Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre

Located on the New England Highway three hours drive northwest of Sydney and roughly two hours from Newcastle, Muswellbrook Regional Arts Centre presents travelling exhibitions, local exhibitions and art prizes – including the biennial Muswellbrook Art Prize, along with periodic selections from the Max Watters and Muswellbrook Shire Art Collections.

Astute adjudication of the prize over the years has provided the local community with an excellent cross-section of mid 20th century Australian art. The Shire Collection was complemented during the early 1990s when local art collector Max Watters began to loan his collection of Australian art to the community. This process was formalised in March 2004 through a major bequest of over 300 works by Max Watters. The Max Watters Collection spans about 40 years of mid to late 20th century Australian art representing major developments in this period through the work of artists such as: John Perceval, Grace Cossington-Smith, Ken Whisson, Charles Blackman, Jon Plapp, Danila Vassilieff, Euan Macleod, Imants Tillers and Tony Tuckson.

The Arts Centre welcomes visits by schools and students, along with other groups of interested people. Please contact the Arts Centre to enquire about bookings and guided tours.