The Art Gallery of New South Wales acknowledges the traditional custodians of the country on which it is located, the Gadigal of the Eora nation, and recognises their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. From its magnificent site in Sydney, the Art Gallery of NSW is one of Australia’s flagship art museums and the state’s leading visual arts institution. Our mission is to serve the widest possible audience as a centre of excellence for the collection, preservation, documentation, interpretation and display of Australian and international art, and a forum of scholarship, art education and the exchange of ideas.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales began without a collection and without a building on 24 April 1871 when a group of 30 art-loving citizens established a society to support artists and promote knowledge and enjoyment of art in the wider community. In 1874 they secured government support for their project and by 1880 they had their own dedicated building, the first of its kind in Australia.

150 years on from that foundation, after changes in name and location, the Art Gallery continues to play a vital role in the cultural life of the state and the nation. It is a cherished public art museum, not only by the artists and visitors who are at the core of its existence, but by all who have been enriched by the Gallery’s art collections, exhibitions and programs.

Celebrating our 150th anniversary in 2021, as we undertake a significant expansion, the Art Gallery remains committed to making art a vital part of everyday life. Our transformation – the Sydney Modern Project – will create a new art museum experience across two buildings connected by a public art garden in one of the world’s most beautiful cultural precincts. The Art Gallery’s new building, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects, SANAA, brings together art, architecture and landscape in spectacular new ways with dynamic galleries and seamless connections between indoor and outdoor spaces. It will be a new prominent destination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and culture. The expansion is scheduled for completion in 2022.