40 Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre in the heart of coal county, was established in 1976. The building underwent a redevelopment in 2000 and each year shows hundreds of artworks from local artists, Australian artists, and of course the Muswellbrook Art Prize. The collections at the Upper Hunter gallery started with the inception of the Muswellbrook Art Prize in 1958. These days the art prize has grown to be worth $70,000 and last year had over 800 entries. It is among the richest art prizes in Australia. The pride of the Gallery’s collection is the Max Watters Collection, bequeathed in 2004. The Max Watters Collection is regarded as one of the most significant collections of its type in rural Australia. The collection spans about 60 years from the late 1950s to 2020 of Australian art, with artists such as Ken Whisson, John Plapp, Danila Vassilieff, Tony Tuckson and John Perceval represented. Both the Gallery’s collection and the Max Watter’s collections mirror one another and the core of the works that make up the Muswellbrook Shire Art Collection having been acquired as a direct result of the Muswellbrook Art Prize. Director of the Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre, Elissa Emerson, has been at the gallery for 12 years and said it’s been wonderful to see the collection continue to grow. “The collection has grown exponentially since 2010 and we now have 1500 works that we draw on for curated exhibitions. We always have one exhibition curated from our collection and on display in the Max Watters Gallery. “Max was born in Muswellbrook. He worked at Liddell Power Station and his brother had a gallery in Sydney. Max’s brother owed him some money and repaid him by way of a work by Australian painter Robert Dickerson. It was this that sparked Max’s interest in collecting. “Max sadly passed away in 2020.” The exhibitions at the gallery change about five times throughout the year with the exhibitions staying up for about two months. A highlight this year is the ‘Spring Nights’ program running from 4pm to 7pm on September 27, October 25 and November 29. Each night will feature a different ‘up-late’ activity with workshops, life-drawing, artist talks, mocktails and music. From 24 October to 21 December, the ‘Viola Bromley Art Prize’ will be on exhibition. Viola Bromley played a significant role in the establishment of a gallery in Muswellbrook. The art prize is a celebration of local art across several disciplines. The ‘Summer Studio: Todd Fuller + Max Watters – from the Collections’ is on exhibition from 24 October to 15 March and invites visitors to immerse themselves in the works on display and put their own artistic skills to the test. “The Gallery is a beautiful spot to stop, it’s serene and there’s a lot to engage with. We don’t just have one or two exhibitions; we have a mixture of art forms and themes and the Ramp Gallery that has art exhibitions from the community. “We have a really good Gallery Shop now too, a few things related to cattle dogs of course, tea towels and local artists work and locally made gifts,” said Elissa. MUSWELLBROOK REGIONAL ARTS CENTRE, HOME TO ONE OF THE RICHEST ART PRIZES IN THE COUNTRY The Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre is open Monday to Saturday, 10:00am – 4:00pm. Closed Sundays. 1-3 Bridge Street, Muswellbrook NSW 2333 More details on the Arts Centre: https://artgallery.muswellbrook.nsw.gov.au/
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