Art Galleries Melbourne - Impressionist to Modern

For any visitor the abundance of art galleries Melbourne has to offer is astounding. Many visitors come to Melbourne Australia to visit the vibrant arts scene for a culture-break. You will discover that Melbourne is keeping up well with major international art centres.

The list of art galleries Melbourne is impressive. There are world-class public galleries and a spectacular number of commercial galleries, including Indigenous art and dreamtime folklore.

The city is also alive with an intimate grassroots arts and music scene. There are vibrant artists cooperatives and galleries hidden in upstairs studios and down laneways.

Major public Melbourne Galleries

Many major art galleries are located on either side of the Yarra, a short walk from the city centre.

Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia: A large public gallery dedicated to Australian art at Federation Square.

This is one of the art galleries Melbourne that has an outstanding Australian collection, including the Australian impressionists Tom Roberts, Fredrick McCubbin and Arthur Streeton from the Heidelberg school.

There is also the work of modernist Margaret Preston, and the symbolic surrealism of Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd and Albert Tucker. You will find the abstract paintings of John Olsen, and Pop Art of Brett Whiteley just to name the main characters in a rich history of white Australian art.

There is also a superb collection of Australian Indigenous art, which comes from the world's longest continuing art tradition. The galleries encompass works across a range of media by male and female artists, including Barak, Judy Watson, Emily Kngwarray and Uta Uta Tjangala.

The Ian Potter Centre is part of the National Gallery of Victoria. It host regular special exhibitions and programs.

National Gallery of Victoria: This is the international collection of the NVG, across the Yarra, in St Kilda Road behind the Arts centre. It houses one of the most impressive collections in the Southern Hemisphere.

This is one of the art galleries Melbourne that shows you the whole world of international art European, Asian, Oceanic and American collections throughout the centuries.

The NGV also hosts an array of top-notch exhibitions throughout the year.

Australian Centre for the Moving Image(ACMI):The Australian Centre for the Moving Image is also located in Federation Square. Here you can discover the wonders of the cinema world. They have the world's largest Screen Gallery and hundreds of Australian short films in free interactive lounge rooms. ACMI hosts a unique program of exhibitions, screenings, production workshops and family activities throughout the year.

Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA): This is another one of the art galleries Melbourne has to offer. It impresses with a stunning building in Sturt Street, Southbank. With its striking rust facade, it is sometimes referred to as a man-made Uluru.

ACCA is Melbournes major public contemporary art space. It hosts regular solo and group exhibitions of both local and international artists, such as Martin Creed and Yoko Ono artist able to make us see things differently.

Heide Museum of Modern Art: Here your Melbourne guide takes you to Bulleen, just 15 minutes from Melbourne's CBD. This is one of Australia's leading art galleries Melbourne can call its own, all within stunning architecture and breathtaking gardens. It used to be an idyllic refuge for artists such as Sidney Nolan, Arthur Boyd and Albert Tucker and the birthplace of Australian Modernism.

The permanent collection of the Heide Museum features many fine examples of their work.

The Monash Gallery of Art: The Monash Gallery of Art is located in Wheelers Hill in the east of Melbourne. It was designed by internationally-renowned architect, Harry Seidler, MGA is a fine example of contemporary Australian architecture.

It traces the development of Australian photographic practice from the 1870s and features significant works by the most influential figures of classical modernism.

Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery: Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery features a fantastic collection of Australian prints and drawings, including works by Arthur Boyd and Albert Tucker, as well as various exhibitions throughout the year.

Geelong Art Gallery: The Geelong Art Gallery features a great collection of colonial watercolours, prints and paintings dating from the 19th century as well as modern art.

TarraWarra Museum of Art: The TarraWarra Museum of Art is a privately funded public visual arts museum on the Healesville-Yarraglen Road in Healesville in the Yarra Valley. It has interesting collections, including well-known artists such as Drysdale, Olsen and Whiteley - and is even showing an exhibition of annual Archibald Prize winners.

Artists Cooperatives and Galleries

West Space:West Space gallery is located in level one of 15-19 Anthony St. Your Melbourne guide will point out West space as one of Melbournes insider tips.

It is an artist-run initiative with the objective is to give exhibitors maximum flexibility and autonomy. West Space attracts many young and emerging, as well as established artists. It is not just a gallery but a space where artist come together for support in a wide variety of projects.

Someday Store and Gallery: Your Melbourne guide will also take you to the Someday Store and Gallery on level 3 of the Curtin House,252 Swanston St. The gallery exhibits contemporary artists from all over the world, often for the first time in Australia - and you can browse through interesting designs and labels as well.

Nicholas Building: The Nicholas Building is located in 21-47 Swanston St. It has endured as a creative Melbourne centre. Enter through the Cathedral Arcade filled with interesting boutiques. Upstairs you will find the studios of a diverse art community of artists, jewellers, designers and milliners.

Blindside, is one of the art galleries Melbourne located in the Nicholas Building. It is another one of insiders tips - an exhibition space run by artists for artists, dedicated to presenting emerging and established artists in various shows throughout the year.

Bus Gallery: The Bus Gallery, in 117 Little Lonsdale St, is another artist-run space with studios and exhibition spaces including a sound gallery. It is an interesting space to visit. It supports emerging and established local, national and international artist.

Port Art: Port Art is located in 384 Bay St in the beach-side Melbourne suburb of Port Melbourne, in the cultural end of Bay Street. It houses a gallery, two artists in residence and promotes a host of established and emerging artists. It has studios, stockrooms and a sculpture courtyard.

It runs a successful program of loaning out the latest art works from Melbourne artists to the community buildings in the area.

Abbotsford convent: The Abbotsford Convent has become a local centre for a creative arts community. It is a not for profit organisation responsible for the development of an arts, culture and education at the historic Abbotsford Convent site.

Rose st artists market: For a quirky and different Melbourne market, also check out the Rose St Artists Market on Saturdays in Fitzroy.

Private and Commercial Galleries

For the art buyer, there are also an astonishing number of private and commercial art galleries Melbourne offers - keeping up with other international art centres.

Many Melbourne galleries are clustered around Flinders lane in the city, but others are also found in Southgate on the other side of the Yarra. You will find stunning contemporary as well as great indigenous Art Galleries there.

In the suburbs, High Street Armidale is well known for its upmarket galleries, while many more unconventional art galleries Melbourne are located in the artists hubs of Fitzroy, Carlton and Richmond.

You don't have to be an art buyer to enjoy these galleries. Many artists have their studios in these areas and a walk through streets and galleries can be a feast for the senses.

For a list of galleries check the ART ALMANAC.

La Maison de Maitre - Gallery + Venue space

Multi-use fully renovated building available for hire for presentations, conferences, classes, arts performances, rehearsals, meetings, corporate functions and meals, gallery space, cocktail venue, wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, commercial kitchen, product launches and unlimited uses in the heart of Carlton very close to the Melbourne CBD.

203-205 Canning Street, Carlton, Melbourne, Victoria 3053

phone: 03 9347 8333; web: www.lamaisondemaitre.com.au

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