Bendigo Art Gallery is pleased to offer a range of activities for visitors of all ages over the coming months including tours, talks, special events and even a glamorous after-hours party. Programs and events are an essential part of the role of the Gallery, providing a variety of opportunities for the community to engage and experience the visual arts. A selection is listed below, for further information please contact the Gallery directly or go to the website.

Thursday November 16 and January 18 at 12pm

Join Tansy Curtin, curator of The Costume Designer: Edith Head and Hollywood, for an introduction to the exhibition and to explore the designer’s legacy in Hollywood costume design.

Free with exhibition ticket.

Saturday October 21 at 2pm

La Trobe Art Institute, 121 View St

Join us to discuss women in the arts with a panel of artists from This Wild Song, a project supporting Australian women artists created and curated by Ilona Nelson, a Melbourne based photographic and new media artist. Celeste Chandler, Yvette Coppersmith, Megan Evans and Kate Rohde will discuss their work and take part in a Q&A lead by Nelson.

Bookings preferred, limited numbers. Free.

Wednesday October 25 at 11am

La Trobe Arts Institute, 121 View St

Adam Bushby, lawyer and art history graduate, will speak about the theme of Orientalism in painting, starting with the Gallery collection and then tracing the long history of representing Islamic and other Eastern people and culture in Western painting.

No bookings required, limited numbers. Free.

Saturday October 28 at 11:30am

Enjoy an Auslan interpreted introduction to the current exhibition The Costume Designer: Edith Head and Hollywood by exhibition curator Tansy Curtin and interpreter Janelle Giffin.

This is a ticketed exhibition.  

Saturday November 11 from 10am – 4pm

The Gallery’s annual Book Fair will return to the forecourt in November, with a wonderful array of pre-loved books available. Browse the Book Fair then experience the Bendigo Blues & Roots Festival as our city comes to life with music and special performances! The Book Fair is a fundraising event for the Friends of Bendigo Art Gallery Inc.

November 11 and 12

Bendigo Art Gallery & Gallery Cafe Terrace

The Bendigo Blues and Roots Music Festival will return once again to Bendigo Art Gallery and the Gallery Cafe, with a performance in the Gallery itself, followed by a series of performers on the picturesque Gallery Café terrace. Expect tasty Blues Festival specials and a pop up bar!

For the line-up and further details go to www.bendigobluesandroots.com.au

Wednesday November 15

La Trobe Arts Institute, 121 View St

10am Morning tea, 10:30am Guest speaker event

Join us for a talk by NSW based artist Alex Seton whose practice incorporates photography, video, sculpture and installation. Seton investigates the complex relationship between form and substance, infusing the rich heritage of Classical statuary with contemporary concerns. Presented by the Friends of Bendigo Art Gallery.

Hearing loop available. No bookings required, limited numbers. Free.

Saturday November 18 from 7-9pm

Celebrate the life and work of Edith Head with a night of Hollywood glamour at this exclusive after-hour’s event. It’s your turn to shine; dress in your most elegant, enjoy refreshments and live music in the Gallery’s finest rooms, and be immersed in the opulence of Hollywood.

Tickets $35 members, $45 non-members. Includes complimentary sparkling on arrival and canapes plus exhibition access. Paid bar. Bookings essential.

Thursday November 30 from 5-6pm

With less than one month until Christmas the Gallery Shop is the perfect place to finish your shopping. Take advantage of a 15 per cent (members) or 10pc discount (non-members) on shop purchases, with some extra special bargains for one night only!

Complimentary gift wrapping. Bookings essential. Excludes items on consignment.

Friday October 20 at 9:30am

Enjoy a private Gallery tour on wheels prior to opening hours especially for parents/carers with babies. For each session a Gallery Educator will select a group of artworks for a lively discussion around the meaning and making of art and the lives of artists. The tour will end in the Gallery Café.

$6 includes a tea/coffee. Bookings essential. Crying babies welcome!

Sunday October 29 from 11am-1pm

Dress up dark and dangerous and fly into the Gallery for two hours of spellbinding fun.

Construct gruesome eyeball necklaces, spooky bat kites and join in our broomstick races!

Bookings essential. $5 per family.