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Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery

Address:
Horseshoe Bend
Swan Hill, Victoria 3585

Telephone: 03 5036 2430
Facsimile: 03 5036 2465
Email: artgal@swanhill.vic.gov.au

Admission Charges:
Entry by donation.

Opening Hours:
10am-5pm Tuesday-Friday
11am-5pm Saturday & Sunday

The Swan Hill Regional Art Gallery was first established in 1966 to provide public art services to the region. The Gallery was originally located on a paddlesteamer called the 'Gem' and operated under the management of the Pioneer Settlement Authority. This unique location soon became inadequate to house the growing permanent collection and restricted the opportunity to display many of the touring exhibitions that were on offer.

Encouraged by the support of patrons and a high level of community interest in the visual arts, the board of management led a project to create a purpose-built gallery. The traditional Australian woolshed was the inspiration for the design of the new gallery and building began in 1984. This Gallery houses a collection of paintings, drawings, prints, crafts and sculptures from 1960. An outreach education program is offered to schools within the municipality.

Designed by architect Ian Douglas, the Gallery has wall panels of mud brick, a corrugated iron roof and a reinforced concrete raft floor. Natural materials from the local region have been used in the building process. The column and beams are made out of Murray River red gum and the walls are constructed from hand-made mud bricks.

The new building was officially opened in 1987. Ten years later in 1997, the Gallery again went through a transformation, with the addition of a new entrance and gallery shop, reception and office space. Today the Gallery offers a lively program of changing exhibitions, as well as displaying works from the permanent collection. An education program and public events are available today for the whole community.

Resume the trail or choose another gallery on this trail: Hamilton  Mildura Horsham