Past exhibitions

Exhibition
Sidney Nolan: Inferno
9 April 2022—17 September 2022

Nolan immersed himself in the myths of the Greeks, reading the Iliad and visiting Gallipoli, so close to Troy. He…

Connection Point: Contemporary established fibre textile artists of ACT and NSW
Exhibition
5 March 2022—18 June 2022
Connection Point: Contemporary established fibre textile artists of ACT and NSW

This exhibition highlights fibre textile art from CMAG’s own collection, alongside works from textile artists from ACT and NSW.

Canberra Raiders: 40 years in the limelight
Exhibition
26 February 2022—27 August 2022
Canberra Raiders: 40 years in the limelight

Discover the history of the Canberra Raiders, their place in the NRL and what they mean to the fans – and the city – who support them.

Dean Cross: Sometimes I Miss the Applause
Exhibition
9 July 2022—22 October 2022
Dean Cross: Sometimes I Miss the Applause

Presented in dialogue with Sidney Nolan: Search for Paradise is a newly commissioned installation by Dean Cross

Sidney Nolan: Search for Paradise
Exhibition
9 July 2022—22 October 2022
Sidney Nolan: Search for Paradise

Nolan is one of Australia’s most iconic twentieth century artists whose life and loves among the Heide circle of artists in the 1940s were at first his idea of Eden but then became his own personal hell

Finding the dry heart: Sidney Nolan’s early travels in Central Australia
Exhibition
27 November 2021—2 April 2022
Finding the dry heart: Sidney Nolan’s early travels in Central Australia

After completing the first Ned Kelly series in mid-1947, Sidney Nolan’s ambition to address the landscape and mythologies of Australia in a new way significantly expanded beyond his more familiar terrain of northern Victoria

The Piano Creatures: A Ragged Shore
Exhibition
22 May 2021—27 November 2021
The Piano Creatures: A Ragged Shore

The whimsical concept behind the imaginary microcosm presented within the glass walls of CMAG on the Square is that these creatures have, over time, evolved from discarded musical instruments

Threads of Policing
Exhibition
6 November 2021—8 February 2022
Threads of Policing
Revised closing date

Threads of Policing is a rare opportunity to explore the varied work of the Australian Federal Police as reflected by stories of its members

Spowers and Syme
Exhibition
29 October 2021—12 February 2022
Spowers and Syme

Celebrating the artistic friendship of Melbourne artists Ethel Spowers and Eveline Syme, Spowers & Syme presents the changing face of interwar Australia through the perspective of two remarkable women artists

Exhibition
Mandy Martin From Queanbeyan to New York: 1978-1984 / Art & Life
29 October 2021—12 February 2022

Mandy Martin From Queanbeyan to New York charts the shifts in Martin’s practice between1978 to 1984, from the sensitive gouaches of her near neighbours and friends, to the expressive drama of the paintings that speak to her deep concern for the environment.

Brenda L. Croft: ‘hand/made/held/ground’
Exhibition
29 October 2021—22 January 2022
Brenda L. Croft: ‘hand/made/held/ground’

Mixed media installation hand/made/held/ground’ (2019) metaphysically maps Croft’s patrilineal relationship to Country, reimagining customary objects jimpila (spearhead) and kurrwa (stone axe) originally created on Gurindji homelands.

Ruth Lane-Poole: A Woman of Influence
Exhibition
10 July 2021—2 October 2021
Ruth Lane-Poole: A Woman of Influence

Ruth Lane-Poole’s articles on interior decoration in popular magazines in the mid-1920s introduced many homemakers to her ideas on good taste and practical design.

Natalie Rosin: Brutalism
Exhibition
21 June 2021—7 August 2021
Natalie Rosin: Brutalism

Natalie Rosin trained as an architect and following graduation began work in her profession while initiating an ambitious ceramics practice…

Don’t forget the Milk: Celebrating 50 Years of Canberra Milk
Exhibition
3 April 2021—31 July 2021
Don’t forget the Milk: Celebrating 50 Years of Canberra Milk

Proudly sponsored by Capitol Chilled Foods, this exhibition celebrates 50 years since the ACT Milk Authority was established

Exhibition
Sidney Nolan: Remembrances of my youth
20 March 2021—16 October 2021

Over 1982 and 1983 Sidney Nolan grew increasingly interested in the possibilities of working with spray paint on a large…

HABITAT: Ways of living
Exhibition
6 March 2021—19 June 2021
HABITAT: Ways of living

Examining imagery alluding to the built environment, HABITAT: Ways of living features works by artists from Canberra and around Australia

Matthew Thorne: Jingo was born in the Slum
Exhibition
1 October 2022—16 April 2023
Matthew Thorne: Jingo was born in the Slum
Season extended

The exhibition features photographs and costumes from Justin Kurzel’s film, True History of the Kelly Gang, alongside Sidney Nolan’s iconic Ned Kelly paintings that influenced the film

Current exhibitions