Join us for a dynamic program of public events at the National Art School to celebrate the opening of our major exhibition The Neighbour at the Gate.
Opening during NAIDOC week, the public program will take place over two days, Friday 11 and Saturday 12 July.
Saturday 12 July
8pm – 10.30pm
Cell Block Theatre
Ticketed, 18+
You are warmly invited to join us for an industry day, focused on artist talks and art making opportunities. Hear directly from the guest curatorium and the featured artists in The Neighbour at the Gate exhibition, charts the entangled legacies of exclusion and resilience, drawing vital parallels between the past and present, memory and nationhood.
Create a ceramic work to add to James Nguyen’s participatory installation artwork Homeopathies_where new trees grow (2025), or make a fabric tassel inspired by Jacky Cheng’s work Imaginary Homelands (2025). Learn more about the shared histories and stories behind this immersive exhibition.
Friday 11 July
10am – 10.30am
Location TBC
Free admission, all welcome
Friday 11 July
10.45am – 11.15am
Location TBC
Free admission, all welcome
Friday 11 July
11.30am – 12pm
Location TBC
Free admission, all welcome
Friday 11 July
12.15pm – 12.45pm
Location TBC
Free admission, all welcome
Friday 11 July
2pm – 2.30pm
Location TBC
Free admission, all welcome
Friday 11 July
2.45pm – 3.15pm
Location TBC
Free admission, all welcome
Friday 11 July
3.15pm – 3.45pm
Location TBC
Free admission, all welcome
Friday 11 July
3.45pm – 4.15pm
Location TBC
Free admission, all welcome
Join us from 11am until 3pm for a fun-filled day of family friendly, free creative activities. See the exhibition, participate in artmaking and mindfulness sessions led by Madina Yoga, and enjoy drop-in workshops facilitated by art educators, inspired by the artworks in the exhibition. Explore a range of mediums including ceramics, textiles and printmaking inspired by the work of exhibiting artists Jacky Cheng, Dennis Golding, James Nguyen and Jason Phu. Visitors can contribute a clay piece to the exhibition and take away their own textile tassel or hand printed tote bag at the end of the day.
From 12pm – 1pm, hear directly from the exhibiting artists and curators in a free panel talk, unpacking the themes of the exhibition.
After a day of artmaking and artist talks, join us for an evening of free DJ sets outdoors, with DJ Rocky Stallone, Sveta and Mason Kimber and food and beverages from 5pm. Closing out the Opening Weekend celebrations is our major program event, the Shared Skies Music Concert in the historic Cell Block Theatre, with live performances from BARKAA, Rainbow Chan and DJ Rocky Stallone (ticketed event, bookings essential).
Alongside our special celebrations and activities, the NAS Gallery will be open for extended hours until 8pm.
Saturday 12 July
11am – 11.30am & 2pm – 2.30pm
Building 25 Project Space
Free admission, all welcome
Saturday 12 July
11am – 8pm
Campus wide
Free admission, all welcome
Saturday 12 July
12pm – 1pm
Cell Block Theatre
Free admission, all welcome
Saturday 12 July
8pm – 10.30pm
Cell Block Theatre
Ticketed, 18+
Today is ‘Take Your Dog to Work’ day! And we`ve brought the whole kennel, courtesy of the National Art School Collection.
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Frank Pearson (Captain Starlight), ‘Two dogs, a white donkey and sailing boats’, 1890, watercolour on paper, Gift of Allan Harding to the NAS Archive & Collection; Margaret Woodward, ‘Dog (Bull Mastiff)’, 1997, watercolour and ink on paper, Gift of Britt Clapson to the NAS Archive & Collection; Bruce Latimer, ‘Gardens full of dogs’, 1973, screenprint on paper edition AP, Gift of Bruce Latimer to the NAS Archive & Collection; Lorna Nimmo ‘Sleeping dog’, pencil on paper; Vivienne Littlejohn, ‘It’s a Dog’s Life’, 1983, woodcut on paper, Gift of Joy Dandie to the NAS Archive & Collection; image courtesy the artists and National Art School © artists.
From the National Art School Collection. The Collection performs a major role within the National Art School, both as a teaching resource and historical record. Visit our website to find out more about the works in our collection.
Jun 20
Last days to make a tax deductible donation and support the next generation of artists through the Pathways Program.
Your donation this EOFY is vital to help us build a more inclusive and vibrant arts community. Your donation supports a range of programs such as the Student Hardship Fund, Scholarships and Residencies. Help create crucial pathways for talented artists.
Visit link in bio to donate now.
`I think when you walk into the campus, it feels like a sanctuary for a lot of people.` (Samuel Chan, NAS Alumnus 2024)
Jun 19
We are seeking candidates with strong experience in the areas of extensive audit, governance or philanthropy experience, and strong art and education sector knowledge to join the National Art School Board of Directors.
Our mission is to be a centre of excellence for the provision of higher education and research, scholarship and professional practice in the visual arts and related fields. Members of the Board play a vital role in long-term strategic planning and providing expert advice and support to the shareholding members and Director (CEO) on any matter relating to the school.
Visit I work for NSW website to express your interest (link in bio).
Jun 18
A new student-led, artist-run initiative joined our campus!
‘Pinpoint’ student collective (@nas_pinpoint) reactivates the notice boards outside Building 27 printmaking facility with micro-exhibitions of student work, offering students a chance to share their practice in a low-pressure, highly visible way within the student community.
Artwork by @jubohlephoto
Supported by @nas_src_official & @cafe.nas
Jun 17
`Being at NAS, they were the best three years of my life so far` (Rosemary Lee, NAS Alumna 2018)
This end of financial year, support the next generation of artists through the National Art School’s Pathways Program.
Your donation will be vital in helping us build a more inclusive and vibrant arts community — creating crucial pathways for talented artists to become leading international artists, regardless of their background.
Visit link in bio to find out what your donation today could achieve tomorrow.
Jun 16
We are delighted to announce Margaret Ambridge`s work `Cheek by jowl` (2024) as the winner of the People’s Choice Award for the 24th Dobell Drawing Prize. A huge congratulations to Margaret, who also won the People`s Choice Award for the 23rd Dobell Drawing Prize in 2023.
Margaret shares:
‘My primary practice is drawing. To have three very different, some say demanding, works exploring the human condition accepted for the Dobell Drawing Prize over the years is such a rare privilege and wonderful recognition of my artwork. For many years I have struggled with drawing’s place in my art practice. To me there always seems to be an external pressure suggesting that drawing is a pathway to something ‘bigger’ like a painting or a sculpture. The longevity and gravitas of the Dobell demands that drawing be seen as the final work in its own right. It’s been a long journey from drawing at the kitchen table as a child with my mother, an artist in her own right.’
See Margaret`s winning work in this final week of the 24th Dobell Drawing Prize at NAS Gallery, closing Saturday 21 June 2025.
Plan your visit at the link in bio.
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Opening night of the 24th Dobell Drawing Prize, National Art School Gallery, Sydney, 2025, image courtesy and © the artists and National Art School, photograph: Nicole Anderson; Margaret Ambridge, ‘Cheek by jowl’, 2024, charcoal and rainwater on paper, image courtesy and © the artist, photograph: Mark Fitz-Gerald
Jun 13
