Bendigo Art Gallery located on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, is the most visited regional art gallery in Australia.  Our exhibitions and collections are displayed in new and progressive ways creating a welcoming, inclusive and engaging space for all visitors. 

Our vision is to be a leading gallery that is recognised internationally and contributes creatively, culturally, socially and economically to Bendigo, Victorian and national communities. We aim to do this by using our collection, exhibitions, learning and public programs to engage, enrich, excite and educate. Our programming is designed to engage with contemporary global ideas in a way that is locally relevant. We strive to offer a multifaceted program of exhibitions and programs to bring an array of Australian and international cultural experiences to inspire and resonate with the local creative ecology and to enrich the wider community. We also seek to showcase the unique artistic, cultural, and historical qualities of our region to our visitors from near and far.

Artists are central to this success including Bendigo regional artists that are part of a vibrant local network ranging from emerging to nationally renowned practitioners.

Opportunities to exhibit

Our Curatorial team actively seeks out new exhibition content by attending exhibitions and networking events. A vital aspect of our yearly exhibition program involves showcasing artists from the region. Bendigo Art Gallery has played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural landscape of regional Victoria and has a longstanding tradition of supporting the diverse creative practices of artists who reside and work in this area. Each year the Gallery offers artists working in regional Victoria a unique opportunity to produce a substantial body of work for display at the Gallery. The annual event aims to highlight the varied and vibrant practices of contemporary artists in the region.
Please be aware that we are currently unable to consider unsolicited exhibition proposals. However, if you have an upcoming exhibition or event that you would like us to know about, please inform us here.

Public program opportunities

Our public programs provide a core way to engage with our audiences and attract new visitors. We design our programs to be meaningful cultural experiences.  Being part of a rich and diverse cultural landscape in Central Victoria our programs are often led by artists from the local community.
If you have a suggestion for a public program especially around our exhibition schedule please contact us here.  

Prize opportunities

The Gallery offers two biennial prizes the Arthur Guy Memorial Painting Prize, a $50,000 acquisitive painting prize and the Paul Guest Prize, a $15,000 non-acquisitive drawing prize. Please subscribe to our newsletter for prize call outs. Please subscribe to our newsletter for prize call outs. Artists based in our region are frequently featured in prize finalists exhibitions.

Our Collection

The Gallery’s Collection holds over 5,000 artworks and historic objects, spanning painting, sculpture, ceramics, decorative arts, textiles, photography, works on paper, new media and cultural artefacts. The Gallery is home to a nationally significant collection of historic and 20th century art, as well as a major collection of contemporary Australian art. We actively collect work by living Australian artists, including artists based in Bendigo and the Central Victorian region.

Recent acquisitions have placed particular emphasis on contemporary Australian art.

Gallery shop

The Gallery Shop is open 10am - 5pm daily (except Christmas Day) and is a wonderful place to shop for something special including local and hand crafted wares. If you have a unique and quality product please let us know here.

Become a member

Members receive regular updates about the Gallery, discounts to events and public programs. Most important of all, our members support the Gallery and form a community of energetic and welcoming art lovers who are passionate about the Gallery. Become a member.

Stay in touch

Our mailing list is a great starting point if you want to stay updated with Gallery news. You will be the first to hear about exhibitions, public programs, prize openings and anything special we have planned. Sign up. 

Please follow our social media channels for additional content and news.

Further information for Bendigo regional artists

Bendigo Art Gallery is part of the City of Greater Bendigo which has adopted the Greater CREATIVE Bendigo strategy.  For more information about this strategy and how the City of Greater Bendigo supports the creative industries in Bendigo please visit the website. Also see how the City's Creative Communities team supports and enables artists, creatives and communities to develop arts and cultural initiatives in the region.