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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.

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The National Portrait Gallery's Director, Karen Quinlan, receives Australia Day Honour

26 January 2019
Archived media releases 2019

The newly appointed Director of the National Portrait Gallery Karen Quinlan, was today recognised in the Australia Day Honours list for her significant service to the visual arts and to higher education.

Helen Nugent, Karen Quinlan and Angus Trumble

Ms Karen Quinlan appointed to lead the NPGA

25 September 2018
Archived media releases 2018

The Board of the National Portrait Gallery of Australia is delighted to announce the appointment of Ms Karen Quinlan as its incoming Director.

NPG Announces departure of Director, Karen Quinlan AM

3 August 2022
Media

National Portrait Gallery Chair Penny Fowler announced today that NPG Director Karen Quinlan will leave the Gallery in September to take up a new position as Chief Executive Officer of Arts Centre Melbourne.

15 Minutes of Frame

Karen Quinlan and Kim Sajet, 18th November 2020
Recorded virtual programs

Karen Quinlan AM, Director of the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, in conversation with Kim Sajet, Director of the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.

Living Memory winner announcement video: 26 minutes

Winner announcement

General content

Director Karen Quinlan AM announces the winner at the National Portrait Gallery.

Winner announcement

NPPP 2020
General content

Karen Quinlan AM, Director, National Portrait Gallery announces the Winner and Highly Commended Award for the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2020.

Update on Temporary Closure of the National Portrait Gallery

15 April 2019
Archived media releases 2019

The National Portrait Gallery will close its doors from Tuesday 23 April 2019, but the public are still able to experience the home of portraiture during the four-month closure.

Andrew Sayers AM

Past directors

History

Directors of the National Portrait Gallery from 1998 to today.

Carla Zampatti

Vale Carla Zampatti AC

3 April 2021
Archived media releases 2021

The National Portrait Gallery is deeply saddened by the news of the untimely death of Carla Zampatti AC, an Australian icon and a woman who contributed so significantly to defining the identity and style of Australian women.

Drought story, 2020 Joel B. Pratley

Living Memory – National Photographic Portrait Prize extended to January 2022

6 September 2021
Archived media releases 2021

In light of recent and ongoing gallery closures brought on by the COVID pandemic, the NPG’s 2021 National Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition season will be extended until 16 January next year.

Drought story, 2020 Joel B. Pratley

The National Photographic Portrait Prize: 2021 Living Memory

1 September 2020
Archived media releases 2020

Director Karen Quinlan AM announces significant changes for 2021, including a larger, longer exhibition, themed to reflect our experience of events that have occurred in this historic year.

Elizabeth

The National Portrait Prizes

29 January 2020
Archived media releases 2020

The National Portrait Gallery today announced finalists for the inaugural Darling Portrait Prize, a national new $75,000 prize for Australian portrait painting, and released selected images from the final prize pool for the popular National Photography Portrait Prize.

Tim Flannery

Provocative talks on Saturdays in September

29 August 2016
Archived media releases 2016

Join The Saturday Paper’s chief political correspondent, Karen Middleton, for A Month of Saturdays – afternoon conversations bringing current affairs experts to the Gallery for engaging, real-time discussions about the topics that matter.

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Icons Syndicate

Lists alphabetically
Honour board
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Donors

$10,000 - $49,999
Honour board
So Fine catalogue

National Portrait Gallery takes out top gong in MAPDA awards

16 May 2019
Archived media releases 2019

The National Portrait Gallery is thrilled to be named the winner of the Museums Australasia Multimedia and Publication Design Awards in the category of exhibition major catalogue level B, for our publication So Fine: Contemporary women artists make Australian history.

Selfie Factory, 2017 by Ralph Kenke and Elmar Trefz, video: 3 minutes

Finalists Announced for Digitial Portraiture Award 2017

23 October 2017
Archived media releases 2017

The National Portrait Gallery is thrilled to announce nine finalists have been selected from the national call for entries for the Digital Portraiture Award 2017.

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Macquarie Digital Portraiture Award 2015 finalists announced

17 August 2015
Archived media releases 2015

The National Portrait Gallery have selected the finalists for the Macquarie Digital Portraiture Award 2015.

Winners announced: Macquarie Digital Portraiture Award 2015

27 August 2015
Archived media releases 2015

The winners of the Macquarie Digital Portraiture Awards will be announced tomorrow morning at 10.00am at the National Portrait Gallery.

Elle Macpherson, 1995 photographed by Andrew Macpherson

Women in Vogue: Celebrating Sixty years in Australia

20 May 2019
Archived media releases 2019

Celebrating sixty years of Australia’s most exceptional women as they appeared in Vogue Australia, the National Portrait Gallery is proud to announce an exhibition in collaboration with this pre-eminent fashion title.

In their own words

Audio-guide
Apps

In their own words is an audio-guide with a difference. We let the portraits of these remarkable Australians speak for themselves.

Bree Pickering in front of Mikala Dwyer, Chromakinda, 2022, installation view, Murray Art Museum Albury

Bree Pickering appointed Director of the National Portrait Gallery

7 February 2023
Media

The Board of the National Portrait Gallery of Australia announced the appointment of Bree Pickering to the role of Director.

Nick Cave

The Amazing Face: a 14-day Dive into Portraiture

Archived media releases 2020

The National Portrait Gallery is offering a free online class on the art of portraiture from April 28.

Ngalim-Ngalimbooroo Ngagenybe

Presenting… Shirley Purdie’s Ngalim-Ngalimbooroo Ngagenybe

Wednesday 27 May 2020
Archived media releases 2020

The National Portrait Gallery this week launches an online exhibition of Shirley Purdie’s remarkable self-portrait Ngalim-Ngalimbooroo Ngagenybe to coincide with Reconciliation Week.

Wendy Bowman, 2019 David Darcy

The People’s Choice Awards

16 June 2020
Archived media releases 2020

The votes have been counted, and the winners of the National Portrait Gallery’s People’s Choice Awards for the Prize exhibitions are...

Reg Richardson AM

2015-17 Acquisition Fund

Annual Appeal

From 2015 to 2017 the Acquisition Fund was focussed on Reg Richardson AM by Mitch Cairns, a finalist in the Archibald Prize 2014, and a great example of minimalist portraiture.

Tim Winton

2020 Annual Appeal

Annual Appeal

In 2020 the Annual Appeal was focussed on Sally Robinson's remarkable portrait of author Tim Winton.

Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown

Australian Love Stories

4 January 2021
Archived media releases 2021

A major new exhibition celebrating love in all its guises. Opening 20 March 2021.

Turia Pitt

2021 Annual Appeal

Annual Appeal

In 2021 the Annual Appeal was focussed on Peter Brew-Bevan's portraits of athletes Turia Pitt, Leisel Jones OAM and Ellie Cole OAM.

Jimmy Barnes at The Coogee Bay Hotel

Announcing... Pub Rock

11 August 2020
Archived media releases 2020

An exhibition that celebrates the people, places and sounds of Australian pub rock and its enduring impact on the nation’s identity, opens at the National Portrait Gallery on 5 September, 2020.

spaces between movement and stillness

Harriet Schwarzrock: spaces between movement and stillness

10 February 2021
Archived media releases 2021

To celebrate the new exhibition Australian Love Stories, renowned Australian glass artist Harriet Schwarzrock has been commissioned to make a large-scale installation reflecting on the role the heart plays as our emotional centre.

Announcing.... In their own words

24 November 2020
Archived media releases 2020

Inspiring Australians tell their own stories in a unique new gallery audio tour, developed in collaboration with the National Library of Australia.

June Dally-Watkins

2023 Annual Appeal

Annual Appeal

In 2023 the Annual Appeal was focussed on a work by one of Australia's best loved and most successful portrait painters, Judy Cassab AO CBE, depicting model, entrepreneur and deportment icon, June Dally-Watkins OAM.

Shakespeare to Winehouse: Icons from the National Portrait Gallery, London

Announcing Shakespeare to Winehouse

24 November 2021
Archived media releases 2021

More than eighty treasures from the National Portrait Gallery London will travel to Canberra for a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery from March 2022.

Bogong Cluster

Announcing... Jonathan Jones Bogong Cluster: Physically distant, socially connected

5 January 2021
Archived media releases 2021

A new light installation by Jonathan Jones reflects on the importance of community through the lens of his Wiradjuri and Kamilaroi heritage, whilst also acting as a prompt for gallery visitors to maintain social distancing.

Untitled, 2020 Steph Fuller

The look and the feel

Living Memory exhibition essay
General content

Editor Stephen Phillips looks at the finalists' photographs through a judge's lens.

National Portrait Gallery

History

About us

How the National Portrait Gallery and its unique collection came to be

© National Portrait Gallery 2024
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