The best Brisbane art gallery experiences you can’t miss

Whether you’re an art connoisseur or simply appreciate the beauty and talent that goes into it, the art scene is a thriving metropolis in Brisbane.

A trip to Brisbane isn’t complete without visiting an art gallery, and luckily there is a multitude of them to immerse yourself in. One of the best things to do in Brisbane, you’ll find major art galleries, outdoor art and special exhibitions all across the stunning river city that will keep the whole family entertained.

Here, find our guide to exploring the top art galleries in Brisbane.

1. The Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)

QAGOMA are two riverside galleries sitting a mere 150 metres apart in South Bank’s Queensland Cultural Centre.

The Queensland Art Gallery is the traditional art experience, and the Gallery of Modern Art is, you guessed it, the modern art hub of the Brisbane galleries.

Collectively they hold more than 16,000 works of historical, modern, and contemporary art, and also showcase some iconic Indigenous and Australian collections.

GOMA often features revolutionary exhibitions like Chiharu Shiota’s The Soul Trembles. (Image: Evan Natsis)

Admission: Free, but certain exhibitions and events are ticketed.
Address: Stanley Pl, South Brisbane

2. Brisbane City Council Outdoor Gallery

The Brisbane City Council Outdoor Gallery was created to transform traditionally unsafe areas, like laneways and car parks, into imaginative, curious and engaging spaces.

The artworks liven up laneways and car parks. (Image: Emily Murphy)

Admission: Free
Address: City-wide

3. Museum of Brisbane

The Museum of Brisbane is located on the third floor of Brisbane City Hall, and this unsuspecting spot is the ideal escape from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Don’t be fooled by the name, the Museum of Brisbane is in fact one of Brisbane’s best art galleries, with many exhibitions always running. While you’re there, take a tour of the iconic Clock Tower. Make sure you book in advance (it’s free) because spots are limited.

Admission: Free
Address: Level 3, Brisbane City Hall, 64 Adelaide St, Brisbane City

The Museum of Brisbane is located on the third floor of City Hall. (Image: Tourism and Events Queensland)

4. Brisbane Powerhouse

The Brisbane Powerhouse is a hub for creativity, art and cultural innovation that overlooks the Brisbane River. While not exclusively an art gallery, Brisbane Powerhouse is home to a large collection of permanent art and installations that are on display. It also dons a bunch of heritage-listed graffiti from artists including Lister, Blek le Rat, Kasino, Cezary Stulgis and Ben Reeves.

Temporary visual arts exhibitions, including the World Press Photo Exhibition and the Brisbane Portrait Prize, are held regularly throughout the year.

Plus, the Brisbane Powerhouse is also home to Bar Alto, one of the best restaurants in Brisbane, so you can’t go wrong.

The Brisbane Powerhouse holds the annual Brisbane Portrait Prize. (Image: Emily Murphy)

Admission: Free but there are ticketed events held here too which vary in price. See what’s on now.
Address: Yagara Country, 119 Lamington St, New Farm

5. QUT Art Museum

Queensland University of Technology’s Art Museum exhibits more than 2000 objects including paintings and sculptures, predominantly from Australian artists. The exhibitions are generally contemporary art, technology-enabled or in relation to future tech and innovation.

If you want more Aussie landscapes, QUT Art Museum’s sister gallery, the William Robinson Gallery, is proudly dedicated to the display of works by Australia’s pre-eminent landscape artist, William Robinson.

QUT Art Museum often relates to future tech and innovation. (Image: Louis Lim)

Admission: Free
Address: Queensland University of Technology 2, George St, Brisbane City

6. Woolloongabba Art Gallery

The Woolloongabba Art Gallery (WAG) represents a stylistically varied selection of local and Australasian art. Their ethos is steeped in cultural appreciation, and sourcing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art for the gallery is only done through 100 per cent owned and operated centres around Brisbane and beyond.

WAG has three exhibition spaces and operates in direct response to the need for continued dialogue in Australia’s multicultural future.

Woolloongabba Art Gallery’s ethos is steeped in cultural appreciation.

Admission: Free
Address: 613 Stanley St, Woolloongabba

7. Judith Wright Arts Centre

Judith Wright Arts Centre is a creative space for visual arts programming, but also for the development and presentation of original and innovative contemporary performance works, including cabaret, circus and dance, among others.

Some of the organisations within the arts centre are the Aboriginal Centre for the Performing Arts, BlakDance, Circa and the Institute of Modern Art.

Admission: Free
Address: 420 Brunswick St & Cnr, Berwick St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006

8. Institute of Modern Art

The Institute of Modern Art in Fortitude Valley is an alternative and interactive art space, home to some genuinely groundbreaking exhibitions. You’ll experience art unlike you’ve ever seen before all the while knowing the gallery is giving space to often underrepresented artists.

Find the latest exhibitions on their website.

IMA gives space to often underrepresented artists. (Image: Marc Pricop)

Admission: Free
Address: Ground Floor Judith Wright Arts Centre, 420 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley

9. Metro Arts

Metro Arts exhibits both visual art and performance, taking a closer look at experimental boundary-pushing exhibitions and performances.

Throughout the year, Metro Arts plays host to guest artists in residence as they extend and experiment with their practice and create new contemporary work.

There are also a series of exhibitions put on over the year. See what’s on now.

Metro Arts exhibits both visual art and performance.

Admission: Free for art exhibitions, live events are ticketed at varying costs.
Address: 97 Boundary St, West End

10. Jan Murphy Gallery

The Jan Murphy Gallery opened in Brisbane in 1995. In that time, it has remained dedicated to the exhibition and sale of contemporary art of the highest calibre.

The large windows facing Brunswick Street showcase the newest exhibitions and give passers-by a taste before they come in and see it in its entirety.

Jan Murphy Gallery is a Brisbane icon. (Image: Chloe Callistemon)

Admission: Free
Address: 486 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley