Public Access to Museums

In 2025, the University provided public access to museums, exhibition spaces, works of art, and cultural artefacts.

Across our University Gallery and Senta Taft Hendry Museum at Callaghan, and Watt Space Gallery in Newcastle city, community members could enjoy free entry to exhibitions and cultural displays during advertised gallery hours. The University Galleries Use Policy (effective from 3 December 2024) expressly includes the general public, provides for public access during regular opening times and enables selected artworks to be explored online.

Free public access to the University Galleries

The University Gallery at Callaghan presents exhibitions featuring contemporary artists and works from the University Art Collection. Nearby, the Senta Taft Hendry Museum is a knowledge-keeping place housing cultural items from Oceania, including works from the original Senta Taft Hendry Collection. The Museum also supports artist engagements, workshops and educational activities for schools and the wider community.

^{The Senta Taft Hendry Museum}

At Newcastle City Campus, Watt Space Gallery offers an exhibition programme featuring emerging and established artists. The three locations ordinarily welcome visitors Wednesday to Friday, 10 am–5 pm, and Saturday, noon–4 pm, with other visiting arrangements available by appointment. The University Galleries visitor information also identifies wheelchair-accessible galleries and museum facilities.

2025 exhibitions connecting communities with art and culture

During 2025, the University provided an active programme of exhibitions across its galleries. At Callaghan, Malang – Indigenous Hunter Artists (30 May–12 July) celebrated works by 12 artists connected to the Wonnarua, Worimi and Awabakal regions. The University Gallery also presented Know My Abstraction (19 July–6 September), featuring four women artists from Newcastle, and A Kind of Resistance (September–October), which explored human connection through a variety of artistic practices.

At Watt Space Gallery, SIXTY YEARS: The Art Collection (15 May–21 June 2025) drew on the University’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art holdings to celebrate six decades of collecting. Later in the year, Bio Assembly (September–November) brought together seven artists in four immersive exhibitions exploring environments, ethics and human relationships with place.

The University also extended public access to regional audiences. Its University Galleries and Central Coast teams helped present the free 2025 Coast Next Gen Art Exhibition at Ourimbah Campus Library from 3 March to 4 April, displaying work by 39 HSC graduates from 14 Central Coast schools in partnership with local arts and community organisations.

_{Opening night of the Coast Next Gen Art Exhibition on 28 February 2025, attended by more than 120 Central Coast locals.}

Access to art and cultural collections

We are responsible for the development and care of the University’s Art Collection as well as the curation of a varied and dynamic annual exhibition and public program.

The University Art Collection comprises more than 3,600 artworks and objects of cultural significance. Works are shared through exhibitions and displays in publicly accessible campus spaces, while an online selection of collection items supports wider exploration. The University Galleries Use Policy provides for online access where copyright permissions allow, alongside appropriate care for culturally sensitive material and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property protocols.

The University also supports exhibitions drawing on its regional heritage collections. For example, Say Aahhhh: Health, Medicine and Everyday Care in Newcastle from 1945 to 2000 opened at Auchmuty Library on 18 July 2025, sharing historical records, photographs and stories of health care in the region.

Supporting cultural participation

Our Arts and Culture Strategy 2025–2030 supports continued community participation, cultural partnerships and the visibility of First Nations perspectives in the University’s galleries and collections. Alongside exhibitions, the University Galleries provide public programmes such as artist talks, workshops and tours, with many offered free of charge.

By welcoming visitors into our galleries and museum and making significant artworks and cultural collections accessible, the University creates opportunities for the wider community to explore artistic expression, history and First Nations cultural knowledge. Our 2025 exhibition programme strengthened these connections across Newcastle and the Central Coast.