A comprehensive round-up of the best Canberra galleries

There are a lot of treasures to be found in Canberra galleries. Use our guide to create an itinerary that loops in everything from major institutions to intimate galleries.

Canberra galleries are well known around the country for being a major draw for visitors to the nation’s capital. From backyard studios to landmark galleries and outdoor exhibitions, a visit to Kamberri/Canberra on the Traditional Lands of the Ngunnawal people is worth multiple return visits.

Here are the best galleries to visit in Canberra.

1. The Gallery of Small Things

The art on show in Anne Masters’ backyard studio is wide-ranging. Masters runs Canberra’s tiniest walk-in gallery and showcases everyone from up-and-coming designers to established artists. The Gallery of Small Things is a great snapshot of Canberra’s creative talent, while also offering a platform for local artists.

Anne transformed her 1960s laundry into a tiny gallery so she could realise her dream of starting up workshops to assist artists with business basics. Masters’ big idea, to celebrate all things small, continues to grow. Visit the Watson Gallery to find a carefully curated exhibition of works in textiles, jewellery, photography, paintings and print media.

Address: 27 Wade Street

2. Canberra Glassworks

Canberra Glassworks is both a glass studio and gallery where you can observe the art of glass making and purchase bespoke pieces.  It is the largest professional facility dedicated to studio glass in Australia and is housed in the. Visit Canberra Glassworks to gain insights into the practices of artists working in contemporary glass art, craft and design.

Peer into the Engine Room to see the artists in residence developing glass art that ranges from pendant lighting and wine decanters to experimental installations. The gallery housed in the heritage-listed Kingston Powerhouse also offers courses ranging from beadmaking to term-long workshops to sculpt your own chess set.

Address: 11 Wentworth Avenue, Kingston

3. National Portrait Gallery

The National Portrait Gallery houses a collection of significant portraits of famous and infamous Aussies from across the ages. Those featured are considered important in their field of endeavour or are people whose lives set them apart as an individual of long-term public interest.

The NPG’s soaring structure opened in 1968. But it continues to move with the times, with everything from exhibitions to events, live-streaming activations and apps. Take a guided tour of the gallery and you will be led to a portrait of Truganini, one of the most well-known names in Indigenous history.

Expect to see familiar faces such as singer Nick Cave, entertainer Barry Humphries and surfer Mick Fanning amid the 1400 portraits on display.

Address: King Edward Terrace, Parkes

4. National Gallery of Australia

If you only had 72 hours in Canberra, you’d factor in a visit to the National Gallery of Australia. Opened by the late Queen Elizabeth II on 12 October 1982, the National Gallery of Australia features a comprehensive collection that encompasses Australian, Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander, American, European, Asian and Pacific art. All up, there are about 166,000 works that make up the permanent collection.

The gallery’s vision is to ‘be a source of inspiration for the people of Australia.’ It was established in 1967 by the Australian Government as a national public art museum.

Don’t miss the stunning outdoor Sculpture Garden which showcases 26 sculptures made by international and Australian artists.

Address: Parkes Pl E, Parkes

5. See Canberra street art

Feel the pulse of the underground art scene in Canberra by celebrating the artists who embrace brick walls as their medium. All up, there are about 350 murals painted around Canberra. Use Street Art Cities as a guide to map out your walking tour of the nation’s capital to see its best street art.

Favourite places include Tocumwal Lane, a tourist attraction for its stylised Superhero-themed artworks by local artists such as Sprinkles, Josh Roy Barlow, George Rose and Anna Keightley. You will also see some of Canberra’s best street art along the Condamine Street Art Turner Trail that loops in works by local artists Happy Decay and Byrd. The entire PCYC building is considered a living canvas.

6. Grainger Gallery

Those wanting to see the works of emerging artists in Canberra galleries should head to Grainger Gallery. The space set up by Canberra artist Kacy Grainger features everything from pencil drawings to landscapes and photographs that look almost like abstract art.

Grainger Gallery serves to establish a place for local artists to show their works. And walking around the Fyshwick gallery is akin to a master class of a new way of seeing. The collections on show here move through different moods in celebration of art and nature, and all that is changing and ephemeral.

Address: Building 3.3, 1 Dairy Road, Fyshwick

7. Canberra Museum and Gallery

There’s a bit of crossover between what constitutes a museum and a gallery in Canberra. As the nation’s capital, there are attractions that tick both boxes as places that document the country’s social history and celebrate its collection of art.

From stories honouring our First Nations people, to moving images and narratives around identity and belonging, the Canberra Museum + Gallery tells the story of the place chosen to be Australia’s national capital in 1909. CMAG is home to the Foundation Collection of Sir Sidney Nolan’s paintings, donated by the artist in 1974.

Address: Cnr London Circuit and Civic Square

8. Beaver Galleries

Beaver Galleries is one of the best Canberra galleries to celebrate the city’s hard-working commercial artists. The gallery is the longest-established privately owned gallery in Canberra and a great place to see what emerging contemporary artists have been beavering away on.

The Deakin Gallery has three spacious rooms that feature work in a diverse range of disciplines from sculpture to printmaking and painting. Want to pick up some Canberra art as a souvenir? There’s a gallery shop with select works by Australian designers and makers.

Address: 81 Denison Street

9. Craft + Design Canberra

Develop your sense of wonder with a visit to this not-for-profit organisation that presents a significant snapshot of Canberra’s creatives. A stroll around the space, at the intersection of craft and design, offers visitors the chance to connect with emerging and up-and-coming artists at every stage of their careers.

Browse the gift shop to buy unique contemporary art and crafts such as bespoke bowls by Caslake and Pedler, stoneware vases from Lea Durie and Votive Vessels by Fran Romano. And time your visit to Craft + Design Canberra to coincide with the annual Craft + Design Canberra Festival, one of the best things to see and do in Canberra.

Address: Level 1, North Building, 180 London Circuit

10.  M16 Artspace

M16 Artspace operates on the lands of the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people and is an inclusive gallery that supports Canberra’s arts community. The gallery has developed a program of classes and workshops that appeal to everyone from the complete novice through to those with experience who want to develop their creativity.

The gallery runs three gallery spaces, manages some 30 artist studios and houses various arts organisations that offer a diverse array of art classes. The gallery, established in 1985, also runs residency programs.

Address: 21 Blaxland Crescent, Griffith

11. Canberra School of Art & Design Gallery

What better way to plug into the zeitgeist in the national capital than by factoring in a visit to the School of Art & Design Gallery, Australian National University. The cutting-edge gallery is a celebration of the fusion of art in our daily existence with exhibitions curated by world-leading curators.

The gallery presents an ever-changing roster of exhibitions, public programs, performances and publications. It also presents the works of graduates and post-graduates in situ, which reflects the standing of the school on the international stage.

Address: The Australian National University, Canberra 

12. Drill Hall Gallery

The Drill Hall Gallery is a destination in its own right. The gallery is housed in a historic drill hall that was established in the 1940s as a place for soldiers in Canberra to train for the Second World War.

Located on the campus of the Australian National University, it’s considered one of the best Canberra galleries for its works by some of Australia’s leading contemporary artists, collectors and curators. Check the website for highlights of the current collections.

Address: Kingsley Street, Acton

13. Aboriginal Dreamings Gallery

The No.1 consideration when sourcing Indigenous art is to ensure it’s been procured in an ethical manner. Aboriginal Dreamings Gallery is a private, commercial gallery that has a collection of ethically sourced art that dates back from the 1970s to the present day.

The ethically sourced Indigenous art has been selected from Indigenous communities and art centres from around the country for more than three decades. The exhibitions change every four to six weeks and there is a gift shop onsite. The gallery has an offshoot at  Artworld ADG – Canberra City London Circuit, corner of Gordon Street

Address: 19 O’Hanlon Place, Gold Creek Village, Nicholls; Artworld ADG – Canberra City London Circuit, corner of Gordon Street 

14. Civic Art Bureau

A former Australian National University student has founded a gallery in Canberra’s city centre. Civic Art Bureau is an amalgam of all former art history and curatorship student and practising artist, Adam Bell learnt at ANU.

Established as a gallery to provide opportunities for both artists and curators, Civic Arts Bureau will feature a program of innovative presentations that reflect Bell’s experience curating music and sound art at Unsound festival.

Address: Upstairs in the Melbourne Building, 76 Alinga St

15. Belconnen Arts Centre

You don’t need to do battle with the traffic when visiting Canberra galleries. And while the crowds might be thinner, galleries such as Belconnen Arts Centre rival some of the best in the country. This popular Canberra gallery is a shrine to the arts honouring mediums such as dance, music, visual arts, theatre and more.

Belco Arts Centre is considered a cultural institution. The program of exhibitions has been carefully curated to celebrate everything from the contribution of the Australian migrant population to nights of monthly live music. Fuel up while you’re in Belco, which has some of the best cafes in Canberra.

Address: 118 Emu Bank, Belconnen

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