Where to get your art, culture and coffee fix in Maitland
Whether you live in Maitland or have just visited the area, chances are you’ve heard of the Maitland Regional Art Gallery or 'MRAG' as its affectionately known. There’s a good reason for that.
The Gallery’s a bit of an institution in Maitland, providing a welcome dose of art, culture and good coffee to visitors and locals for the past many years.
If you were to visit the MRAG today what you will discover is an extraordinary art institution that showcases over 20 exhibitions and numerous programs for audiences of all ages and abilities throughout the year.
One of the MRAG’s most anticipated exhibitions of 2021 is Shadow Boxer.
Launching on June 8 and running through to August 8 Shadow Boxer brings together the work of contemporary Australian artists who explore ideas of race, gender and class and the sheer physicality of Boxing in their work.
The boxing ring has long been a compelling subject for artists across film, songs, paintings and books, Shadow Boxer explores why some artists respond so vividly to its history, contest and grit.
Featuring the works of Karla Dickens, Blak Douglas, Richard Lewer, Michael Willson, Nigel Milsom, Keri Glastonbury, Fiona McMonagle, Bianca ‘Bam Bam’ Elmir, and David Matthews it’s an exhibition not to be missed.
Just Not Australian
May 8 — August 1
Bringing together 20 artists across generations and diverse cultural backgrounds, Just Not Australia deals broadly with the origins and implications of contemporary Australian nationhood.
Impressions of a Journey: Landscapes Between Walcha and Paterson | Paula Jenkins
June 5 - August 29
Growing up near Paterson in the Hunter Valley, artist Paula Jenkins has fond memories of where she grew up which are reflected within her exhibition.
Shadow Boxer
June 8 - August 8
Artists have long been compelled to capture the rawness that is the boxing ring. Shadow Boxer highlights this cultural fascination and showcases the work of contemporary Australian artists who capture the sheer physicality of Boxing in their work.
Barka, The Forgotten River | A Collaboration between Badger Bates, Justine Muller, and the Wilcannia Community
June 12 — September 5
Reflecting the love artists Badger Bates and Justine Muller have for the Barka, or Darling River - "our mother and the blood in our veins" - and its people, the Barkandji.
MRAGM Art Sale 2021
August 7 — September 12
The Art Sale is a bi-annual fundraising exhibition of paintings, prints and sculptures raising funds for the MRAG Members Program to support great initiatives at the gallery such as Free Art Sunday.
Just Not Australian Film Screening | Terror Nullius by Soda Jerk
July 28
6:00 PM — 7:00 PM
Second screening - back by popular demand!
Part political satire, part eco-horror and part road movie, Terror Nullius is a political revenge fable that offers an unwriting of Australian national mythologies.
Bushfire Brandalism
September 4 — November 28
A collective of Australian artists who have been driven to reclaim public advertising space with posters speaking to the Australian government’s inaction on climate change and the devastating bushfires.
A Conspicuous Object – The Maitland Hospital
August 21 2021 — February 6, 2022
Built on Wonnarua land, The Maitland Hospital is a layered place. Ancient songlines are overwritten by a patchwork of buildings from across 170 years. Corridors are imbued with the fears and hopes of large numbers of people. The smells and sounds of medical care and treatments are ever-present. There are good and bad memories. There are funny and sad stories. A Conspicuous Object – The Maitland Hospital taps into these layers. Nine artists were invited to respond to stories…
Operation Art
September 4 — November 14
Every year schools across New South Wales are invited to participate in Operation Art, an initiative of The Children’s Hospital at Westmead in association with the New South Wales Department of Education.
National Art – Part One
September 18, 2021 — January 16, 2022
National Art – Part One is an exhibition and celebration of 50 practicing Australian artists who all studied at the National Art School and generously donated work from their personal collections to the School. Touring exhibition from the National Art School
Lost Property Office: The Exhibition | Daniel Agdag
September 11 — November 28
Lost Property Office reveals the insight and process of creating the meticulously hand-crafted stop-motion short film by Artist and Filmmaker Daniel Agdag and Producer Liz Kearney.
Unpreparable | Fiona Lee
September 4 — November 28
Artist and climate justice activist Fiona Lee lost her family home near Taree to the catastrophic bushfires in November 2019. Compelled to respond to comments at the time from the Deputy Prime-Minister that the idea of linking climate change to the ongoing bushfire crisis were “the ravings of pure, enlightened and woke capital city greenies.”
Storylines | Curated By Todd Fuller and Lisa Woolfe
December 4, 2021 — February 20, 2022
An exhibition of contemporary Australian Artists who use drawing to dissect the accepted Historical timeline of our country. “Storylines” features artists who use these actions to challenge accepted understandings of Australian History.
Hermannsburg and Paint | Neridah Stockley
November 20, 2021 — February 27, 2022
Neridah Stockley is a multi-disciplinary artist based in Alice Springs. She was the 2019 recipient of the Arts NT Creative-in-Residence at the Araluen Arts Centre and in this exhibition presents a unique body of work in response to Hermannsburg,