SMH: This seductive show should secure the National Art School’s permanent survival

SMH: This seductive show should secure the National Art School’s permanent survival

By John McDonald

Captivate: Stories from the National Art School and Darlinghurst Gaol, an exhibition celebrating the school’s 100th anniversary, put together by archivist, Deborah Beck. Spread over the two floors of the NAS Gallery, plus the Drawing Gallery and the Rayner Hoff Project Space, this is a monumental project that could have been ten times larger. There are few works that might be described as masterpieces, but the sheer variety – the blend of memorabilia, historical photos, paintings, drawings, sculptures, ceramics, posters, films and much else – is incredibly seductive.

It would make a great permanent display in a museum, which is why I can hardly believe the show is only due to run until the end of the month. This is too brief a time to justify the labour expended, and the steadily building audiences generated by word-of-mouth. If the NAS wants to derive maximum benefit from this project, it should have scheduled a much longer run. How different this is from the post-COVID practises of major public galleries, which keep extending the duration of shows to save resources.

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Thank you to everyone who attended the opening night and weekend celebrations for The Neighbour at the Gate. 

The Neighbour at the Gate is now open until Saturday 18 October 2025
11am – 5pm Monday to Saturday
NAS Gallery
Free admission, all welcome

Plan your visit at the link in bio.
Led by art educators and inspired by James Nguyen’s new installation work 'Homeopathies_where trees grow' (2025), join us for a free drop-in artmaking workshop to make your own incense holder out of clay which will become part of the evolving artwork in the NAS Gallery, commissioned for The Neighbour at the Gate. 

Next Saturday, 12 July, between 11am – 3pm.

Visit our website to view the full program (link in bio).

The Neighbour at the Gate has been made possible with the generous support of the NSW Government through its Blockbusters Funding initiative.
Next Saturday, join us for a fun-filled day of family friendly, free creative activities. There will be sound baths, drop-in artmaking, children's activities, an artists and curators panel talk, followed by dj sets and food trucks. Stick around for after-hours access to the gallery and the Shared Skies Music Concert with BARKAA, Rainbow Chan and DJ Rocky Stallone (ticketed, 18+). 

Visit our website to view the full program (link in bio).

The Neighbour at the Gate has been made possible with the generous support of the NSW Government through its Blockbusters Funding initiative.
Just over a week to go until the 'Shared Skies' music concert featuring BARKAA, "The New Matriarch of Australian Rap" (GQ), and Rainbow Chan, Artist of the Year at the 2022 FBi SMAC Awards. But who’s counting? 👀

🎫 Concession tickets just $25 — link in bio.

@barkaa__
@chunyinrainbowchan

The Neighbour at the Gate has been made possible with the generous support of the NSW Government through its Blockbusters Funding initiative.
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