The University Gallery, Senta Taft Hendry Museum and Watt Space Gallery
University Gallery
Current Exhibition
Synergy
NAS Mentorship Exhibition 2026
Friday 4 September - Saturday 14 November 2026
The University Galleries at Callaghan are pleased to partner with Newcastle Art Space to present their 2026 Mentorship Program exhibition: Synergy.
The Newcastle Art Space Mentorship Program supports excellence in arts practice by connecting emerging Hunter Region artists with established, creative practitioners. Through informal, regular mentoring, cohort networking and professional development sessions,
the program fosters shared learning, experimentation and professional growth.
Previous Exhibitions
HEAD2ART: An Arts-Based Inquiry Developing Museum Wellbeing Programs
Helena Bezzina
29th July – 29th August 2026
HEAD2ART is a visual dialogue between researcher and participants, exploring how young people develop wellbeing through museum-based creative engagement. This arts-based PhD exhibition emerges from partnerships with Joanna Davies (Visual Arts and Public Programs Leader, Lake Macquarie City Council) and Byron Williams (headspace Newcastle), featuring artworks by students from Lake Macquarie High School.
MIMMI Sisters in Strength
Renae Lamb, Ngarie Pakai, Jasmine Christie, Madeline Lilley, Valerie Smith, Taylah Russell, Brionhy Manning, Ebony Branigan, Nicole Monks, Jenine Boeree, and Michele Higginson
13 June – 18 July 2026
The title MIMMI draws on the sacred spirit beings known across parts of Northern Australia – figures who embody creation, knowledge, and the passing of cultural practice. In this exhibition, MIMMI becomes a metaphor for the women who carry story, hold community, and lead through strength and care. Each artwork reflects a unique narrative, grounded in Country, kinship, and cultural continuity.
WIYA, WUBBA, WANNA Speak, Make, Listen
Zona Kelly, Warren Sherwood, and Penny Dunstan
13 June – 18 July 2026
Aunty Zona Kelly and Uncle Warren Sherwood have created a series of works exploring personal relationships to Country. In developing the exhibition, Aunty April Newman taught them conversational Gathang, the local language of the Worimi ancestors. Their artistic responses explored a greater affinity to place, experienced through speaking language. Penny Dunstan, artist and agronomist, was invited by the artists to respond from a settler’s perspective to their work.
Natural History Illustration and Beyond
15 May – 5 June 2026
The University of Newcastle’s Natural History Illustration Program has had a strong reputation for producing exceptional artists who bridge the gap between art and science. This exhibition invites a curated selection of Alumni and mid-career artists who create work with meticulous detail and scientific accuracy. Through various mediums the artists highlight Australia’s unique natural history.
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The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.