Cho Kil-hyeon announced plans to expand the exhibition to the United States, Australia, Britain, Canada, Taiwan, and Thailand, given that 70% of players are from outside Korea.
The Wondai Regional Art Gallery hosted its October 2025 Open Art Competition on Friday, 3 October, drawing artists, art lovers, and community members. Katrina O'Shanassey won the $3,000 Mayor’s Acquisitive Art Prize for her work 'Free Spirit', with Mayor Kathy Duff, Deputy Mayor Ros Heit, and gallery president Elaine Maddill present at the announcement.
The Wondai Regional Art Gallery in Queensland, Australia, opened its May 2025 exhibitions with a standout piece: a 3D bark portrait of the late actor Uncle Jack Charles by art student Charlotte Simpson, which won the People's Choice award. The show also features a rare photograph of a bee urinating, captured by Moffatdale photographer Liz Barratt, alongside works by the Tomlinson Family Collective and other local artists. The exhibitions were officially opened by South Burnett Mayor Kathy Duff and will run through May 31.
The article appears to be inaccessible due to a security verification wall and technical errors on the CityNews website. The headline indicates a significant disruption occurred during an opening event at the National Gallery of Australia, involving an artist's 'fiery outburst' that likely targeted institutional policies or specific exhibition themes.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA) has announced it will accept Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) as a form of payment for entry to its upcoming exhibition focused on the intersection of art and artificial intelligence. This experimental initiative allows visitors to utilize digital assets to gain access to the museum, marking a significant integration of blockchain technology into the physical museum experience.
Broken Hill City Art Gallery in New South Wales will launch three exhibitions on May 8, 2026: 'Saltbush Country,' featuring contemporary Aboriginal women artists from regional South Australia; 'ARTEXPRESS 2026,' showcasing exemplary Higher School Certificate Visual Arts works by students across the state; and 'Footsteps in the Desert,' a solo show by local artist Ann Evers using natural and found materials. The opening night is free and includes bar facilities, with exhibitions running through July 26, 2026.
Melville Open Studios returns for its ninth year, transforming the Western Australian suburb into an open-air gallery for one weekend. Seventy-seven local artists will open their home studios and dedicated hubs—including Atwell House, Goolugatup Heathcote, Applecross Art Gallery, Feld & Co., and Myaree Ceramics—to the public. Visitors can explore ceramics, painting, printmaking, floristry, mixed media, and textiles, purchase artworks commission-free, and take guided bus tours across six routes. Coordinator Jennifer Gaye, who took over the event from the City of Melville in 2022, reports that last year's edition attracted 5,000 visitors and generated over $100,000 in direct sales for artists.
A new commercial art gallery, Nissarana Galleries Bangalow, has opened in the former newsagency building on the main street of Bangalow, a town in New South Wales, Australia. The gallery is the third location for the Nissarana Galleries network, joining existing spaces in Noosa and Richmond, Melbourne, and showcases contemporary and Indigenous art from established and emerging artists.
An online exhibition titled "The Art of Parkinson's," sponsored by medical technology company Abbott, launched on April 1, 2026, showcasing paintings by eight artists with Parkinson's who have undergone Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) treatment. Featured artists include Margie Burns-Kohn from Florida, Clive Couperthwaite from Australia, Ann Harwell from North Carolina, and Roger Saunders from Queensland, all of whom describe how DBS alleviated tremors and restored their ability to create art, with many experiencing a surge in creativity post-treatment.
The Scenic Rim Regional Council has inaugurated its 2026 exhibition season at The Centre Beaudesert, featuring a dual showcase of local and international artistry. The exhibition pairs 100 artworks created by Year 6 students from Beaudesert State School with "Mr Chippa the Woodblock Carver of Bagru," a project by Australian artist Lee FullARTon. FullARTon’s work, which includes hand-carved woodblocks and traditional prints, is the result of a decade-long collaboration with artisans in India and serves as a visual extension of her children's book.
Tasmanian artist Adele Auchterlonie is set to debut her first solo exhibition, "Summer’s Rhythm," at the fortyfivedownstairs gallery in Melbourne. The self-taught painter, based in Lindisfarne, experienced a rapid surge in professional interest after her Instagram following grew from 400 to over 7,000 in just five months. The upcoming showcase features works inspired by the Australian outdoors and nostalgic summer memories, created primarily during her maternity leave.
Local artist Brenda Bryant has unveiled her latest exhibition, "Shadows and Light," at the Bastion Lane Espresso Bar in Uki. The collection features eight oil and pastel paintings inspired by the Gondwana rainforest and the remnants of the Big Scrub in Australia's Northern Rivers region. Bryant’s work utilizes a soft, misty aesthetic to capture the atmospheric tranquility of the forest, occasionally incorporating fantastical elements influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Brisbane-based artist Suzon Fuks is bringing her immersive exhibition 'e-Galaxy' to Cairns, starting a national tour on February 16. The exhibition transforms discarded electronic devices like old phones and laptops into a walkable, tactile installation featuring sculptures, artist books, video projections, and soundscapes.
The City of Vincent in Australia has launched a new community arts program that transforms its library lounge into a gallery space for local emerging and under-represented artists. The first exhibitor is local artist and storyteller Brad Martin, who will present his joyful paintings and drawings, including his signature Grumpy Bug series, at a free opening night on December 4.
The Art Gallery of Swan Hill, under the Swan Hill Rural City Council, has announced the opening of its first exhibition in a new gallery space, titled 'A Place to Gather'. The exhibition features works from the gallery's permanent collection—which includes Australian printmaking, drawing, First Nations sculptural objects, and paintings by notable Australian artists—alongside loans from public and private collections. Opening night is scheduled for 28 November 2025, with additional events including a curator-led walk-through and behind-the-scenes tours through early 2026.
Sawtell Art Gallery's 37th Annual Show opened on June 28 with a celebratory party attended by exhibitors and community members. The exhibition featured nine prize categories, each with a $500 award, plus a $100 Youth category, sponsored by local businesses and organizations. Winners included Jordanna Hinton, Jayden Whitton, Bronwyn Fife, Helen Goldsmith, Andrea Hitchcock, Willie Berkof-Ober, Nico Reynolds, Shellie Kelly, Sharon Sykes, Lachlan Wainwright, Max Greenaway, and Stella Dodd. The People's Choice Award is pending announcement at the exhibition's close.
A group of local artists from the Tablelands, Cassowary Coast, and Cairns in Far North Queensland has launched a new exhibition titled "Broad Spectrum" at the Tablelands Regional Gallery in Atherton. The show features works by ten artists including Angela Fielding (sculpture, leadlight, timber), Rose Knight (oil painting), Yvonne Hering (woodblock printing), and others, spanning watercolour, oil, acrylic, ceramics, weaving, and more. The exhibition runs until 9 August 2025, with an official opening on 21 June.