August 2016

The current exhibitions Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection and Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes 2016 have drawn record crowds to the Art Gallery of New South Wales which has recorded its highest July attendance in history, with 205,000 visitors.

The Gallery’s July 2016 visitor numbers also show a dramatic increase from last year – more than doubling the number recorded for July 2015. Art Gallery of New South Wales director Michael Brand said that he is inspired and delighted by how much the current exhibition program has been embraced by visitors to the Gallery, who are also viewing the Gallery’s collection.

“Current Gallery attendances illustrate how engaged Sydneysiders are with the visual arts. There is clearly a thirst for enjoyment of culture in our community and a genuine support of the arts and we are proud of the Gallery’s role as a major cultural destination,” Brand said.

“Importantly the popularity of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and the Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes acts as a drawcard for visitors to further explore our collection and participate in a wide range of public programs,” Brand added.

In response to the record number of visitors, the Art Gallery of New South Wales will extend the exhibition Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera: from the Jacques and Natasha Gelman Collection by two weeks. The exhibition, which explores the art and relationship of one of art history’s most celebrated couples, will now run until 23 October 2016 allowing audiences more time to experience this powerful collection of paintings and photographs. Timed ticketing for the exhibition will continue and visitors are encouraged to book tickets in advance, especially on weekends and Wednesday evenings.

The Archibald, Wynne and Sulman Prizes are at the Art Gallery of New South Wales until 9 October and will then tour regional NSW and Victoria until August 2017. On display are the selected finalists and winners for the three prizes alongside the much loved Young Archie competition finalists – the winners of the Young Archie competition are due to be announced 17 September 2016.

Further exhibitions on now at the Art Gallery of New South Wales include the Dobell Australian Drawing Biennial 2016, Julian Rosefeldt’s Manifesto (featuring an extraordinary series of performances by Cate Blanchett) and Eko Nugroho’s Lot Lost in the contemporary and modern galleries (with a special family activity section). In the Yiribana Gallery are two collection exhibitions Yuendumu and Sentient Lands and the work of Tracey Moffatt features in the photography gallery until 4 September 2016.