Melbourne's vibrant art scene not only serves as a showcase for established artists but also as a proving ground for up-and-coming talents from around the world. Melbourne's museums and galleries feature some of the world's finest works of art.
Culture-seeking Melburnians need not take a plane to the Louvre or the Metropolitan Museum of Art to get their fix.
Just by strolling the streets, you may see for yourself why Melbourne is named Australia's "arts capital." Our city's museums and galleries showcase some of Australia's best modern and contemporary works because of the vital role that art and culture play in forging the character of our society.
Melbourne's Best Art Galleries
What do you do when it's grey and rainy outside? But, you might ask, what about when the temperature outside soars? Plan a trip to see some art at a gallery or museum. They're inside, out of the weather, and ready to give you something more worthwhile to think about than your Instagram feed.
That's three victories in a row! Moreover, if you live in Melbourne, you'll be within driving distance of some of the best art museums in the country. For those of you who need a dose of culture but don't feel like venturing far, we provide this Urban Selection Art Month's list of some of Melbourne's top art galleries.
FAQs Melbourne Best Art Gallery
Original & Authentic Aboriginal Art The Original & Authentic Aboriginal Art is very much a gallery, as they do sell their Aboriginal Art. Buxton Contemporary Just around the corner from the NGV, the Buxton museum of contemporary art is a gem to the art scene in Melbourne.
Are there any licenses required? Art galleries adhere to the same licensing requirements as other small businesses. There are no special requirements above what another type of store would need to have (like a business license, a license for collecting sales tax, and so on).
In collaboration with many collectors and artists, "gallery owners" have also defined a set of criteria for evaluating the professionalism of galleries: loyalty to artists, commitment to their success, ethics, accessibility to the public, provision of services to collectors and more.
The National Gallery's evolving collection of over 155,000 works of art, created by more than 15,000 artists, includes the world's largest collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.
Melbourne's art reflects the distinctive life of our city, and also helps make it what it is: a confident cultural capital with a global reputation for its diversity, energy and creativity.
NGV International
Visitors have been flocking to the National Gallery of Australia, located in a beautiful modernist structure on St. Kilda Road, for well over a century. This is because the gallery's permanent collection is constantly excellent, its visiting collections are extraordinary, and it offers a wide variety of supplemental programmes for locals and tourists alike.
The gallery has been around since the middle of the 1800s, but it already features paintings by Rembrandt, Bonnard, and Tiepolo in its permanent collection. Visitors to the NGV must pass the water wall on their way in, and they may be tempted to dip their hands in.
The gallery's main exhibits can be seen on the bottom floor, beneath a stained glass ceiling designed to resemble boiled candy. Temporary displays are displayed on the museum's main floors, while permanent collections are kept on the higher levels.
The spacious rooms, typical of the colonial era, make it easier to get lost, therefore keep a tight check on any young offenders contemplating an escape. A visit to the NGV's 19th Century Gallery is a must for any tourist (or Salon Gallery). This room, aptly titled "Anguish" for its unconventional layout, is home to one of the most captivating pieces in the show: a masterpiece by August Friedrich Schenck.
It's easy to spend an entire day here, so it's wise to take a break for refreshments along the way; the Garden Restaurant serves seasonal dishes, and the Tea Room serves high tea, pastries, and light meals. When discussing the finest museums and galleries in Melbourne, NGV must naturally come up. Both the NGV International and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia have prominent locations in the heart of the city, and its exhibits are well-known for their ability to captivate and impress visitors. Works by iconic painters like Vincent van Gogh and Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as interactive pieces and enormous installations, make the NGV feel like an art playground for adults (and children).
The Ian Potter Centre
All of NGV's Australian art, from the Colonial era to the present day, is housed in the Ian Potter Centre. Photographs, prints, paintings, garments, ornamental arts, and works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists are also on display. Check out the Heidelberg School artists and the amazing collection of Indigenous art, as well as Charles Blackman's Alice.
Heide Museum of Modern Art
The Heide Museum of Modern Art carries the torch for the local modernist movement of the 1930s and 1940s and advocates current Australian art in the same spirit as its founders, supporters and collectors John and Sunday Reed.
Even while local artists get the most of the spotlight, international contemporaries are also shown. The museum features expansive gardens, a sculpture park, and the three main buildings known as Heide I, II, and III. In 1934, the Reed family purchased the land and established a new home there; they named it Heide after the neighbouring city of Heidelberg. Over the course of the next decade, they transformed Heide into a meeting place for creatives and intellectuals who shared their social and cultural aspirations of advancement.
Artists Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker, Joy Hester, Arthur Boyd, and John Perceval, known as the Angry Penguins, rotated living, working, and playing in this building throughout the 1940s. Heide I is the original farmstead that the Reeds built, while Heide II is a stunning example of modernist architecture that was built for the family in 1964 after they outgrew Heide I.
Heide MOMA's zinc exterior became its defining feature after the Reeds' deaths in 1981, when the public art museum and sculpture park were opened there.
The nature, architecture, social history, and modern art of Heide Museum of Modern Art make it one of a kind. Heide opened its doors in 1981 and is home to modern and contemporary art in three separate exhibition buildings within sixteen acres of heritage-listed gardens and a sculpture park. The museum was built on the grounds of the former Heide Circle gathering place, a dairy farm that had been held by the influential arts patrons John and Sunday Reed.
Flinders Lane Gallery
Flinders Lane Gallery, another essential stop on any self-respecting art gallery tour of the arts precinct, is conveniently located just a few steps away from the Anna Schwartz Gallery. Since 2006, Claire Harris has been at the helm of Flinders Lane Gallery, a prestigious art gallery that takes great care in acquiring and displaying works of high value. Flinders Lane Gallery collaborates with and supports artists at all stages of their careers, placing an emphasis on high-caliber works that are both technically proficient and conceptually precise, with the goal of raising public consciousness and fostering greater empathy.
Additionally, you can visit their gallery shows online and purchase prints from their warehouse.
Outré Gallery
With two locations in Melbourne—one in the middle of the action on Elizabeth Street and the newest addition on Smith Street—Outré Gallery doesn't conform to the mould of a traditional art gallery.
Outré has hosted a wide variety of critically acclaimed works by well-known artists, and its curatorial style has earned them acclaim.
Linden New Art
Formed in 1986 under the name Linden Centre for Modern Arts, this St. Kilda Victorian mansion has been housing contemporary art since its purchase by the council that same year. In 2015, Linden New Art underwent a rebranding that expanded its mission beyond that of a traditional art gallery by hosting a series of seminars, meet-and-greets, and in-conversation dinners. Popular annual shows include the open-entry Linden Postcard Show and the non-acquisitive Linden Art Prize, and the exhibitions programme features artists from Australia and throughout the world.
The Linden New Art gallery in St. Kilda is a one-of-a-kind modern art space that does not charge admission. The Victorian estate that serves as Linden's home makes for an unusual setting in which to view and debate cutting-edge artwork. Every eight weeks, Linden hosts a new exhibition in their year-long programme showcasing the work of artists from Australia and throughout the world.
Anna Schwartz Gallery
In 1986, after the more alternative United Artists gallery in St. Kilda closed, the formidable Anna Schwartz launched her own space on Flinders Lane. Some of Australia's most acclaimed modern artists have been represented by her since she relocated to the current location on Flinders Lane in 1993.
Tania Doropoulos is the new director of the Anna Schwartz Gallery, which bears the same name of the renowned gallerist and curator. The modern gallery represents more than 30 artists spanning many generations, with a focus on promoting and developing the careers of visionary artists from Australia and around the world. It's effective, and it makes people's projects come to life. Every month, the minimalist modernist curatorial efforts of Anna Schwartz Gallery bring a new installation to the space.
The anti-totalitarian Vectors by Emily Floyd is now on display with the works of internationally acclaimed photographer Taryn Smith and multi-disciplinary artist Daniel von Sturmer.
Tolarno Galleries
Since its founding in 1967, the Tolarno Galleries has a long tradition of presenting intriguing, cutting-edge, and otherwise unconventional exhibitions of contemporary art and design.
For more than 50 years, it has been at the forefront of Australia's modern art scene. Tolarno Galleries has a reputation for showcasing new, up-and-coming artists from all around the world, not only in Australia. Collectors, curators, and reviewers from all over the world look forwards to seeing what's on display in the exhibition programme.
The gallery's location on Exhibition Street is apt, as it features an extensive exhibition history that showcases the works of modern masters and rising leaders such as Bonnard, Dali, Chagall, Matisse, Picasso, Pissarro, Renoir, and Vuillard, as well as Australian modernists Charles Blackman, John Brack, Arthur Boyd, Joy Hester, and Albert Tucker.
Tolarno, another multifaceted artist, has gained international renown for the mind-blowing, state-of-the-art designs that it features.
Sutton Gallery
Since 1992, Sutton Gallery has called Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, home. Sutton Gallery has established itself as one of Australia's leading contemporary art spaces by regularly hosting solo and group shows by some of the most acclaimed artists working in Australia and New Zealand today. Well-known artists David Rosetzky, Eugene Carchesio, and Raafat Ishak have all shown work thus far in 2021.
Anna Pappas Gallery
In an interview with Time Out, Anna Pappas explained that between 2000 and 2002, she travelled extensively in pursuit of new ideas for what a gallery should and should be. shifted their focus away from the "white cube" crowd and towards engaging with international audiences because they believed there was potential for dialogue. At first, the exhibition included works by artists not just from Australia but also from other countries and regions, such as Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, and Greece.
We paid for their trip to Australia and toured them about the country and the city of Melbourne, where we stayed, in the hopes that they might find creative inspiration there. The gallery rebranded itself in 2009 to emphasise local modern art.
Centre for Contemporary Photography
Its name sums up what it is. The CCP, which opened in the mid-1980s as a non-profit exhibition and resource centre, continues to offer photography classes for both newcomers and seasoned pros. There are a total of five exhibition spaces within the building, and the Night Projection Window provides a great vantage point from which to take in the works of both newcomers and seasoned professionals from the photographic arts community.
The CCP is a fun and informative place to learn about modern photography. The non-profit organisation has been open since 1986, and its five exhibition halls feature works by emerging and established Australian and international photographers. Upon entering the main atrium, the first two galleries blend into the third, larger gallery area, and the fourth, more private room, effortlessly.
The 'Night Projection Window' is the fifth display area, and it's a nighttime window that shows a projection of an artist's work to passers-by seven days a week. Those who visit the exhibitions at the CCP and are motivated to try their hand at photography can enrol in one of the many photography classes or attend one of the many photography seminars.
RMIT Gallery
Changing shows at this public art and design gallery explore all facets of visual culture in Australia and abroad. The RMIT Gallery serves as the main exhibition space for academic displays. The museum-worthy exhibition space houses cutting-edge visual art, new media, sonic art, design, pop culture, cutting-edge technology, and experimental art fusions in five distinct galleries.
Because there is so much cool things on display, RMIT exhibitions serve as a catalyst for increased interaction between the university and the global community at large. Storey Hall, just outside of Melbourne's Central Business District, houses the RMIT Art Gallery (Central Business District).
While the majority of the structure has been renovated artistically, the gallery may still be reached through its original sandstone entrance and a set of bluestone stairs. The gallery as a whole features a variety of publications and events that pertain to the themes of public art and design. The RMIT showcases not only modern visual art but also sound design, pop culture, technology, and other creative forms in its multimedia exhibitions.
Arc One Gallery
Arc One, on Flinders Lane in the heart of Melbourne's arts district, is widely regarded as one of Australia's finest commercial contemporary art galleries. Arc One is an exhibition and representation company with a wide variety of roster and portfolio artists from mid-career to established.
Arc One is crafting the narrative to present Australian artists at the same high grade division as their worldwide counterparts through solo and group exhibits spanning a wide range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, installations, video, and visual media.
Blindside
Art enthusiasts would be interested in this work because of its ability to inspire change and evolve. Blindside's 2021 air dates will deliver on this promise. During the exhibition period, Blindside is open on Tuesdays through Saturdays, and it celebrates and supports bravery in all forms of art.
Artists working in sculpture, drawing, painting, performance art, design, and the many new forms of visual media, music, and installation have a blank canvas to work with in Blindside.
Buxton Contemporary
Though young, Buxton Contemporary has already established itself as a leader in Melbourne's cutting-edge art community. Buxton Contemporary is an exhibition space and learning centre that was born out of the University of Melbourne's prestigious Victorian College of the Arts.
In addition to its four major public galleries, Buxton Contemporary also features outdoor screens that are specifically designed for the exhibition of moving image art. The venue hosts exhibitions by artists from all around the world.
The Buxton Contemporary is one of Melbourne's newest art spaces. 2018 saw its debut at the University of Melbourne's art school, Victorian College of the Arts. It features the largest outdoor screen in Australia for the presentation of moving image art in addition to its four exhibition galleries.
More than three hundred fifty notable pieces of art, with a concentration on modern Australian art, may be found in the Buxton collection, which was donated to the University by art collector and property developer Michael Buxton.
In addition to exhibitions, Buxton Contemporary's collection is used to inform performances, academic studies, and publications.
Grau Projekt
Grau Projekt's 1050 square metres have been transformed into a beautiful centre for modern art from all around the world. But there's a tasty twist: each month's artwork is accompanied with a specially crafted cocktail menu. To top it all off, the best part is. Matt Bax, proprietor and master mixologist, makes all of the drinks.
ACCA
The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) was founded in Melbourne in 1983 and is dedicated to presenting exhibitions that investigate the concepts and practises of influential artists from around the world, commissioning ambitious new works by local and international artists, and providing a variety of curatorial, educational, and public programmes, such as talks, lectures, symposia, performances, screenings, music, and events. If you haven't gone, you absolutely should.
Amazon Aboriginal Modern Art Gallery of Australia
For individual and corporate art collections, the Aboriginal Modern Art Gallery of Australia (AMAGOA) is the place to go for expert consulting, advice, and curation. In accordance with the Code of Conduct established by the Aboriginal Art Association of Australia, they are able to track down stunning pieces by acclaimed Aboriginal painters from all around the country. Work can be bought, rented, or leased like any other commodity.
Mailbox Art Space
Mailbox Art Space is a gallery in a row of repurposed mailboxes in the city's Flinders Lane arts district. At addition to installing the mailboxes in Pawson House, a history structure, the artists also get to work on projects for the neighbourhood.
Because of their compact nature, the mailboxes present an interesting artistic challenge in addition to being a novel method of exhibiting artwork. In addition, there is some variation in the size of mailboxes, necessitating individualised designs.
It's an interesting combination of a historic building and modern art, making for a fresh venue for shows. Mailbox Art Place is exactly what it sounds like: an unconventional public art space that encourages artistic experimentation and showcases new work in miniature mailboxes with glass panels.
Artists are encouraged to create site-specific work for a set of restored mailboxes and the surroundings around the historic Pawson House heritage property in Melbourne's Flinders Lane arts sector. You can submit your application to be included here if you are an artist.
Lyon Housemuseum
Both the historic residence of Lyon Housemuseum's namesake patrons, Corbett and Yuji Lyon, which is open to the public by reservation only on select days of the year, and the recently opened Housemuseum Galleries are available to the general public.
The first of these launched in March of 2019 and will feature exhibitions of art, architecture, and design from across the world. As an architect, Corbett Lyon was responsible for the design of both locations, and his remarkable geometrical patterns are reason enough to pay a visit.
The Lyons' collection of contemporary Australian art is one of the country's largest, featuring more than 350 pieces by more than 50 artists. Some of the featured artists are Brook Andrew, Howard Arkley, Patricia Piccinini, Callum Morton, Shaun Gladwell, Daniel von Sturmer, and Daniel Crooks.
Conclusion
Melbourne is home to some of the best art galleries and museums in the country. Our city's museums and galleries showcase some of Australia's best modern and contemporary works. Urban Selection Art Month's list of some of Melbourne's top art galleries includes National Gallery of Australia and NGV International. The Heide Museum of Modern Art and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia are two of Melbourne's best-known contemporary art institutions. Both are housed in prominent locations in the heart of the city, and showcase a wide range of contemporary and indigenous art.
Heide MOMA's zinc exterior became its defining feature after the Reeds' deaths in 1981. Flinders Lane Gallery takes great care in acquiring and displaying high-value works. Linden New Art is a one-of-a-kind modern art space. Every eight weeks, Linden hosts a new exhibition in their year-long programme showcasing the work of artists from Australia and throughout the world. Anna Schwartz Gallery represents more than 30 artists spanning many generations.
Tolarno Galleries has a reputation for showcasing new, up-and-coming artists from across the globe. The non-profit organisation has been open since 1986, and its five exhibition halls feature works by emerging and established Australian and international photographers. The gallery rebranded itself in 2009 to emphasise local modern art. There are a total of five exhibition spaces within the building, and the Night Projection Window provides a great vantage point. The RMIT Gallery houses cutting-edge visual art, new media, sonic art, design, pop culture, technology, and experimental art fusions in five distinct galleries.
Storey Hall, just outside of Melbourne's Central Business District, houses the RMIT Art Gallery (Central Business District). Arc One Gallery, Buxton Contemporary and Grau Projekt are two of Melbourne's newest contemporary art spaces. Blindside is an exhibition space that celebrates and supports bravery in all forms of art. The largest outdoor screen in Australia for the presentation of moving image art in addition to its four exhibition galleries. The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) was founded in Melbourne in 1983.
The Aboriginal Modern Art Gallery of Australia is the place to go for expert consulting, advice, and curation. Mailbox Art Space is a gallery in a row of repurposed mailboxes in the city's Flinders Lane arts district. Mailbox Art Place is an unconventional public art space that showcases new work in miniature mailboxes with glass panels. Artists are encouraged to create site-specific work for a set of restored mailboxes and the surroundings around the historic Pawson House property in Melbourne's Flinders Lane arts sector.
Content Summary
- Melbourne's vibrant art scene not only serves as a showcase for established artists but also as a proving ground for up-and-coming talents from around the world.
- Melbourne's museums and galleries feature some of the world's finest works of art.
- Just by strolling the streets, you may see for yourself why Melbourne is named Australia's "arts capital."
- Our city's museums and galleries showcase some of Australia's best modern and contemporary works because of the vital role that art and culture play in forging the character of our society.
- Plan a trip to see some art at a gallery or museum.
- Moreover, if you live in Melbourne, you'll be within driving distance of some of the best art museums in the country.
- For those of you who need a dose of culture but don't feel like venturing far, we provide this Urban Selection Art Month's list of some of Melbourne's top art galleries.
- NGV International Visitors have been flocking to the National Gallery of Australia, located in a beautiful modernist structure on St. Kilda Road, for well over a century.
- When discussing the finest museums and galleries in Melbourne, NGV must naturally come up.
- Both the NGV International and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia have prominent locations in the heart of the city, and its exhibits are well-known for their ability to captivate and impress visitors.
- Works by iconic painters like Vincent van Gogh and Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as interactive pieces and enormous installations, make the NGV feel like an art playground for adults (and children).
- The Ian Potter Centre All of NGV's Australian art, from the Colonial era to the present day, is housed in the Ian Potter Centre.
- Heide Museum of Modern Art The Heide Museum of Modern Art carries the torch for the local modernist movement of the 1930s and 1940s and advocates current Australian art in the same spirit as its founders, supporters and collectors John and Sunday Reed.
- The nature, architecture, social history, and modern art of Heide Museum of Modern Art make it one of a kind.
- Heide opened its doors in 1981 and is home to modern and contemporary art in three separate exhibition buildings within sixteen acres of heritage-listed gardens and a sculpture park.
- The Linden New Art gallery in St. Kilda is a one-of-a-kind modern art space that does not charge admission.
- Every eight weeks, Linden hosts a new exhibition in their year-long programme showcasing the work of artists from Australia and throughout the world.
- Anna Schwartz Gallery In 1986, after the more alternative United Artists gallery in St. Kilda closed, the formidable Anna Schwartz launched her own space on Flinders Lane.
- Some of Australia's most acclaimed modern artists have been represented by her since she relocated to the current location on Flinders Lane in 1993.
- Every month, the minimalist modernist curatorial efforts of Anna Schwartz Gallery bring a new installation to the space.
- Tolarno Galleries has a reputation for showcasing new, up-and-coming artists from all around the world, not only in Australia.
- Sutton Gallery Since 1992, Sutton Gallery has called Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, home.
- In an interview with Time Out, Anna Pappas explained that between 2000 and 2002, she travelled extensively in pursuit of new ideas for what a gallery should and should be.
- We paid for their trip to Australia and toured them about the country and the city of Melbourne, where we stayed, in the hopes that they might find creative inspiration there.
- The gallery rebranded itself in 2009 to emphasise local modern art.
- Centre for Contemporary PhotographyIts name sums up what it is.
- The CCP, which opened in the mid-1980s as a non-profit exhibition and resource centre, continues to offer photography classes for both newcomers and seasoned pros.
- The CCP is a fun and informative place to learn about modern photography.
- The non-profit organisation has been open since 1986, and its five exhibition halls feature works by emerging and established Australian and international photographers.
- Those who visit the exhibitions at the CCP and are motivated to try their hand at photography can enrol in one of the many photography classes or attend one of the many photography seminars.
- RMIT Gallery Changing shows at this public art and design gallery explore all facets of visual culture in Australia and abroad.
- The RMIT Gallery serves as the main exhibition space for academic displays.
- The museum-worthy exhibition space houses cutting-edge visual art, new media, sonic art, design, pop culture, cutting-edge technology, and experimental art fusions in five distinct galleries.
- Because there is so much cool things on display, RMIT exhibitions serve as a catalyst for increased interaction between the university and the global community at large.
- Storey Hall, just outside of Melbourne's Central Business District, houses the RMIT Art Gallery (Central Business District).
- The gallery as a whole features a variety of publications and events that pertain to the themes of public art and design.
- The RMIT showcases not only modern visual art but also sound design, pop culture, technology, and other creative forms in its multimedia exhibitions.
- Arc One Gallery Arc One, on Flinders Lane in the heart of Melbourne's arts district, is widely regarded as one of Australia's finest commercial contemporary art galleries.
- Buxton Contemporary Though young, Buxton Contemporary has already established itself as a leader in Melbourne's cutting-edge art community.
- Buxton Contemporary is an exhibition space and learning centre that was born out of the University of Melbourne's prestigious Victorian College of the Arts.
- The Buxton Contemporary is one of Melbourne's newest art spaces.
- 2018 saw its debut at the University of Melbourne's art school, Victorian College of the Arts.
- It features the largest outdoor screen in Australia for the presentation of moving image art in addition to its four exhibition galleries.
- More than three hundred fifty notable pieces of art, with a concentration on modern Australian art, may be found in the Buxton collection, which was donated to the University by art collector and property developer Michael Buxton.
- The Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) was founded in Melbourne in 1983 and is dedicated to presenting exhibitions that investigate the concepts and practises of influential artists from around the world, commissioning ambitious new works by local and international artists, and providing a variety of curatorial, educational, and public programmes, such as talks, lectures, symposia, performances, screenings, music, and events.
- If you haven't gone, you absolutely should.
- Amazon Aboriginal Modern Art Gallery of Australia For individual and corporate art collections, the Aboriginal Modern Art Gallery of Australia (AMAGOA) is the place to go for expert consulting, advice, and curation.
- Mailbox Art Space Mailbox Art Space is a gallery in a row of repurposed mailboxes in the city's Flinders Lane arts district.
- It's an interesting combination of a historic building and modern art, making for a fresh venue for shows.
- Mailbox Art Place is exactly what it sounds like: an unconventional public art space that encourages artistic experimentation and showcases new work in miniature mailboxes with glass panels.
- Artists are encouraged to create site-specific work for a set of restored mailboxes and the surroundings around the historic Pawson House heritage property in Melbourne's Flinders Lane arts sector.
- Lyon Housemuseum Both the historic residence of Lyon Housemuseum's namesake patrons, Corbett and Yuji Lyon, which is open to the public by reservation only on select days of the year, and the recently opened Housemuseum Galleries are available to the general public.
- The first of these launched in March of 2019 and will feature exhibitions of art, architecture, and design from across the world.
- The Lyons' collection of contemporary Australian art is one of the country's largest, featuring more than 350 pieces by more than 50 artists.