Call out for contributions
Are you a former student, or family member of someone who has studied or taught at the National Art School or East Sydney Technical College? Do you know someone who was incarcerated in Darlinghurst Gaol, or who worked on the transformation from gaol to art school? Do you have archival material that relates specifically to any part of our history, such as the buildings, or events that took place here? If so, we would be very interested to hear from you.
In 2022, the National Art School commemorated two important milestones in its history: the 100-year anniversary of our location in Darlinghurst, as well as the 200-year anniversary of the construction of the Darlinghurst Gaol walls (1822), which can still be seen today with their original convict markings.
To celebrate this significant moment in time, NAS held a major exhibition ‘Captivate: the National Art School and Darlinghurst Gaol’ primarily sourced from the extensive National Art School Collection. As a result, many new objects, artworks and archival materials were donated to the collection, and people also contributed their stories about the gaol and the art school (formerly part of East Sydney Technical College). We are still seeking to broaden the information available in our archives and collection.
We are keen to see images or copies of any historical objects or documents relating to the school and the site, including photos, artworks, diplomas, class lists, handbooks and gaol documents and artefacts, as well as typed stories of your memories of experiences or events connected to the school at any point in its history.
Please send contributions to:
Deborah Beck
Lecturer, Archivist and Collections Manager
+61 2 9339 8674
[email protected]
Sonia Legge
Curator, Collections
+61 2 9339 8796
[email protected]
For more about the NAS Archive and Collection see nas.edu.au/nas-archive-and-collection
`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
Join us to celebrate the opening of `The Neighbour at the Gate` at the National Art School Gallery on Thursday 10 July.
The exhibition features new works by Jacky Cheng, Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson, Dennis Golding (Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay), Jenna Mayilema Lee (Gulumerridjin (Larrakia), Wardaman, KarraJarri), James Nguyen and James Tylor (Kaurna, Thura-Yura language region).
Visit the exhibition page for full artwork captions and details (link in bio).
`The Neighbour at the Gate` is proudly supported by the NSW Government through its Blockbusters Funding initiative.
Jun 12
NAS Alum Juz Kitson (@juz_kitson) is known for her emotionally charged, biomorphic sculptures that combine porcelain with organic materials.
See her extraordinary work now on view in her current solo exhibition `Unfolding Earth` at @cassandrabird.gallery. `Unfolding Earth` continues until 14 June.
Join Kitson for her ceramics masterclass on experimental porcelain at the National Art School 28-29 June. Book at the link in bio - limited places available.
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Images courtesy of CASSANDRA BIRD, photo by Laura Moore.
Jun 6
Opening night: The Neighbour at the Gate
Join us on Thursday 10 July for the opening night of The Neighbour at the Gate, a major exhibition at the National Art School Gallery, curated by a guest curatorium led by Clothilde Bullen (Wardandi Noongar and Badimaya Yamatji), with Micheal Do and Zali Morgan (Whadjuk Balladong and Wilman Noongar).
Bringing together newly commissioned works by leading Australian artists Jacky Cheng, Elham Eshraghian-Haakansson, Dennis Golding (Kamilaroi/Gamilaraay), Jenna Mayilema Lee (Gulumerridjin (Larrakia), Wardaman, KarraJarri), James Nguyen and James Tylor (Kaurna, Thura-Yura language region), the exhibition reckons with the echoes of immigration policies and the legacies of Colonialism in Australia, unravelling how these forces continue to shape First Nations and Asian Australian experiences and relationships.
Across various mediums and perspectives, The Neighbour at the Gate charts the entangled legacies of exclusion and resilience, drawing vital parallels between the past and present, memory and nationhood.
The Neighbour at the Gate has been made possible with the generous support of the NSW Government through its Blockbusters Funding initiative.
RSVP at the link in bio.
Jun 5
Burned trees build no homes.
Today we acknowledge World Environment Day with this work by alum Una Foster, now in the National Art School Collection.
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Una Foster, ‘Burned Trees Build No Homes’, c.1945, commercial print on paper; image courtesy the artist and National Art School © Una Foster. From the National Art School Collection.
Jun 5
