About the arts centre
The muswellbrook regional arts centre is located on the New England Highway three hours drive northwest of Sydney and roughly two hours from Newcastle. The town of Muswellbrook lies in the Upper Hunter region among a diverse rural and industrial economy encompassing coal mining, farming, vineyards, energy generation and the horse industry.
The muswellbrook regional arts centre was originally established as a gallery in 1976 and was housed in a purpose-built annex attached to the Muswellbrook School of Arts. Following several permutations the gallery eventually moved to temporary accommodation in 1999 while a redevelopment of the School of Arts building was undertaken to convert it to a modern regional gallery. The muswellbrook regional arts centre was commissioned in July 2000 at a cost of more than $1,700,000.
The muswellbrook regional arts centre presents traveling exhibitions, local exhibitions and art prizes (including the biennial Muswellbrook Open Art Prize), along with periodic selections from the Max Watters and Shire Collections.
The muswellbrook regional arts centre manages a large permanent collection which was originally founded through the Art Prize in the late 1950s. Astute adjudication of the prize over the years has provided the local community with an excellent cross-section of mid 20th century Australian art. The Shire Collection was complemented during the early 1990s when local art collector Max Watters began to loan his collection of Australian art to the community.
This process was formalised in March 2004 through a major bequest of over 300 works by Max Watters. The Max Watters Collection spans about 40 years of mid to late 20th century Australian art representing major developments in this period through the work of artists such as: Tony Tuckson, Ken Whisson, Danila Vassilieff, Grace Cossington-Smith, John Perceval, John Plapp, and Euan Macleod, to name a few.
The Arts Centre provides a welcoming environment for the enjoyment of art by people with a disability. Ramps provide access from Muswellbrook’s main shopping thoroughfare Bridge Street (New England Highway) and from William Street and the Arts Centre’s car park. Designated parking and toilet facilities are available and scooters and motorised wheelchairs are welcome. Exhibitions are designed with access for all in mind. If you have any special requirements please contact the staff who will be only too willing to assist.
When visiting the Arts Centre you may find a lot of specialized words and terminology in the texts and labels telling you about the artwork – don’t let it put you off - our friendly staff will gladly answer any questions you may have about the exhibitions or artworks. In the meantime you may find our guide to ARTspeak informative.
