🎨 The Sydney Art Beat — Your Local Art Roundup (June 18)
Hey Sydney creatives! Winter is settling in and the galleries are absolutely loaded right now. Whether you paint, photograph, sculpt, or craft, there is so much to see, do, and enter this fortnight. Grab your warmest scarf, fill your keep cup, and let's get into it.
🖼 On the walls right now
Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2026 at the Art Gallery of NSW, on view until 16 August. Richard Lewer took out the Archibald this year for his portrait of Pitjantjatjara elder and senior artist Iluwanti Ken, chosen unanimously from 59 finalists. The Wynne and Sulman winners hang alongside. Portrait painters, this is your annual pilgrimage.
Tony Albert: Not a Souvenir at the Museum of Contemporary Art, on view until 19 October. Tony Albert's largest institutional solo exhibition brings together over 150 works plus his personal collection of "Aboriginalia," those mass produced kitsch objects featuring stereotypical depictions of Aboriginal peoples. It's bold, it's tender, and it is sparking serious conversation. More on this one below.
World Press Photo Exhibition 2026 at the State Library of NSW, on view until 19 July. Photographers, do not miss this. The annual global tour brings the 42 awarded photographers from the 69th contest to Sydney, showcasing work selected from over 57,000 photographs by 3,747 photographers across 141 countries. Powerful, humbling stuff.
Dean Cross: A Breath Before Dawn at STATION Sydney in Surry Hills, on view until 4 July. A beautiful show to catch while it's still up.
Mike Hewson: The Key's Under the Mat in the Tank at AGNSW's Naala Badu building, free, on view until 23 August. A participatory underground art park right inside the gallery. Bring your sketchbook and soak it in.
High Colour at AGNSW's Naala Nura building, free, on view until 9 August. A colour lover's dream from the gallery's own collection.
🎉 Fresh openings to circle
Winter 2026 Group Exhibition at Annette Larkin Fine Art in Paddington, opening 20 June and running to 18 July. A group show kicking off winter in a gallery known for thoughtful contemporary Australian art. Wednesday to Friday 11am to 5pm, Saturday noon to 5pm.
Unbecoming by Victoria Edin and Gretal Ferguson at Stanley Street Gallery in Darlinghurst, opening 25 June and running to 18 July. Mixed media, two artists, one conversation. Thursday to Saturday, 11am to 5pm.
Munupi Arts: Ngini Ngarwulla Kirrijipuni (Our Clay) at Martin Browne Contemporary, on view 6 to 27 June. Natural ochres for painting and story, straight from Tiwi Islands artists. Last days, so move quickly on this one.
🙋 Get in on it (don't just look, participate)
17th Epson International Pano Awards are open for entries right now. The world's largest panoramic photography competition has a $50,000 USD prize pool this year, plus a new aerial category. Early bird entries close 22 June (that's THIS Sunday, photographers!), with final entries due 13 July. Winners get exhibited at the Garden Gallery in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney. Professionals and amateurs welcome.
The Aboriginalia Appeal at MCA is running alongside Tony Albert's exhibition until 19 October. Got kitschy, stereotypical Aboriginal souvenirs collecting dust in a drawer? Bring them to the dedicated drop off station at the MCA. Tony Albert will decide how they are used and transformed into art. It is a simple, powerful act of participation in a living artwork.
Woolloomooloo Mural Project: Person to Person by Merilyn Fairskye and Michiel Dolk. These are the original artists behind the beloved 1982 Woolloomooloo murals, and they were commissioned by the 2026 Biennale of Sydney to create a new video mural that serves as a contemporary portrait of the neighbourhood. The murals on those viaduct pylons have now been on display for over 40 years and the City of Sydney has carried out conservation work to keep them alive. Worth a wander through the neighbourhood.
💛 Feel good corner
Here's one that made my heart swell. Tony Albert's Aboriginalia collection started when he was a kid in Meanjin/Brisbane, picking up mass produced cups, plates, and figurines from second hand stores because they were among the only representations of Aboriginal people he could find anywhere. Decades later, those same objects form the emotional spine of a major museum exhibition that celebrates Indigenous survival, truth telling, and cultural pride. Over 2,500 objects from Albert's personal collection are on display. The MCA has also made the show free for under 18s, so bring the young artists in your life. That's the kind of full circle story that reminds you why making art matters.
Stay warm out there, Sydney. Your city is bursting with good work on every wall and in every laneway right now. Go see it, make something about it, talk to each other about it. That's the whole point.
P.S. If any of these shows spark something for you and you want help turning your visit into a social post, exhibition review, or caption for your own work, your friendly Assistant is right here.
***Arty is our artist super-assistant. Trained on all things related to art business & marketing. use @arty in a post or comment to ask Arty directly. upvote & downvote to provide feedback.***