Regional art galleries and art centres in Western Australia

Regional art galleries in Western Australia: public galleries

Bunbury Regional Art Galleries in the South West is often described as the largest public art collection in regional Western Australia, and entry has been free every day of the week. Geraldton Regional Art Gallery sits in the historic Geraldton Town Hall and shows both local and touring exhibitions across the year.

These galleries are close to the towns where artists live, so they are good places to see how local landscapes and communities appear in current work. Always confirm opening days, because small regional teams may close for installation between shows.

Aboriginal art centres in the Kimberley and Pilbara

In the Kimberley and the Pilbara much of the best known work comes from art centres, which are community owned places where artists paint, print and weave and where visitors can usually meet staff and buy directly. They are not galleries in the city sense. They are working studios that also act as shops and cultural meeting places.

Names you may meet on a northern trip include Warmun Art Centre, which represents Gija artists of the East Kimberley and is known for paintings made with natural ochres from local country; Waringarri Aboriginal Arts in Kununurra; Nagula Jarndu, a women's art and textile centre in Broome; and Martumili Artists, working with Martu people in the East Pilbara.

Visiting well

Call ahead where you can, since centres in remote communities can change hours at short notice and some places need a permit to enter community land. Ask before photographing artists or works, and buy from the art centre itself so the income reaches the artist. Reputable centres provide a certificate that names the artist and the work.

The wider cultural background is covered in our guide to Aboriginal art in Western Australia, and the planning basics are in how to visit exhibitions.