New England Regional Art Museum

Museum Store Sunday
2025-11-30 10:00 - 16:00 (Australia/Sydney)
On Sunday, November 30 2025, more than 2100 Museum Stores representing 25 countries, and five continents will offer relaxing, inspired shopping inside your favorite museums and cultural institutions…showcasing broad assortments of highly curated, unique, mission-specific gifts. From books to jewellery to children’s products to home accessories and gourmet food, there is something for everyone. Shop knowing you are supporting the missions and programs of each participating museum and cultural institution.
NERAM will be joining other museum and gallery shops around the world for Museum Store Sunday
With Christmas around the corner, we invite you to “shop with purpose” at your local art museum shop. Your custom will help us sustain the programs and services we provide to our community.
All day 20% shop discount (except alcohol)
50% Discount Table
Spend over $30 to go into the draw for a hamper valued at $100 or voucher for $100
Lucky Door Prize
Free Gift Wrapping
Christmas Craft activity for Kids
We look forward to seeing you between 10am – 4pm to enjoy a little Christmas shopping!

NADIGA (at the Armidale Showground)
2025-12-05 11:00 - 17:00
NADIGA means walk in Anaiwan. It is also the title of a day-long exhibition by Anaiwan artist Gabi Briggs at the Armidale Showground. The notion that walking Country is a form of knowledge-regeneration underpins three works: GEDYURA, TENYA, and ARKAN & IRBELA. These have only ever been shown in Melbourne on Wurundjeri Country and as such, their journey to Armidale can be understood as a return home. This exhibition forms a key component of her PhD research.
In Gabi’s research, walking and the artworks that emerge from it are inseparable. The works grow from the movement, listening, and remembering that happen while walking on Country. This approach is grounded in her grandmother Patsy Cohen’s book, Ingelba and the Five Black Matriarchs (1990), where walking emerges as a cultural practice and research methodology. Gabi extends this lineage in her own practice– through walking, rearticulating and continuing her nan’s work in embodied, relational ways.
The Armidale showground is entwined with this history of movement. Ingelba was once positioned in relation to the broader world through the walk to the Armidale Show. Under colonial control their movement became restricted, with authorities able to order the removal of Aboriginal people from towns. Now the Showground is being returned to Ingelba’s relational frame through the artworks, the gathering, and the planned walk that will culminate here.
NADIGA forms part of a longer project – to eventually walk Country with kin, particularly the 100km path from the former Ingelba Aboriginal Reserve to the Armidale showground. As such, NADIGA brings family together to prepare for the journey, to deepen a shared understanding that movement across Country is an ongoing cultural practice, and a mode of knowledge-making that persists despite colonial interruption.

Image: Poster designed by Marilena Hewitt

New Horizons - Emerging Voices in Landscape
2025-12-12 08:00 - 2026-02-02 17:00
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED: New Horizons – Emerging Voices in Landscape
NERAM is calling for Expressions of Interest from emerging regional NSW artists to take part in New Horizons: Emerging Voices in Landscape, a ten-month mentorship and exhibition program designed to support the next generation of regional creative practitioners.
Developed by the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM), this unique professional development opportunity will pair up to five emerging artists with acclaimed Australian painter Angus Nivison for an immersive creative mentorship, culminating in a public exhibition presented alongside Nivison’s major retrospective at NERAM in 2026.

About the Program
Over ten months, selected artists will engage in:

A five-day intensive at NERAM and Nivison’s Walcha studio, including a masterclass, guided discussion, and one-on-one mentoring
Ongoing remote mentorship and creative feedback sessions
Curatorial and professional development support from NERAM’s staff—including artist statements, writing, exhibition preparation, and career planning
Opportunities to participate in public programs, an artist panel, education activities, and digital storytelling
A group exhibition of new work at NERAM presented in dialogue with a major Angus Nivison retrospective

Artists will receive:

Residency Stipend
Exhibition Fee
Travel assistance
Professional documentation of the program
Project catalogue
Mentored support from industry-leading practitioners

Who Can Apply
This EOI is open to:
• Emerging artists (first 10 years of practice)
• Living and working in regional NSW
• Working in any visual arts medium who’s subject or inspiration is the landscape (can be non-representational)
• Seeking to expand skills, networks, and professional experience
NERAM strongly encourages applications from First Nations artists and artists from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds, with at least one program place prioritised for these communities.

Key Dates

EOI Open: 12 December 2025
EOI Close: Extended to 2 February 2026
Artist Selection Announced: February 2026
On-site intensive: 23 – 27 March (artists must be available to attend the on-site intensive)
Ongoing remote mentorship: April – September 2026
Angus Nivison Retrospective: 31 July – 18 October
New Horizons Exhibition: 2 October – 8 November (Opening night Friday 2 October)

How to Apply
Applicants are asked to provide:
• A short artist statement
• A brief CV
• Up to 10 examples of recent work
• A brief description of how the mentorship will support their practice (max 300 words)
Applications are to be sent to gallery@neram.dev.nucleoserver.com by COB 2nd February 2026
Applications will be reviewed by a panel including NERAM representatives and project partners.

Angus Nivison is an Australian contemporary painter, renowned for his evocative, atmospheric explorations of landscape and memory. Based near Walcha in the New England region of NSW, Nivison has developed a distinguished career spanning more than five decades, with work held in major public and private collections across the country, including the Art Gallery of New South Wales, Newcastle art Gallery, the Australia Club and New England Regional Art Museum.
Nivison’s large-scale paintings capture the emotional and elemental forces of place. He is celebrated for his ability to translate his experience of the landscape into abstract, gestural, and deeply expressive visual language.
Nivison is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Wynne Prize (2002), and has exhibited extensively in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally. His long-standing commitment to regional arts practice make him an exceptional mentor for emerging regional artists.
His upcoming major retrospective at NERAM in 2026 will highlight the breadth and impact of his contribution to Australian art, offering a unique opportunity for mentees to learn from an artist of remarkable depth and experience.

The New Horizons Program is supported by the Australian Government through the Regional Arts Fund, and the Country Arts Support Program administered by Arts North West.

Image: Angus Nivison, Yalgoolygum, 2003, acrylic & charcoal on canvas.

Paper Mâché | Summer Holiday Workshop
2026-01-15 10:30 - 12:00
Workshop activity:
Children will create their own paper mâché fish sculpture, using recycled materials, paper and paste to build a 3D form. They’ll explore shape, texture and pattern while designing a unique sea creature. The focus will be on hands-on making and creative process rather than a finished painted piece, as sculptures will need time to dry before painting. Visual examples and creative prompts will be provided for this activity, however children are welcome to come with an idea in mind if they already have something they’d like to make.
All materials will be supplied
DATES: Thursday 15th January 2026
TIME: 10.30 – 12.00pm
VENUE: Packsaddle Studio at NERAM
AGES: 6+
COST: General Price $28, FoN/CC member Price $25
Min 8 – Max 12 students

Terms and Conditions

All bookings for events, art classes and workshops require payment in full at the time of booking
A minimum number of 8 students required for workshop to proceed, please book before 9am Tuesday January 13 2026
Please be aware that once bookings close, we are unable to offer a refund
If the workshop does not proceed, you will be refunded any cash amount
NERAM events have a limited capacity and use a ticketing system. Bookings are essential
Student contact details may be passed on to facilitators for communication purposes

Artist Talk: Rowen Matthews
2026-01-17 10:30 - 11:30
Join us for an in-conversation between exhibiting artist Rowen Matthews and NERAM Director Rachael Parsons as they discuss Matthews stunning exhibition Water.
Through his luminous and meditative paintings, Rowen Matthews explores the distinctive landscapes of the New England highlands through the elemental theme of water. Focusing on the region’s many dams—iconic features that shape both ecology and imagination—Matthews reflects on how these bodies of water hold memory, sustain life, and mirror shifting skies. His work captures the delicate interplay between environment, identity and belonging, shaped by more than three decades of living and working in Armidale. Water is both an artistic and personal journey, offering a contemplative view of landscape as a site of renewal, reflection and deep connection.

Image: Rowen Matthews, Water (exhibition view), 2025.

Open Clay Days | Summer Holiday Workshop
2026-01-20 14:00 - 2026-01-22 15:15
This is a ‘creator led’ workshop, where kids will learn the basics of hand building clay, and be able to create their very own clay creation to take home. From planning the design and building it with the clay, to painting and finally varnishing it, they will learn everything they need to sculpt their masterpiece!
This is a very fun open play class led by Kate from Three Pees Creative, that not only engages but challenges their skills for a rewarding outcome. Run over three consecutive afternoons with all materials included!
DATES: Three afternoon sessions included, Tuesday 20, Wednesday 21 & Thursday 22 January 2026
TIME: 2.00 – 3.15pm
VENUE: Packsaddle Studio at NERAM
AGES: 6+
COST: General Price $75, FoN/CC member Price $68
Min 8 – Max 14 students
Book before Thursday January 15 to ensure the workshop goes ahead.

Terms and Conditions

All bookings for events, art classes and workshops require payment in full at the time of booking
A minimum number of 8 students required for workshop to proceed, please book before 9am Thursday January 15 2026
Please be aware that once bookings close, we are unable to offer a refund
If the workshop does not proceed, you will be refunded any cash amount
NERAM events have a limited capacity and use a ticketing system. Bookings are essential
Student contact details may be passed on to facilitators for communication purposes

Art in Black Gully | Summer Holiday Workshop
2026-01-21 09:00 - 22:15
Immerse yourself in the landscape of the Black Gully reserve near NERAM these school holidays. Explore the wonderful world of en plein air – painting or drawing in the natural light – to capture the colours, light, shapes and special features found in nature.
Kate from Three Pees Creations will lead kids of all ages in this fun workshop. Materials will be supplied but you are welcome to bring your favourite art materials along if you prefer!
Make sure to wear a hat, bring a water bottle and your curiosity!
DATE: Wednesday 21 January 2026
TIME: 9.00am – 10.15am
VENUE: The Black Gully, outside Packsaddle Studio NERAM
AGES: 6+
COST: General Price $33, FoN/CC member Price $30

Terms and Conditions

All bookings for events, art classes and workshops require payment in full at the time of booking
A minimum number of 8 students required for classes to proceed
Please be aware that once bookings close, we are unable to offer a refund
If the class does not proceed, you will be refunded any cash amount
NERAM events have a limited capacity and use a ticketing system. Bookings are essential
Student contact details may be passed on to facilitators for communication purposes

Closing weekend of How to weather together
2026-01-31 10:30 - 13:00
Saturday 31st January from 10.30am-1pm
MAZDA Gallery
Spend Saturday morning in the gallery reading, discuss and maybe even write some poetry around the topic of weathering. As part of the closing weekend of How to weather together, the curator Jennifer Hamilton is hosting a poetry gathering for poetry readers and writers. The general topic for the gathering is “weathering” broadly understood. Weathering can be literal, very metaphorical or a combination of the two.
Bring a poem or two to read and discuss. You also might want to branch out to think about climate/climate change and environmental crisis. Poems can be from any time in history; authored by yourself or another. Even if the connection to weather/weathering is extremely tangential the poem is welcome. Being able to read the poem and share the connection with the theme in discussion is the purpose.
If we run out of things to talk about we will practice “Close Meteorology” together and generate some found poetry out of our observations.

FREE EVENT
REGISTRATION ESSENTIAL

Workshop: Stitching Signs for Future Living
2026-01-31 14:00 - 16:00
Join artist Rae Haynes at NERAM for a hands-on creative session inspired by their series Signs for Future Living on show as part of the exhibition How To Weather Together. 10 Signs for Future Living draws together 10 feminist protest slogans, interweaving demands for climate, gender and social justice – all fundamental to the state of future living.

In this workshop, you’ll transform threads, fabric scraps and leftover materials through embroidery, cross-stitch and applique techniques into bold Feminist Badges and Banners, complete with text to make your message loud and proud. DIY badges and banners have long been a powerful tool in feminist activism as portable statements of identity, solidarity, and protest. Wear yours as a personal declaration or share it with someone who needs encouragement or empowerment.

No experience is needed and all materials are provided— just bring your curiosity and love for making. Let’s stitch, subvert, and celebrate feminist voices together.

Workshop is free but spaces are limited and bookings essential.

OPENING NIGHT
2026-02-06 18:00 - 20:00
Join us for the opening of 5 new exhibitions
echoes & silences: untethered fibre artists
Intimate Connections
Summer Impressions
Traces: Memory in landscape: Beth MacRaild O’ Loughlin & Eve Chan
Of Brushes and Light

Artist Talk: untethered fibre artists
2026-02-07 10:30 - 11:30
Join us for an insightful conversation with several members of the Untethered Fibre Artists collective, whose works feature in the echoes & silences exhibition at NERAM. Delving into themes of memory, landscape, emotion and connection, the artists will share the inspirations, techniques and conceptual approaches behind their fibre-based practice. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from the makers and gain deeper insight into how fibre art can evoke both the tangible and the intangible.

Image: Kirry Toose, louder than Words, 2025. Ex army coat, cotton drill, industrial felt, metal hoop. Dying, appliqué, digitizing, hand and machine sewing.

SLOW STITCHING/BORO with Jen Corkish
2026-02-07 13:00 - 16:00
Slow stitching by hand, in our fast-paced lifestyle, has become a beautiful way to pause, unwind, and create something that is aesthetically pleasing and deeply personal.
Join Jennifer Corkish as she takes you on a slow stitching journey inspired by traditional Japanese textiles. Jennifer will share vintage fabrics collected during two trips to Japan in 2019 and 2025, and participants will be encouraged to handle these special pieces—and even try on her stunning handmade vest.
During the workshop, Jennifer will talk about and demonstrate several techniques, showing just how versatile and wonderfully addictive slow stitching can be. You’ll explore traditional Japanese stitching methods and learn how to adapt them into a more contemporary, trendy style. Guidance will also be provided on how to turn your stitched sample into a finished piece once you return home.
A kit is included in the price, containing fabrics, threads, and a needle. If you have your own fabric pieces you’d like to incorporate, you are very welcome to bring them along.

1pm – 4pm Saturday 7th February

Participants to bring: small Scissors, pins with glass heads, thimble if you have one, pencil and pad for notes, snap lock bags to store the small pieces of fabric.

Educators Information Night – Creative Learning Program at NERAM
2026-02-12 17:00 - 18:00
Educators Information Night – Creative Learning Program at NERAM (2026)
Join us for a relaxed teachers and educators’ presentation to launch NERAM’s Creative Learning Program for 2026.
Enjoy drinks on arrival, connect with other local educators, hear what’s coming up at NERAM, and share what you’d love to see from us in the year ahead. You’ll also get a sneak peek at our 2026 exhibitions and have the chance to explore our Creative Learning 2026 Package.
Date: Thursday 12 February
Time: 5:00–6:00pm
Who: Teachers, educators and school staff (all welcome)
What to expect: Drinks on arrival • short presentation • networking • Q&A / feedback
Creative Learning 2026 Package: https://www.neram.dev.nucleoserver.com/content/uploads/2025/12/Creative-Learning-2026-Program-Teacher-Information.pdf
We’d love to see you there.

Artist Talk: Beth MacRaild O’Loughlin & Eveline Chan
2026-02-21 10:30 - 11:30
Step inside the ideas and processes that shape Traces: Memory in Landscape in this artists talk with Eve Chan and Beth MacRaild O’Loughlin. The artists will reflect on how memory, time and place inform their practices, discussing the ways printmaking and analogue photographic processes can capture traces of lived experience within the landscape. This talk offers audiences an opportunity to engage directly with the artists and gain deeper insight into the conceptual and material foundations of the exhibition.

Image: Eveline Chan and Beth MacRaild O’Loughlin, Between the two, 2025, photogravure print with chine collé

Sunday Afternoon Concert
2026-02-22 16:30 - 19:00
Wind up the weekend and wind down with Beethoven and Haydn in the calm of the Hinton Collection.
Featuring Keith Power, forte piano; Caleb Murray, ‘cello; James McKay, flute.

Hinton Gallery NERAM
DATE: Sunday February 22nd
TIME: 4.30pm – 7pm
PRICE: General Admission: $45 – Concession Price: $40

Seniors Festival 2026
2026-03-02 10:00 - 2026-03-05 16:00
Seniors Week at NERAM – We’re celebrating Seniors Week with a wonderful program of creative, social and community-minded activities — and we’d love you to join us.

Tues 3rd March:

10am-12pm: Art, Reminiscence and Travel

Wed 4th March

10am-11am: Rusty Singers sing-a-long concert
1:30pm-2:30pm: In Conversation with Margaret Bain – “A Portrait of Howard Hinton”

Thurs 5th March

11am-11:45am: Strum & Sing-a-long with Maissel from Chilli Jam
2pm-3pm: Museum of Printing Tour & Postcard Printing
5:30am-6:30pm: Director’s Talk “Intimate Connections”

Fri 6th March

12:30pm-1:15pm: Storeroom Tours with the Director
2pm-3.30pm: Silver Swans Ballet Workshop

Sat 14th & Sun 15th March

10am-4:30pm: NERAMble – Art in the Garden

Rusty Singers sing -a-long concert
2026-03-04 10:00 - 11:00
Rediscover the joy that singing can bring with this incredible seniors choir, the Rusty Singers. Enjoy a seated performance and bop along to a range of songs, from show tunes to jazz, this group will inspire you to join in by the end (which you will be encouraged to do!)

NSW Seniors Week Event

In Conversation with Margaret Bain – “A Portrait of Howard Hinton”
2026-03-04 13:30 - 14:30
Who was Howard Hinton — the man behind one of Australia’s greatest art collections? A Portrait of Howard Hinton uncovers the life of this enigmatic philanthropist, moving beyond the familiar image of a shy bachelor who gave away his fortune for art. Drawing on Hinton’s long-lost diary and years of meticulous research, Margaret Bain reveals a vibrant, generous, and deeply connected figure at the heart of Sydney’s cultural scene in the early 20th century.
Join us for an in conversation with the author of A Portrait of Howard Hinton, Margaret Bain and join a book club style conversation where we will unpack some of the themes and questions that have emerged in reading the book.
Haven’t read the book? You can pick up a copy at the Museum Shop or just pop along anyway.

NSW Seniors Week event.

Strum & Sing-a-long with Maissel from Chilli Jam
2026-03-05 11:00 - 11:45
Celebrate Seniors Week with a joyful afternoon of music in the gallery. Join Maissel from Chilli Jam to listen to, and sing your favourite tunes, and — if you play — bring your ukulele along for a relaxed community strum. No experience needed, just come ready to make some music together.

A NSW Seniors Week event.

Director’s Talk “Intimate Connections”
2026-03-05 17:30 - 18:30
Join NERAM Director Rachael Parsons for a floor talk exploring the powerful artist relationships at the heart of Intimate Connections. Drawing on key pairings from the exhibition alongside compelling international examples, this session traces the love, rivalry, highs and lows of lives spent together in art. Its and art history lecture with a generous dollop of gossip and inuendo… what’s not to love!

A NSW Seniors Festival event

Storeroom Tours with the Director
2026-03-06 12:30 - 13:15
Join NERAM’s Director Rachael Parsons for a tour of the NERAM storeroom. Rachael will show some of her personal favourite artworks from the Hinton, Coventry and NERAM Collections and participants can select a rack of artwork to pull out and explore.
Places limited, bookings required.

A NSW Seniors Festival event

Silver Swans Ballet Workshop
2026-03-06 14:00 - 15:30
Silver Swans classes have been specifically designed for the over-55s, but whatever your age, if you are looking for a new way to keep fit and active, our ballet classes will put a spring in your step.
Whether you’ve never danced before or want to get back into the swing of it, our classes have something for everyone.
The R.A.D. developed this programme based on research into dance practice for older learners – classes are only taught by Silver Swans Licensees. Joanne Knight RAD.RTS is currently offering ballet classes including Silver Swans at PLC dance studio, Armidale.
If you are one of those ladies who have always wanted to ballet, its never to late to shine and what better way to start than with this free event! We will have a number of ballet barre’s set up within our Hinton Gallery for a quiet atmosphere. We encourage you to wear comfortable clothing and, if possible, shoes that have some flexibility in them.

A NSW Seniors Festival event

All About Women 2026: Satellite Stream
2026-03-08 10:30 - 14:00
All About Women returns to the Sydney Opera House on 8 March to celebrate International Women’s Day.
All About Women is one of the Sydney Opera House’s flagship festivals, a day of talks and discussions exploring ever-evolving questions on gender, culture and equality.
Excitingly, 2026 also marks the return of the All About Women Satellite program in which a selection of talks from the festival will be made available to community groups across the country, including right here at NERAM.

Satellite Timeline
Raising Boys Watch Live from 10:30am – 11:30am AEDT on Sunday 8 March 2026
Zadie Smith Watch Live from 1:00pm – 2:00pm AEDT on Sunday 8 March 2026

About the individual sessions
RAISING BOYS with Jess Hill, Zac Seidler, moderated by Jamila Rizvi
10:30am – 11:30am AEDT – Live
From Andrew Tate to algorithmic rabbit holes, this panel will unpack the real forces shaping boys today – and what parents can do beyond panic and blame.
Bringing up boys isn’t getting any less complicated. One minute they’re sweet, funny little humans. The next, they’re parroting some podcast bro who insists “patriarchy isn’t real” and “grindset” is a personality.
Shows like Adolescence and books like The Anxious Generation tapped a nerve. As toxic masculinity is loudly (and often rightly) called out, a generation of boys is confused and ashamed – and the algorithm is happy to lead them down dark alt-right rabbit holes. It’s part of the reason the Australian government introduced age restrictions for social media accounts.
So how do we cut through the bro-fluencer noise to raise resilient, emotionally literate boys?Investigative journalist Jess Hill (See What You Made Me Do) and clinical researcher and men’s mental health expert Zac Seidler unpack the cultural forces shaping boys today and how adults can guide them with compassion.
ZADIE SMITH, hosted by Michaela Kalowski
1:00pm – 2:00pm AEDT – Live
Literary powerhouse and north-west London legend, Zadie Smith unpacks our cultural chaos with both subtlety and precision. When the best ideas risk being flattened into feed-friendly takes, she dares us to resist the comfort of simple narratives.
Buckle up for an eye-opening conversation inspired by her latest essay collection, Dead and Alive, which spans politics on both sides of the Atlantic, cinema, galleries, Glastonbury and the question of who gets to make art.
With her trademark mix of intellect and irreverence, Smith unpacks our culture. Expect razor-sharp insight and a reminder that in a fractious, doomscrolling world, curiosity is always our best line of defence.

How to Watch
Date: Sunday 8th March
Time: 10:30-11:30am & 1-2pm
Location: Mazda Gallery at the New England Regional Art Museum
Cost: $0

NERAMble: Art in the Garden
2026-03-14 10:00 - 2026-03-15 16:30
Hosted by the Friends of NERAM, Art in the Garden returns to the beautiful grounds of “Auchinlea,” North Dumaresq, on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 March 2026, 10.00am–4.30pm daily.
Enjoy a relaxed weekend of art, gardens and community with sculpture, watercolour and oil paintings, pottery, silversmith works, plants, autumn harvest stalls and unique treasures to discover — plus Devonshire teas and a raffle. Entry is $10 for adults, $8 for Friends of NERAM members, and free for under-16s.

Directions
On the New England Highway Bypass at Armidale take the UNE exit. At the roundabout take first exit onto Queen Elizabth Drive (towards UNE). Continue straight – past university colleges – on Handel Street. At 1.1km, just after last houses, turn left across the railway line, then turn right onto Old Inverell Road. Proceed for 3.3km, turn left into Tanglewood Road North.
Auchinlea Garden 300 metres on right.
Look for Friends of NERAM signage.
For GPS navigation enter “28 Tanglewood Road North, Armidale, NSW”.

A fundraising event by
Friends of NERAM Inc 9885144
email : foninvitations@gmail.com

Opening Night
2026-03-20 18:00
Join us for the opening of 2 new exhibitions
Across the Ditch (and back again)
Tinted: Janna Hayes and Phoebe Hillard

Image: Janna Hayes, Out of the blue, 2026. bitumen and oil on paper

Skywhales Across Australia: Patricia Piccinini
2026-03-21 05:30 - 07:00
Patricia Piccinini’s Skywhalepapa is a monumental sculpture in the form of a hot-air balloon. Together with its companion piece Skywhale they form a skywhale family.
Following their debut over Lake Burley Griffin in Canberra 2021, the floating pair will continue to take to skies across Australia as a National Gallery touring event in 2026.
Piccinini believes Skywhales Across Australia is not only two spectacular sculptures but a performance piece:

“I imagine visitors assembling to watch Skywhalepapa coming to life, with a single skywhale figure we have a character, but with the two we have a relationship, and a narrative.” says Piccinini.
As the skywhales float across the dawn skies, Piccinini calls on communities to engage with them creatively. Make a morning of it, prepare a picnic, watch in awe, and sing along in wonder as the skywhale family takes flight.

See the skywhales in Armidale as part of the Autumn Festival on the 21st of March from 5:30am at Rologas Sporting Fields and floating over the CBD as the sun rises.

Patricia Piccinini will then join us at the New England Regional Art Museum for the following events:
11am-12pm: Every Heart Sings Book Reading
1:30pm-2:30pm: Artist Talk with Patricia Piccinini
Skywhales Across Australia is a National Gallery Touring Event, supported by the Australian Government through Visions of Australia and the National Collecting Institutions Touring Outreach Program.
Skywhales is the third instalment of The Balnaves Contemporary Series and is a Know My Name project.

Every Heart Sings Book Reading by Patricia Piccinini
2026-03-21 11:00 - 12:00
Join Skywhales Across Australia artist, Patricia Piccinini for a reading of her new book Every Heart Sings.
Every Heart Sings follows the journey of the skywhale family and talks about nature, family, evolution, care and wonder. Published by the National Gallery of Australia, it is Patricia Piccinini’s first children’s book.
The reading is most suited to children aged 4 – 7 years and their families.
Skywhales Across Australia is a National Gallery Touring Event, supported by the Australian Government through Visions of Australia and the National Collecting Institutions Touring Outreach Program.
Skywhales is the third instalment of The Balnaves Contemporary Series and is a Know My Name project.

Skywhales Across Australia: Artist Talk with Patricia Piccinini
2026-03-21 13:30 - 14:30
Join us for a rare opportunity to hear from one of Australia’s most celebrated contemporary artists, Patricia Piccinini.

For over 25 years Patricia Piccinini has interrogated the complex relationship between our natural and artificial worlds, beginning each creative project with a speculative question, a wondrous ‘What if…?’.

Known internationally for her astonishing hyperrealism, Piccinini’s practice comprises drawing, photography, video, mixed-media painted compositions, large-scale installation, and includes the now iconic hot-air balloon Skywhales sculptures.

Skywhales Across Australia is a National Gallery Touring Event, supported by the Australian Government through Visions of Australia and the National Collecting Institutions Touring Outreach Program.
Skywhales is the third instalment of The Balnaves Contemporary Series and is a Know My Name project.

Experimenta Emergence: Curator's Talk & Tour
2026-03-28 15:00 - 16:30
Experimenta Emergence intertwines the work of contemporary artists who critically examine our changing world to reveal ways humanity might confront and adapt to emerging challenges now and in the near future.
At a time when the unknown and maybe the unknowable is building like a wave, these artists encourage us to question our shifting realities. What are the forces shaping our worlds? How might we encounter, counter or adapt to the transformations of the human and more-than-human world we are part of? Can we alter current trajectories?
The art works these Australian and international artists have created – virtual realities, participatory works, and speculative fictions – will provoke you to ask questions about where we, individually and collectively, are going … and where we might want to go.
This tour is hosted by the exhibition curator, Lubi Thomas, providing a unique guided insight into the exhibition, delving into the artists’ works, practice and the exhibitions’ themes.

Opening Weekend: Experimenta Emergence
2026-03-28 15:00 - 2026-03-29 17:00
Join us for the opening weekend of Experimenta Emergence: National Tour of Media Arts!
Experimenta Emergence presents the work of contemporary artists who explore emerging societal and environmental changes and offer other perspectives, imagined possibilities and directions.
At a time when the unknown and maybe the unknowable is building like a wave, these artists encourage us to question our shifting realities. What are the forces shaping our worlds? How might we encounter, counter or adapt to the transformations of the human and more-than-human world we are part of? Can we alter current trajectories?
The art works these Australian and international artists have created – virtual realities, participatory works, and speculative fictions – will provoke you to ask questions about where we, individually and collectively, are going … and where we might want to go.

Curator: Lubi Thomas
Curatorial Advisor: Jody Haines
Artists: Leah Barclay | Ina Conradi & Mark Chavez | Sophie Dumaresq | Kate Geck | Amrita Hepi | Katrin Hochschuh & Adam Donovan | Ben Joseph Andrews & Emma Roberts | Daniel McKewen | Hayley Millar Baker | Jonny Scholes | Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm | Wang & Söderström | Liam Young

OPENING WEEKEND PROGRAM:
SATURDAY 28 MARCH
3pm-4:30pm: Curator’s Talk & Tour with AUSLAN Interpreter
SUNDAY 29 MARCH
11am: Moirai, Thread of Life Multi-Sensory Haptic Vest Experience
1pm: Gondwana Virtual Reality Experience
