Big Art Day Full-day art excursion for primary students

Bring the whole year group and join us at the Art Gallery of New South Wales for a big day of art!

In our Big Art Day sessions, we get up close to artworks, participate in lively debates about art and ideas, and create a collaborative artwork inspired by the works around us. Taking inspiration from the art and exhibitions on view, students learn how to look at and interpret art, and experiment with a range of art-making techniques and materials.

This day-long program is designed for primary group excursions, available for students in years K–6. Led by Gallery educators, it is linked to curriculum outcomes and brings students together with art in fun and inspiring ways while also allowing time for independent exploration.

Booking information

A Big Art Day can accommodate groups of 60–120 students (not including teachers and carers).

The program addresses the art and exhibitions on display at the time. Tickets include access to the related exhibition unless otherwise noted. All workshop materials are included.

See our available dates and themes below. To discuss alternative dates, email education@ag.nsw.gov.au

Louise Bourgeois: along came a spider

4–6, 11–13 December 2023
2, 3, 8–10 April 2024

What do spiders do in the day, and what do they do in the night? In this Big Art Day we follow the spiders created by Louise Bourgeois, on view in the exhibition Louise Bourgeois: Has the Day Invaded the Night, or Has the Night Invaded the Day? From outside the Art Gallery to the depths of the Tank, we trace the life of Bourgeois’s spiders with debates and art-making activities, to uncover the meaning behind these eight-legged creatures.

Use the ‘Louise Bourgeois: Along came a spider’ learning resource in preparation for the excursion.

Portraiture: big heads, big ideas

24–26 June, 1–3 July 2024 (Term 2)

Why are some portraits larger than life? What does this say about the person depicted? In this big day of art, we dive into portraiture and examine the ways in which artists in the Archibald Prize have zoomed in and captured the faces of their sitters. Working collaboratively, we build big heads, noses and features to create giant portraits of ourselves and our classmates.

Use the Portraiture learning resource in preparation for the excursion. 

Here Comes Everybody: fantastical beings

16–18, 23–25 September 2024 (Term 3)

Who are the towering bronze beings that welcome visitors to the Art Gallery’s new building and how were they made? Taking a close look at Francis Upritchard’s sculptures Here Comes Everybody 2022, we transport ourselves to other-worldly realms to imagine our own fantastical being. With a focus on scale and process, this Big Art Day includes an in-depth analysis of Upritchard’s work, a study of the fantastical in art, and the creation of our own mystical being using new and surprising techniques.

Use the Artworks in focus: Francis Upritchard learning resource in preparation for the excursion.