Since its foundation in 1891, the Queen Victoria Art Gallery and Museum has been dedicated to exhibiting Tasmania’s finest artists alongside a collection of famed international talent and historic, scientific and collectable items. Today, the gallery and museum occupy two spaces within Launceston, each displaying distinctly different collections. Visit the heritage-listed Royal Park location for one of the state’s most prized collections of art.
The fine arts collection includes Tasmanian colonial art, modern and contemporary Australian art and international art. Understand the history of the region’s European and Aboriginal settlement in A Portrait of Colonial Tasmania. The Guan Di Temple offers a view of Chinese religious practices in Tasmania, from earlier times to today.
In the decorative arts and design collection are ceramics, textiles, furniture, woodwork and costumes. The four collections include Australian contemporary craft and design from 1945 onwards, Tasmanian decorative arts, pre-1945 Australian decorative arts, and international decorative arts.
Let your kids develop art skills while having fun at ArtPlay, a multi-sensory, hands-on space with traditional and cutting-edge art techniques. Explore your own creativity when you join the kids in ArtSparks! Family Art Space. View the works of older student artists during the annual ArtRage. Check the gallery’s website to find out when this exhibition is held.
Sign up for a guided gallery tour to learn the stories behind some of the gallery’s most recognisable pieces or pick up printed material from the information desk to go on a self-guided tour. Afterwards, have a snack in the Tea Room Cafe and purchase Tasmanian products in the gallery shop.
Find Queen Victoria Art Gallery near River Park in central Launceston next to the River Tamar. Pay for parking about a 5-minute walk away or use the free Tiger Bus to reach the gallery. Join one of the free guided tours on Sundays. Along with your art visit, walk about 20 minutes to the Queen Victoria Museum at Inveresk. The gallery and museum close on Good Friday and Christmas Day. Admission to both is free.
