Muloobinba/Newcastle based artist Dan Nelson is known for her luminous paintings. She sometimes thinks of them as light-filled rooms — spaces that both artist and viewer can enter and experience.
Her series Sun Room follows this idea, bringing together works that mediate between inner and outer worlds with brightness and hope. The paintings wander between still life and landscape, offering the viewer solace and replenishment.
Free Art Sunday activities are designed for kids of all ages and, as a family, you can all join in and get creative. Each activity takes around half an hour to complete.
Art Sunday is staffed by Art Tutors who encourage parents and children to add to their experience of the gallery by accessing hands-on art-making activities in a family-friendly environment.
All materials provided! No bookings required!
Please note, children cannot be left unattended during Art Sundays.
Art Materials generously provided by CleverPatch.
Art Sunday is made possible with the support of MRAG Members.
Art and Dementia sessions are creative and social visits of exhibitions specifically designed for people living with dementia and their carers. The friendly facilitator uses works of art as a trigger for conversation and self-expression, guiding people through art-making activities in a friendly and supportive environment. The dates below relate to the Community Day program for group visits monthly on Tuesday afternoons and Thursday mornings.
Bookings are essential - please contact the Gallery.
Group sessions are also available for people living in care facilities. Please call the Gallery to make a booking.
Come celebrate the opening of Too Deadly: Ten Years of Tarnanthi and Mimili Maku Arts: Tjilpi munu Pampaku Tjukurpa Kunpu Kanyintjaku: Holding the Tjukurpa of our senior men and women strong.
Celebrating a decade of Tarnanthi, the nationally acclaimed festival of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art presented by the Art Gallery of South Australia, Too Deadly brings together more than 30 groundbreaking works by artists from across the country.
From monumental installations to works of profound cultural significance, this landmark touring exhibition showcases the ingenuity, diversity and creative vitality of contemporary First Nations art.
Mimili Maku Arts: Tjilpi munu Pampaku Tjukurpa Kunpu Kanyintjaku: Holding the Tjukurpa of our senior men and women strong
Based in the Aṉangu community of Mimili in South Australia's APY Lands, Mimili Maku Arts has supported artists to sustain and share cultural knowledge and artistic practice for over 20 years. Featuring works by founding artists alongside recent works created during bush camps, the exhibition marks the public launch of Alpiri Kuwari, Mimili Maku Arts' Living Cultural Collection. This significant artist-led initiative celebrates cultural authority, reciprocity and the importance of keeping stories and cultural knowledge connected to artists and Country.
Where millions of lights create Australia's most magical Christmas wonderland.
Step into a world where Christmas magic comes alive after dark. The Hunter Valley Gardens Christmas Lights Spectacular returns as Australia's biggest and brightest Christmas Lights display, unveiling enchanting new realms, including the shimmering Celestial Snowfields, the sweetly spiced Gingerbread Way, and an expanded Planes, Trains and Automobiles precinct filled with colour and festive charm.
With millions of dazzling lights, immersive walk‑through displays, live entertainment, rides and festive treats, the Gardens transform into a wonderland that delights all ages.
From snowy surrounds and twinkling trees to candy‑coated laneways and Rudolf skiing, this Christmas experience is made for making memories, sharing photos, and returning year after year.
Based in Gumbaynggirr Country in Nambucca Heads, Jack Hodges is interested in the way local culture and quiet assumptions of power can influence our daily lives. He does this through introducing his character Gary the Dolphin in a series of recorded vox-pops on the streets.
Gary is a central figure in Jack's work, a laid-back human-porpoise hybrid, embodying the existential paradox of freedom and in 2026 Gary comes to the streets of Maitland. Through conversations in the community, Gary reveals how personal beliefs meet public conversation — what gets spoken, what stays quiet, and who sets the limits of what's acceptable.
Tarnanthi is a national festival of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art presented by Art Gallery of South Australia in partnership with Broken Hill Propriety Company Limited and with the support of the Government of South Australia, assisted by the Australian Government's Visions of Australia program. Since 2015, Tarnanthi has established itself as a nation-leader in showcasing the nuanced complexity and ingenuity of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art.
Too Deadly presents major highlight works of artistic excellence from a decade of Tarnanthi festivals, with more than thirty ground-breaking works by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists from across the country.
This national touring exhibition features innovative, significant and memorable works, some of them conceived specifically for Tarnanthi. Several are monumental in their scale, others are immense in the cultural importance of the stories they tell. All reflect the creative vitality and adaptive genius of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.
Join artists Tuppy Goodwin, Pauline Wangin and Umatji Tjapalyi, alongside art centre managers Anna Wattler and Angus Webb for a conversation about Mimili Maku Arts Centre, its history and purpose, and the stories behind the artworks.
Together, they will explore the significance of the Cultural Collection, the continuity of culture, the next generation of artists, and the vital role of the Art Centre as an on-Country cultural institution. The discussion will also celebrate the exciting innovations and creative practices emerging from remote Central Australia.
Every Sunday, the heart of he Hunter Valley wine country comes alive with the vibrant atmosphere of the weekly Pokolbin Market. Set among vineyards and rolling hills, the market offers a relaxed yet lively experience for locals and visitors alike. Stalls stretch beneath canopies, showcasing an array of locally made goods, and fresh produce.
Pokolbin Market. Set among vineyards and rolling hills, the market offers a relaxed yet lively experience for locals and visitors alike. Stalls stretch beneath canopies, showcasing an array of locally made goods, and fresh produce. Gourmet food stalls tempt visitors with homemade jams, chutney, and baked treats. The scent of fresh coffee and sizzling street food drifts through the air.
Live acoustic music adds to the relaxed country atmosphere, and entertainment for children, such as face painting and jumping castles, makes it a family-friendly outing. Visitors can pause to enjoy a coffee or a wine tasting from nearby vineyards, creating a social and welcoming vibe.
With its scenic location and wide variety of high-quality goods, the Pokolbin Market offers a perfect blend of rural charm, community spirit, and artisanal flair in one of New South Wales' most picturesque regions.
Celebrate Melbourne Cup Day 2026 at Harrigan's Hunter Valley with a huge day of racing, fashion, prizes and live entertainment.
Catch all the action from the track on our massive screens while enjoying the atmosphere of Cup Day in the heart of the Hunter Valley.
Dress to impress for Fashions on the Field, with prizes up for grabs for Best Dressed, a lucky door prize, and sweeps throughout the day.
Once the race is run, stick around and keep the celebrations going with live music.
Gather your crew, dress up for the occasion and make a day of it at Harrigan's Hunter Valley!
Join the Culture Club's Poets Society to see local poets share poems. If you are a poetry lover feel welcome to share your own, make connections and be inspired by creativity.
First Wednesday of each month, bring your poem and a pillow to relax into the evening.
On the first and third Thursday of each month, Maitland welcomes Maitland Earth Market to The Levee.
Bring your bags, stock up, and taste some of the farm produce, including a great range of pickled vegetables, fruits, herbs, eggs, honey, olives, olive products, oils and much more.
Stroll through the market and take the time to get to know the local farmers.
Slow Food Earth Market Maitland is run by members and community volunteers who ensure access to good, clean and fair food for all is a reality in Maitland.
