Issued today by Wollongong City Council
Boasting a mix of solo shows and group exhibitions, an updated art prize and an exciting schedule of workshops, free artist talks and events, there is no question 2025 is going to be huge at Wollongong Art Gallery.
The 10-exhibition program was launched by Director Daniel Mudie Cunningham on Thursday 27 February and delivers, he said, a diversity of exhibitions for residents and visitors to enjoy and to be challenged by.
“With my inaugural program I’ve worked to strike a balance between exhibitions that will challenge visitors to think, and others that will shine a different light on what it means to have a connection to Wollongong,’’ he said.
“It’s really important to me that the Gallery offers a wide range of exhibitions and provides people with different opportunities to engage in the creative arts.’’
Planning the 2025 schedule was one of the first tasks faced by Mudie Cunningham after stepping into the Gallery Director’s role last year.
“I wanted to ensure what was on offer was exciting, engaging and would spark conversations and encourage everyone in our community to regularly visit the gallery,’’ he said.
“Wollongong is one of the largest regional art galleries in the country and it’s free to visit. I believe this program, featuring artists including Karla Dickens, Wade Marynowsky and Teo Treloar will be enjoyed by everyone.’’
Mr Mudie Cunningham said it was important to him that the Gallery provided an exhibition space for local artists, as well as touring exhibitions.
“I’m delighted that we’ll be welcoming the touring exhibition Restless Legs by Mitch Cairnes from the Art Gallery of NSW, while also exhibiting Dream Vitrine by New Zealand-born, Melbourne-based artist Patrick Pound,’’ he said.
“It’s fantastic that our community can be exposed to such talented artists – for free – at Wollongong Art Gallery. I consider it a real honour that we’re going to be showing their work here.’’
Lord Mayor of Wollongong, Councillor Tania Brown said there was a passionate and engaged creative community in the city who would, no doubt, be excited at the upcoming program.
“The Gallery is such a beautiful space and we’re very fortunate to have such an eclectic program for 2025,’’ she said.
“The exhibitions are held in conjunction with other programming and activities like our popular tours and school holiday workshops, so there’s a real buzz in the space right now.’’
Mr Mudie Cunningham said another exciting drawcard to the Gallery for 2025 was the return of the Wollongong Art Prize.
Dating back to 1956, the prize has been reimagined for 2025 and will welcome artists in all mediums to enter. Previously, it had focussed on works in watercolour.
“Watercolour is a wonderful and important medium in art history and contemporary practice, but by opening up our Prize to consider other mediums, we’re going to see a diverse range of participants,’’ he said.
“That really excites me as a curator as this will be an exhibition that is really led by those who participate. There’s also a very impressive prize pool totalling $32,000.’’
The prizes on offer include a $25,000 acquisitive top prize, a $5,000 local artist prize and a $2,000 people’s choice prize. More information on the prize, including entry details, will be revelled in the coming months.
Exhibition snapshot
The first exhibition from this program is Karla Dickens with Rise and Fall (15 March - 1 June) – exploring climate crisis from a First Nations perspective.
Seeing Things (22 March – 3 August) draws together works from our collection alongside recent video and collage works by Shoalhaven-based artist, Wade Marynowsky.
Teo Treloar: A Void A Maze (5 April – 29 June) brings together two decades of drawings. He is a Wollongong based artist, and WAG has acquired the exhibition centrepiece Journal archive for our collection.
Patrick Pound reimagines selected pieces from our collection as ‘sleeping objects’ in Dream Vitrine (17 May – 16 November). Each cabinet displays a work alongside its imagined dream.
Ideas in Dream Vitrine are extended in the exterior panel project with Windows. The gallery’s exterior panels (once windows) will feature images of windows from Patrick Pound’s curated photobook, which have never been publicly exhibited beyond book-form.
WAG will present Greetings from Wollongong (14 June – 31 August). This features iconic Redback Graphix items from the collection, a survey of films by local independent director Mary Callaghan (1955-2016), along with works by selected invited artists. WAG’s resident curatorium will be led by Guest co-curator, Kaylene Milner (WAH-WAH fashion label founder).
Fafangu: To Awaken (5 July – 7 September) is a new body of work by queer Tongan-Australian artist Adriana Māhanga Lear. The exhibition revitalises and re-imagines Tongan concepts and practices using photography, video, sculptures, installation, sound, and music.
Mitch Cairns Restless Legs (6 September – 30 November) is a touring exhibition from Art Gallery of New South Wales. His striking paintings take inspiration from the world outside, from nature and the built environment to the working lives of the people around him. Cairns grew up in the Illawarra.
Here + Now 5: There’s No Place Like Home (13 September – 23 November) explores the multi-dimensional idea of home as both a refuge and a site of conflict. Here + Now is a biennial exhibition celebrating local emerging curators and artists under 30 and will be guest curated by local artist Matthew Grayson.
The Wollongong Art Prize (6 December – 1 March) first dazzled the local arts scene in 1956 and is making its triumphant return in 2025. This reimagined prize embraces a bold, contemporary vision, welcoming artists across all mediums with a focus on access, inclusivity, and community.
For more information on the Gallery’s 2025 program visit the Wollongong Art Gallery website.