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Monday 10am - 5pm Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 2pm

SECCA

South East Centre for Contemporary Art : The cultural heart of the south east.

Bega Valley Shire Council has announced the new South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA), a purpose-built contemporary art space, will be unveiled this summer following completion of a major redevelopment and expansion of the 30-year-old site formerly known as Bega Valley Regional Gallery.

31/08/2026

🎤 In Conversation: Karla Dickens & Meaghan Holt - this Saturday!

Join acclaimed Wiradjuri artist Karla Dickens and Bega Valley poet and performer Meaghan Holt for a special public program presented alongside Karla Dickens’ exhibition 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯.

Facilitated by SECCA Gallery Director Janice Falsone, this conversation will explore Dickens' artistic practice, the themes behind her powerful new exhibition, and feature spoken word poetry readings from both Dickens and Holt. Through conversation and poetry, the event will explore themes of place, climate, culture, resilience and the power of artistic expression to inspire reflection and change.

📅 Saturday 5 September, 11am
📍 SECCA
🎫 Free event, book now via 🔗 in bio

𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 opens this Friday eve and will be on display at SECCA until Saturday 21 November.

SECCA is a service of

Images:
1. Karla Dickens. Photo by Michelle Eabry
2. Meaghan Holt. Photo by David Rogers

28/08/2026

🎉 You’re invited! Two new shows will open at SECCA on Friday 4 September: 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 by Karla Dickens and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘰 𝘍𝘢𝘳 by Helen Britton.

Karla Dickens’ 𝘙𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 is a powerful exploration of climate crisis from a First Nations perspective, interrogating the legacies of colonialism, capitalism and patriarchy. Recurring motifs of the sphere, circle and water connect the works in this exhibition, highlighting Dickens’ ongoing engagement with cycles, environment and intergenerational endurance.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘰 𝘍𝘢𝘳 celebrates Helen Britton as the tenth recipient of 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴: 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵 an initiative of the Australian Design Centre. Britton is a multidisciplinary Australian artist based in Germany. Her practice includes jewellery, sculpture, drawings, stencils and installation, and is informed by popular culture, threatened traditions, environmental destruction and human anxiety.

📅 Opening event: Friday 4 September
✨5.30pm: exhibition walk-through with artist Karla Dickens and Lisa Cahill, former CEO and Artistic Director of the Australian Design Centre.
✨6pm: opening event with Welcome to Country by Djiringanj Elder Aunty Glenda Dixon and opening remarks by Bega Valley Shire Mayor Russell Fitzpatrick.

Free entry, all welcome, bookings encouraged via 🔗in bio.

Exhibition dates: 5 Sep - 21 Nov 2026

The Story So Far is an Australian Design Centre, ADC On Tour National Touring Exhibition, supported by Museums & Galleries of NSW. This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program. Helen Britton was supported to produce her work for this exhibition with funding through Creative Australia.

SECCA is a service of

Images:
1. Karla Dickens, Recovery Mission 1, 2024, Photo by Silversalt Photography
2. Helen Britton, Junkyard 3, 2025. Photo by Dirk Eisel

24/08/2026

🌅 Skywhales are coming to the Bega Valley!

Join us for this special experience as Patricia Piccinini’s monumental hot air balloon sculptures 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦 and 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘢 inflate and seek to take to the dawn sky at Bega Showground.

📅 Saturday 17 October, dawn
📍 Bega Showground

Free community event, bookings are essential
More info and bookings via secca.com.au or via 🔗 in bio

Bring a picnic, enjoy coffee or breakfast from food vans, and watch the breathtaking moment these sky giants inflate and ascend. The morning begins with a soundscape and a special introduction by visionary artist Patricia Piccinini. Don’t miss this magical opportunity to see the skywhales arise in Bega.

𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘈𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢 is a project that talks about nature, family, evolution, care, and wonder. The skywhales float into our lives to make us smile and think. Remember to look up. Among the amazing creatures that fill the sky, one day you might just see a skywhale too.’

𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘈𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘈𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘢 is a National Gallery Touring Event hosted by the South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA).

𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘢𝘭𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘔𝘺 𝘕𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵.

Image: Patricia Piccinini, 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦, 2013 and 𝘚𝘬𝘺𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘱𝘢, 2020, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra, © Patricia Piccinini

.piccinini

21/08/2026

📣 Judge announcement 📣

SECCA is delighted to announce Dr Robert Wellington as the judge for the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award 2026.

Best known to many as a judge on the hit ABC TV series ‘Portrait Artist of the Year’, Robert is an award-winning author, and an associate professor of art history at the Australian National University. He has published extensively in English and French on the art and culture of Louis XIV’s France. His book ‘Versailles Mirrored: The Power of Luxury from Louis XIV to Donald Trump’ won the 2026 ACT Literary Award for Non Fiction. He delivered the 2026 Andrew Sayers Memorial Lecture at the National Portrait Gallery, reflecting on the popularity of portrait prizes.

With a distinguished career spanning research, teaching and public engagement, Robert brings both scholarly depth and a keen eye for portraiture. His expertise, insight and passion for the visual arts make him exceptionally well placed to judge this year's award. The $50,000 biennial award for realistic portrait painting is non-acquisitive and attracts entries from artists across the country.

🎨 Entries are open until: 6 October 2026
📅 Exhibition dates: 12 December 2026 – 27 February 2027

Full details available at secca.com.au ( in bio).

SECCA is a service of

Images:
1. Associate Professor Robert Wellington, courtesy the subject. Photo by Tali Gordon
2. Sue Jarvis, ‘Gulsen Ozer, Creative Facilitator’, Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award 2024 Finalist, courtesy the artist

18/08/2026

⚡ Final Week! ⚡
Don't miss your chance to see ‘POWER – The Future is Here’ by Dennis Golding and ‘Unseen Cosmic Clock’ by Seth Birchall before they close on 22 August. These two thought-provoking exhibitions have been thoroughly appreciated by visitors to SECCA:

“Cold shivers from walking into the ‘cloak room’ - so beautiful, so colourful, so powerful, so playful. EXQUISITE.”

“I enjoyed Seth’s show so much – the washes of light so lightly painted and the messages of nature’s vulnerabilities.”

“I came for a visit with my granddaughter the other day and we were so inspired and blown away. Dennis Golding’s exhibition gave us shivers. We decorated a cape and a peg.”

“Both exhibitions were a pure delight!”

These exhibitions invite conversations about care, community and the futures we are creating. See them at SECCA before they close this Saturday 22 August. Entry is free.

Reel images:
1-3 & 5-8. Visitors to ‘Unseen Cosmic Clock’ and ‘POWER – The Future is Here’, 2026, photos by Marcus Ward Curran.
4. Selection of capes created by visitors in the Project Space, photo by SECCA.

‘POWER – The Future is Here’ is a Solid Ground project with Dennis Golding and Alexandria Park Community School, curated by Kyra Kum-Sing, presented by Carriageworks and Blacktown Arts, and touring with Museums & Galleries of NSW This project has been assisted by the Australian Government’s Visions of Australia program.

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17/08/2026

♻️ Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday for a wonderful In Conversation event with artist Seth Birchall and Bega Valley local Averil Fink, facilitated by SECCA Exhibitions & Projects Officer Jasmin Brown.

‘Circular Lives: Art, Community and Reciprocity’ explored intergenerational knowledge sharing, reciprocity, resourcefulness, and the ways circular thinking can shape both art and everyday life. Through stories of creative practice, community exchange and ecological awareness, the conversation highlighted the enduring value of care, connection and local knowledge.

Thank you to Seth, Averil and everyone who contributed to such a thoughtful and inspiring morning.

🗓️ Final days to see Seth Birchall’s ‘Unseen Cosmic Clock’ exhibition at SECCA. Closes Saturday 22 August. View the exhibition e-catalogue now at secca.com.au (🔗 in bio)

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📸 Photos by Marcus Ward Curran

11/08/2026

Portraitist Shirley Hannan was well known in the Bega Valley as a staunch advocate and generous patron of the arts. She established a legacy of support for portraiture that continues through the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award, founded in her name more than two decades ago.

We thank Shirley’s son Peter Hannan for continuing to support the biennial Award, which has become one of Australia's major prizes for realistic portrait painting, offering a $50,000 non-acquisitive prize.

Today, when images can be generated in an instant, the Award champions the enduring value of human observation, skill and connection.

🎨 Entries for the 2026 Award are now open
📅 Entries close 6 October 2026
🤩 Exhibition dates: 12 December 2026 – 27 February 2027
🔗 secca.com.au (link in bio)

Images:
1. Young Shirley Hannan, courtesy of the Hannan family
2. Joe Blundell, ‘Today was a good day’ (detail), Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award 2024 Finalist, courtesy the artist

SECCA is a service of

03/08/2026

♻️ In Conversation with Seth Birchall & Averil Fink
Circular Lives: Art, Community and Reciprocity

Join artist Seth Birchall in conversation with his long-time friend, Bega Valley local Averil Fink, facilitated by SECCA Gallery Director Janice Falsone, for a special public program presented alongside Birchall’s exhibition 'Unseen Cosmic Clock'.

The conversation will reflect on intergenerational and community knowledge sharing, resourcefulness and reciprocity. Together, the speakers will consider how cycles of making, exchange and ecological awareness resonate across both art and everyday life.

Gain insight into Birchall’s works and its engagement with questions of climate, care and continuity, alongside his personal connections to the Bega Valley. In dialogue with Fink, whose experience building a mudbrick home through Bega’s Local Economic Trading Scheme (LETS) – a community-led, off-grid exchange network – speaks to the region’s longstanding focus on circular economies.

Audiences will also have the opportunity to engage directly with Birchall’s practice through a custom print-making activation, extending the artist’s ongoing gesture of generosity within the exhibition, where prints are gifted to visitors.

📅 Saturday 15 August 2026, 11am
📍 SECCA

Free event, bookings encouraged via secca.com.au or via 🔗 in bio
Unseen Cosmic Clock is on exhibition at SECCA until 22 August 2026

is represented by
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Images: (left) Seth Birchall, photo by Jessica Maurer, (right) Averil Fink, photo by Michael Black, ABC News

Address

Zingel Place
Bega, NSW
2550

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5pm
Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 2pm

Telephone

+61264992201

Website

https://secca.com.au/

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