Overview
- Doors open to the public this weekend after a four-year closure, with 13 galleries and roughly 1,600 square metres more exhibition space now in place.
- The inaugural permanent-collection show, Iconic Loved Unexpected, presents about 500 works spanning major Australian, First Nations and international artists.
- Funding combined City of Newcastle support, the gallery foundation and community donors, A$10 million in state and federal contributions, and a surprise A$10 million bequest from Valerie and John Ryan.
- Engineers stabilized two historic mine shafts beneath the site with 15,000 cubic metres of grout pumped through about 100 boreholes to enable the build.
- New amenities include a café, shop, loading dock and learning studio, plus new commissions such as Shellie Smith’s 4m entrance sculpture, with a 25‑work Mordant donation to be shown in a special May exhibition.