Guide 01 Western Australia independent information
Art Gallery of Western Australia: a plain visit guide
The Art Gallery of Western Australia, usually shortened to AGWA, is the state's main public art museum. This guide explains what it holds, where it stands and how to plan a first visit without surprises.
Where it is and what it is
AGWA sits in the Perth Cultural Centre, the cluster of museums, libraries and arts organisations just north of the city centre. The gallery occupies a precinct of three heritage buildings, and one of them is the former Perth Police Courts, so part of the walk through the galleries is also a walk through the city's civic history.
It describes itself as the oldest visual arts organisation in Western Australia, with its first work of art acquired in 1895. That date is the usual starting point for the State Art Collection, which looks after works from the 1800s to the present day.
What the collection is known for
Two strengths come up in almost every description. The first is Western Australian art, from early colonial views to present day practice, which lets a visitor follow the story of the state through its own painters, sculptors and printmakers. The second is the work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, including the East Kimberley painters whose work travelled well beyond Australia in the late twentieth century.
The exhibitions and the online collection pages on the gallery site show what is current. Display spaces change, so the same room may show different works from one year to the next. A work you read about may be in storage or on loan when you arrive. If one piece is the reason for your trip, check the gallery's own website first.
Art Gallery of Western Australia entry fee, hours and visit time
Is the Art Gallery of WA free? General admission to the gallery is free, while ticketed special exhibitions carry a charge. Opening days and hours are set by the gallery and can change for public holidays and installation periods, so treat any hours you read on a third party page as a guide only.
Allow at least ninety minutes for a first visit and more if a special exhibition is on. The Perth Cultural Centre has other free places within a short walk, which makes an unhurried half day easy to build. Our guide to visiting exhibitions in Western Australia covers the rest of the routine.
How it fits with the rest of the state
A state gallery cannot show everything. Contemporary experiments are often easier to find at artist run spaces, and regional stories are told best where the work is made. Read next about the other galleries of Perth and Fremantle, or follow the road north with the guide to regional galleries and art centres.