CELEBRATIONS: Wagga Wagga Art Gallery Curator Drew Halyday, Assistant Curator, National Art Glass Collection Michael Scarrone, Director Dr Lee-Anne Hall and local artist Jamie Holcombe with works from the Gallery’s collection that are included in the 50 year celebration exhibition 50 Years/50 Treasures

Arts & Culture

Wagga Wagga Art Gallery launches exhibitions celebrating 50 years

Published: 08 May 2025 3:50pm

Wagga Wagga Art Gallery is celebrating its 50-year anniversary in 2025 and is marking the milestone with a special event this Saturday 10 May, with the launching of two new exhibitions.

Pivotal to the celebrations is the Gallery-wide exhibition program 50 Years / 50 Treasures which surveys important artworks from the Gallery’s collections including glass, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramic and textile art.

The Gallery will also be launching Riverina Life Stories: Aunty Fay Clayton and Uncle Bill Wallace.

Gallery Director Dr Lee-Anne Hall says the Gallery is thrilled to be showing artworks from the collection, some of which may not have been seen by the community for many years.

“50 Years / 50 Treasures will showcase some extraordinary highlights from the Art Gallery’s permanent collection, including the Margaret Carnegie print collection and the National Art Glass collection, some of which are unexpected and rarely exhibited,” Dr Hall said.

“Local artists featured in the exhibition include Arthur Wicks, Juanita McLauchlan, Robert Harris and April Glasser-Hinder, alongside national artists such as Lloyd Rees, John Olsen, and Sydney Ball, and international artists Clarice Cliff and Lucien Freud.

A painting on the wall of an art gallery. — **ITEM NO 1:** John Olsen A Field of Wattle – Wagga (1980) was the first item acquired into the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery's permanent collection.

“Not only does 50 Years/50 Treasures celebrate the Gallery’s collections, it also celebrates the people who have helped make the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery a vibrant and thriving cultural hub and place to visit since 1975, including the artists, educators, donors, volunteers and staff.”

Riverina Life Stories brings together paintings from Wiradjuri Elder and artist Aunty Fay Clayton and Kamilaroi artist Uncle Bill Wallace in a powerful show of truth telling, with paintings from the artists’ careers which are held in private and public collections and have previously never been seen together.

“Wiradjuri Elder, Aunty Fay Clayton is a treasure of our Riverina community,” Dr Hall said. “She has long used art for healing, telling her stories and advocacy as a member of the Stolen Generations.

“We are delighted to honour Aunty Fay and her partner Uncle Bill Wallace with this amazing exhibition.”

The launch and celebration promise to be a memorable event with many of the artists included in the exhibition attending, along with past and present Gallery staff and friends from the last half century.

“We welcome everyone in the community, of all ages, to come and celebrate with us on Saturday; these treasures belong to the people of Wagga Wagga and some of Australia’s finest artists are represented,” Dr Hall said.

The exhibitions launch and celebration will be held at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery on Saturday 10 May, 2pm – 4pm, free to attend and all are welcome.

For more information visit the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery website.