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The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders both past and present.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this website contains images of deceased persons.

What's on

Thursday 1 September – Friday 30 September 2022

Collection display in Gallery Five, 2019
Collection display in Gallery Five, 2019
Collection display in Gallery Five, 2019
Collection display in Gallery Five, 2019

Collection display galleries

Exhibition open every day

The collection display includes a wide selection of portraits that tell extraordinary stories of encounter, exploration, independence, individuality and achievement in Australia.

2020, 2021 Jaq Grantford
2020, 2021 Jaq Grantford
2020, 2021 Jaq Grantford
2020, 2021 Jaq Grantford

Darling Portrait Prize 2022

Exhibition closes 9 October

The Darling Portrait Prize is a biennial national prize for Australian portrait painting honouring the legacy of Mr L Gordon Darling AC CMG (1921-2015). The winner receives a cash prize of $75,000.

Bookings required
Silent Strength, 2021 Wayne Quilliam
Silent Strength, 2021 Wayne Quilliam
Silent Strength, 2021 Wayne Quilliam
Silent Strength, 2021 Wayne Quilliam

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2022

Exhibition closes 9 October

The exhibition is selected from a national field of entries, reflecting the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers and the unique nature of their subjects.

Bookings required
Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize finalists
Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize finalists
Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize finalists
Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize finalists

Little Darlings Youth Portrait Prize 2022

Exhibition closes 9 October

Little Darlings is for primary and secondary students, with four separate categories across Kindergarten to Year 12. Responding to the theme ‘identity’, students painted, drew, photographed, printed or combined all of these to make their portrait.

Bookings required
Siegi, 2020 Steph Connell
Siegi, 2020 Steph Connell
Siegi, 2020 Steph Connell
Siegi, 2020 Steph Connell

The National Portrait Prizes 2022 Tour

2:15pm, Mon 18 Jul until Sun 9 Oct

Join us in the Gallery as we share the stories behind the photographs and paintings in the National Photographic Portrait Prize, Darling Portrait Prize and Little Darlings.

Bookings available
I Progetti © Eva Schroeder
I Progetti © Eva Schroeder
I Progetti © Eva Schroeder
I Progetti © Eva Schroeder

Cancelled due to illness: I Progetti Chamber Choir

Via Hibernis II – A Winter Journey: Part II

1:30pm, Sat 3 Sep

I Progetti Chamber Choir, directed by Charis Messalina de Valence, invites you to share in this musical offering as they explore new, unfamiliar and infrequently-performed choral music.

Ruby Hunter
Ruby Hunter
Ruby Hunter
Ruby Hunter

Screening

Wash My Soul in the Rivers Flow

3:00pm, Sun 4 Sep

A film that celebrates the love, lives and creative collaboration of artists Archie Roach and Ruby Hunter as they prepare and perform at the premiere of Kura Tungar—Songs from the River.

Bookings required
Miss Penny, 2021 Penelope Rudge
Miss Penny, 2021 Penelope Rudge
Miss Penny, 2021 Penelope Rudge
Miss Penny, 2021 Penelope Rudge

Virtual Highlights Tour

So cute I could eat you

12:30pm, Tue 6 Sep
Live online

Lunch? Just a snack? Come nibble on some of this year’s cutest entries of the National Photographic Portrait Prize, Darling Portrait Prize, and the Little Darlings!

Bookings required
Quentin Bryce
Quentin Bryce
Quentin Bryce
Quentin Bryce

Audio described tour

1:00pm, Thu 8 Sep

Join us in the Gallery as we explore the collection with our tour for visitors who are blind or have low vision. Sighted companions and guide dogs are more than welcome.

Bookings required
Melissa Clements
Melissa Clements
Melissa Clements
Melissa Clements

Mixing skin tones

Oil painting with Melissa Clements

10:30am, Sat 10 Sep

Join Darling Portrait Prize 2022 finalist Melissa Clements and discover the alchemy of colour mixing to create varied and luminous flesh.

Bookings required
Melissa Clements
Melissa Clements
Melissa Clements
Melissa Clements

Mixing skin tones

Oil painting with Melissa Clements

1:00pm, Sun 11 Sep
Live online

Join Darling Portrait Prize 2022 finalist Melissa Clements and discover the alchemy of colour mixing to create varied and luminous flesh.

Bookings required
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman
Nicole Kidman

Virtual Highlights Tour

And the Oscar Goes To...

12:30pm, Tue 13 Sep
Live online

Did you know we have over 20 portraits of Academy Award winners in our collection? Join Georgina, our Social Media and Content Coordinator, as she discusses her second and third favourite things (after socials, of course): films and the famous people who work on them.

Bookings required
Lynden Bassett
Lynden Bassett
Lynden Bassett
Lynden Bassett

Drawn in

Lynden Bassett

1:00pm, Sun 18 Sep

Draw while listening to a gentle sound work based on mandolin and electronics with sound artist Lynden Bassett.

Roslyn
Roslyn
Roslyn
Roslyn

Virtual Highlights Tour

Is ‘gallerist’ a real word?

12:30pm, Tue 20 Sep
Live online

Join us as we explore the story of three commercial art galleries, their gallerists and the significant contribution they make to the arts in Australia.

Bookings required
Art cart
Art cart
Art cart
Art cart

Art cart

10:00am, Sat 24 Sep until Sun 9 Oct

Our popular art cart is back for the school holidays! This is where you can get all creative during your visit if the mood takes you, responding to our latest exhibition the National Photographic Portrait Prize.

Portrait play
Portrait play
Portrait play
Portrait play

Portrait play onsite

10:30am, Mon 26 Sep until Fri 30 Sep

Explore portraits through drawing and creative activity in the galleries.

Bookings required
Indigo, 2021 Matthew Newton
Indigo, 2021 Matthew Newton
Indigo, 2021 Matthew Newton
Indigo, 2021 Matthew Newton

Virtual Highlights Tour

Call to Action

12:30pm, Tue 27 Sep
Live online

Art as activism! Join us as we explore how portraiture can depict strength and activism at work, and also be a form of activism in itself.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

Spring 2022

10:30am, Wed 28 Sep

Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

Spring 2022

10:30am, Thu 29 Sep

Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces
Little Faces

Little Faces

Spring 2022

10:30am, Fri 30 Sep

Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.

Bookings required

More events

Saturday 1 October – Sunday 30 October 2022
© National Portrait Gallery 2023
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
Fax +61 2 6102 7001
ABN: 54 74 277 1196

The National Portrait Gallery acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to Elders past and present. We respectfully advise that this site includes works by, images of, names of, voices of and references to deceased people.

This website comprises and contains copyrighted materials and works. Copyright in all materials and/or works comprising or contained within this website remains with the National Portrait Gallery and other copyright owners as specified.

The National Portrait Gallery respects the artistic and intellectual property rights of others. The use of images of works of art reproduced on this website and all other content may be restricted under the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Requests for a reproduction of a work of art or other content can be made through a Reproduction request. For further information please contact NPG Copyright.

The National Portrait Gallery is an Australian Government Agency