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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.

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025 exhibition display

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026

Upcoming exhibition

The National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026 marks the end of one of the Gallery’s longest-running exhibitions.

James, Rebecca and Sam Mapu

Thread: Connecting Stories and Community

Upcoming exhibition

Thread: Connecting stories and community is an exhibition developed collaboratively between the National Portrait Gallery and Logan-based artists and community.

People drawing on paper notepads

Drawn in

Salar Ayoubi
Event, Sunday 9 August

Draw while listening to Salar Ayoubi, who blends traditional Kurdish music with contemporary expression on a Middle Eastern string instrument, the Oud.

David Lampard

Everyday Scientists

Event, Selected days from Thursday 13 August

Join the National Portrait Gallery for a special National Science Week online session designed for Years 4–8, where art, history and hands-on science experiments come together.

Parents and children at a table with craft activities

Portrait Play

Event, 10:30am weekdays, 6 Jul until 20 Jul

Join us these school holidays for Portrait Play, a gentle and creative program for families and young children. Through playful looking and art making, we’ll explore how artists tell stories about people and the places they call home.

Play on (A portrait of Neale Daniher)

Virtual Highlight Tour

International Portrait Day!
Event, Tuesday 23 June

Join Marina, Visitor Experience Coordinator, live from the galleries, this International Portrait Day, as she explores collection highlights that showcase the rich diversity of representation in portraiture.

National Photographic Portrait Prize 2025 exhibition display

Virtual Highlight Tour

Exhibition Intro: National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026
Event, Tuesday 25 August

Join Visitor Experience Coordinator, Marina, live from the galleries for a virtual tour of the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2026.

Wendy Whiteley

Virtual Highlight Tour

Six Degrees of Separation
Event, Tuesday 4 August

Join Director, Engagement and Experience, Gillian Raymond, as she delves into the stories and surprising connections between a variety of portraits.

Equation of a life - a portrait of Professor Derek Denton

Virtual Highlight Tour

Faces of Discovery
Event, Tuesday 18 August

This National Science Week, join Digital and Outreach Lead, Amy, to explore how scientists in our collection have shaped the way we see and understand the world.

Kate (Kate Grenville)

Virtual Highlight Tour

Flowing Faces
Event, Tuesday 21 July

Join Bookings and Programs Coordinator, Abby, for a deep dive into three portraits of subjects and the rivers they cherish.

Pat Corrigan

Virtual Highlight Tour

The Art of Looking
Event, Selected days from Tuesday 14 July

In this special winter series, join our Engagement and Experience team online to develop deeper connections with art.

Dr Joseph Brown with Two Typists

Virtual Highlight Tour

Exhibition Outro: John Brack x Noel McKenna
Event, Tuesday 7 July

Join Visitor Experience Coordinator, Marina, for a final virtual tour of John Brack x Noel McKenna: A face in the mirror live from inside the exhibition.

Louise Sauvage

Power of Portrait Photography

Event, Selected days from Thursday 3 September

Join us for an engaging and interactive program tailored for upper primary students, where they will build critical thinking skills to interpret photographic portraits.

An evening at Yarra Cottage, Port Stephens

Portrait Journey around Australia

History (upper primary)
Event, Selected days from Tuesday 28 July

From First Nations perspectives to the contribution of migrants, from the opening of Parliament to environmental protest, Australian history is full of fascinating stories – and we have the portraits to explore them.

Marcia Langton

Portrait Quest!

Civics and Citizenship (upper primary)
Event, Selected days from Thursday 23 July

Join us for an interactive, curriculum-aligned program that explores the lives and contributions of significant Australians.

Ngayulu Minyma Tjanpinya, I am a Tjanpi Woman

Heroes on Country

First Nations (upper primary)
Event, Selected days from Thursday 30 July

Discover portraits of and by First Nations people and explore the rich cultural perspectives of storytelling through art.

© National Portrait Gallery 2026
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia

Phone +61 2 6102 7000
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