The RGANSW and the purpose of this website

The Regional Galleries Association of New South Wales represents the 40 member galleries, all of whom are non-profit organisations intent on making important contributions to the cultural life of their regions.

Regional Galleries are located right throughout the State, and not always in the larger centres. Nearly all have been established because of the lobbying of community members who wanted a professional facility to house existing local collections,and to show the best local, national and international art to communities deprived of the opportunity to see art regarded as an important part of life in the metropolitan centres.

The oldest of the New South Wales Regional Galleries was established in 1904 in Broken Hill. Now there are 40, with at least three others on the drawing board.

The Regional Galleries of Australia are almost unique in the world, and demonstrate the great love Australians have for the visual arts. Artists tend to thrive in the areas where there is a Regional Gallery, and there is an argument that shows that where a Regional Gallery is established, there will soon be new restaurants with fine food, coffee and regional speciality produce on offer from local suppliers.

RGANSW's role encompasses not just lobbying for basic infrastructure and professional staffing levels, but supporting the member galleries' to function as community cultural resources; by assisting the exhibition and touring of work by regional artists, by helping them to reach a state as well as national audience, by encouraging professional standards among all art galleries, and by developing the function of galleries as an integral part of their community's cultural life and identity.

RGANSW provides this website to assist visitors wishing to plan a tour of our state's excellent regional galleries and nearby attractions. Most of the member galleries have their own websites which are linked on this site and provide more detailed exhibition information.