Shoalhaven Regional Gallery

Shoalhaven Regional Gallery is a public art gallery located in Nowra, New South Wales, Australia. Administered by the Shoalhaven City Council, it serves as an artistic hub for the Shoalhaven region and the South Coast. The institution maintains the Shoalhaven City Art Collection, which was established over forty years ago and has grown into a substantial holding of nearly one thousand works. The gallery is notable for its focus on both leading Australian artists and strong regional representation, offering a vibrant program of rotating exhibitions, community events, and public programs.

The establishment of the gallery was the result of a sustained community effort by the group Arts Shoalhaven, which worked determinedly from 1989 to 2004 to realize the project. Funding for the facility was provided by the NSW Ministry for the Arts and the Australian Government Regional Partnership Program. The Shoalhaven City Council oversaw the refurbishment of the building, which was previously known as the Shoalhaven City Arts Centre & Regional Gallery. The gallery was officially opened on 28 February 2004 by the Mayor of Shoalhaven, Councillor Greg Watson, accompanied by Senator Rod Kemp, the Federal Minister for the Arts, and Councillor John Anderson, Chairperson of the Shoalhaven Arts Board and Assistant Deputy Mayor.

The Shoalhaven City Art Collection was established over forty years ago and encompasses nearly one thousand works. Its primary strengths lie in a strong regional and Shoalhaven representation, alongside works by important Australian artists. A defining feature of the collection is its large holding of late colonial watercolours, oils, and photographs of the Shoalhaven area by Samuel Elyard, which document the growth and changing townships of the region, including Nowra, Berry, Terara, and Ulladulla. The collection also features works by artists with strong connections to the area, providing a special opportunity to understand the historical and cultural development of the Shoalhaven. Dedicated local volunteers have assisted in making this collection accessible online.

Artists represented in the permanent collection include Margaret Woodward, Euan Macleod, Judy Cassab, Guy Warren, Max Dupain, and Max Dingle and Yvonne Langshaw. The gallery has also hosted significant temporary exhibitions featuring iconic Australian works. The 2020 exhibition WONDER + DREAD included pieces by Arthur Boyd, Max Dupain, Sidney Nolan, Lloyd Rees, Albert Tucker, and William Strutt. In the same year, the major exhibition the TERRA within, curated by Warwick Keen, addressed the impacts of 250 years of colonization and celebrated the survival of Indigenous culture, featuring works by more than thirty Indigenous artists including Karla Dickens, Fiona Foley, Emily Kame Kngwarreye, and Christian Thompson. Additionally, the gallery commissioned the touring exhibition Promiscuous Provenance by Australian artist Anna Glynn, which toured multiple states from 2018 to 2021.

The gallery is situated in the centre of Nowra at 12 Berry Street. The facility includes four gallery spaces: the East, Access, Foyer, and Main galleries. These spaces provide a total exhibiting area of 259.2 square metres and 108.2 linear metres. Beyond the gallery spaces, the building features an art studio, external art display boxes, meeting rooms, and a courtyard. The site is wheelchair accessible and offers free general admission to the public.

Shoalhaven Regional Gallery is located at 12 Berry Street, Nowra, 2541, and is owned and operated by the Shoalhaven City Council. It offers a vibrant exhibition program that changes every six to eight weeks, featuring contemporary and traditional works, touring exhibitions by leading Australian and Shoalhaven artists, community-based exhibitions, and selections from the permanent collection. The gallery fosters dynamic public programs aimed at audience development, accessibility, and education. Visitor amenities include a gallery shop supporting local artists and artisans with unique gifts, free Wi-Fi, toilets, and function spaces available for hire. The venue actively welcomes people with access needs, including those who use wheelchairs or walking frames, people with high support needs, and people who are deaf or have hearing loss.