University Galleries

We’re pleased to share the extraordinary ‘Multiverse’ major survey exhibition by Cairns-based Torres Strait Island artist Brian Robinson currently at Newcastle Art Gallery.

This project received support from the University of Newcastle and the University Galleries through the Artist in Residence Program where Brian was able to access the University’s significant ethnographic collection of Oceanic and Torres Strait artefacts and objects.

‘Multiverse’ by Brian Robinson exhibition continues to 30 August.

📍Plan your visit to Newcastle CBD and enjoy gallery hopping across our partner galleries newcastleartgallery to Watt Space Gallery to The Lock-Up - as well as independent galleries across the city ЛЕДА Wester Gallery CSTUDIOS ART GALLERY Lighthouse Arts, Newcastle Newcastle Studio Potters & Back to Back Galleries

IMAGES / VIDEOS:
1. Brian Robinson, Maluyligal/Wuthathi/Dayak peoples, ‘Urban oasis’, 2017 - Newcastle Art Gallery, purchased through the Gil Docking Bequest 2017
Brian Robinson, Maluyligal/Wuthathi/Dayak peoples, ‘Bedhan Lag: Land of the Kaiwalagal’, 2019 - Newcastle Art Gallery, gift of the Newcastle Art Gallery Society 2019
- sourced from Art Guide Australia
2. Portrait of Brian Robinson, sourced from newcastleartgallery
3. Street flags for Multiverse exhibition on Laman Street, Newcastle Art Gallery
4. Street flag and entrance on Auckland Street into Watt Space Gallery
5. Front of building of The Lock Up Art Space, Hunter Street - sourced from The Lock-Up

wattspacegallery University of Newcastle Galleries University of Newcastle, Australia contemporaryart creativenewcastle whatsonnewcastle

📣 𝗣𝗦𝗔! NEW ANNUAL program and tickets is LIVE today Monday 3 August - Watt Space is pleased to be part this exciting annual festival. Hit the links!

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗢𝗢𝗡! We're thrilled to announce an incredible photography exhibition '𝑵𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑭𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔' by Damien Frost, 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 25 𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 - presented at Watt Space by the University Galleries for New Annual. This project is supported by The Lock Up's Artist in Residence Program.

𝑫𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒕. 𝑽𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍. 𝑬𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒇𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑨𝒏 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒑𝒉𝒊𝒄 𝒆𝒙𝒉𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏.
~ New Annual

𝑫𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒆𝒏 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒕’𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒉𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂 𝒉𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒔 𝒐𝒇 ‘𝒆𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒙𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝒔𝒕𝒚𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒂𝒓𝒕.
~ City of Newcastle

📍WATT SPACE is also host to Artist Talk, Photography Workshop and Grumble Boogie as part of New Annual, tickets on sale now.

📸 IMAGES: Courtesy of New Annual and artists.

University of Newcastle is a proud Presenting Partner of New Annual, Newcastle’s flagship 10-day festival of art, culture, and creativity. From beachside gigs to immersive theatre, live music and ideas, the festival transforms our city into a vibrant celebration of contemporary culture.

Emily Darvall Paterson, a talented composer and pianist, would invite women patients from the Gladesville Mental Hospital for the insane into her home for concerts and tea. It really wasn't the done thing in 1905, especially from a blind woman.

These vintage posters exhibited in 'FINDING HOME: Life Outside Institutions' tell the inspiring story of Emily D. Paterson whose creativity and compassion founded the After Care Association of NSW. Started in 1907, Aftercare NSW has evolved into Stride Mental Health which employs 800 staff and provides services across five states and territories across Australia today.

Exhibition continues to 12 September.
Plan your visit📍WATT SPACE
OPENING HOURS Wed-Fri 10-5 | Sat 12-4

📸 IMAGES: Emily D. Paterson as a young woman from a pencil sketch, 1880s. Image courtesy of Stride. Archival images of sheet music for Emily D. Paterson's compositions - Cradle Song and Black Swans courtesy of Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW MLMSS6021/Item 1X.

This exhibition presents research that was fully supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects funding scheme - Life Outside Institutions: histories of mental health aftercare 1900-1960.

YOU'RE INVITED! ✨📣 Watt Space's sister gallery 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐲 is launching 'HEAD2ART: An Arts-based Inquiry' exhibition - please join us for the opening event this Thursday 30 July at 5:30pm. All welcome!

HEAD2ART 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘶𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘶𝘮-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴-𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘗𝘩𝘋 𝘦𝘹𝘩𝘪𝘣𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘑𝘰𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘋𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘴 (𝘝𝘪𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘴 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭) 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘺𝘳𝘰𝘯 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮𝘴 (𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘕𝘦𝘸𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘦), 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘓𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘦 𝘏𝘪𝘨𝘩 𝘚𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭.

💫 HEAD2ART Launch Event
📍University Gallery, University Drive Callaghan NSW 2308
🕠 Thursday 30 July, 5:30pm

HEAD2ART was partially funded by the NSW Government’s Children and Young People Wellbeing Recovery Initiative Grant and the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

IMAGE 1: Helena Bezzina, Unquiet 3 (detail) 2025, Charcoal on paper, 100cm x 70cm
IMAGE 2: Helena Bezzina, Unquiet 2025, Charcoal on paper, 100cm x 70cm

PSA ✨📣 Watt Space and University Galleries team send huge congratulations to Newcastle Writers Festival’s founding director, colleague and friend Rosemarie Milsom on her new position as director of Adelaide Writers’ Week. So excited for you, but we’re going to miss you!

Rosemarie established Newcastle Writers Festival in 2012 while working full-time as a Newcastle Herald journalist. The inaugural event was held in April 2013.

“It has been an extraordinary privilege to lead Newcastle Writers Festival,” she said. “I am deeply proud of what we have built - a festival that reflects the vibrancy, diversity and intellectual curiosity of its community. I am grateful to the writers, audiences, sponsors, volunteers, festival board and valued colleagues who have helped make the experience so meaningful.”

Watt Space continues to be a partner venue for Newcastle Writers Festival - we congratulate and welcome newly appointed Tristan Sharp as festival Managing Director and Amy Lovat as Artistic Director.

Can’t wait for the 2027 Program!

📸 IMAGES CREDIT: Rosemarie Milsom, Newcastle Writer’s Festival, Watt Space | IMAGES 5 and 6: NWF 2025 Fresh Ink Emerging Writer Prize presentation at Watt Space

visitnewcastle University of Newcastle, AUS

‘FINDING HOME: Life Outside Institutions’ is a fascinating exhibition that invites observation and contemplation.

Drawing from archival material, this exhibition explores the history of mental health aftercare in Australia by bringing personal stories to life. In turning to the past, we can reflect on how to approach mental health care in our present.

Exhibition continues to 12 September.

📍WATT SPACE
OPENING HOURS Wed-Fri 10-5 | Sat 12-4

📸 IMAGES: Details of exhibition installation in Gallery 1, Watt Space.

This exhibition presents research that was fully supported by the Australian Government through the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects funding scheme - Life Outside Institutions: histories of mental health aftercare 1900-1960.

Stride Mental Health University of Newcastle Galleries University of Newcastle, AUS