Wollongong Art Gallery

28/08/2026

🎂 Happy heavenly birthday to Paul Reubens, creator of the iconic Pee‑wee Herman. What better way to celebrate than with a screening of Pee‑wee's Big Adventure?

Join us for a special screening this Sunday, hosted by Once Upon a Doll artist, Raquel Caballero. This a playful cult classic following Pee‑wee Herman’s outrageous quest to find his stolen bike.

Bursting with surreal humour and childlike imagination, the film is a perfect complement to Once Upon a Doll, which features a doll inspired by Paul Reubens’ iconic character and his wonderfully chaotic world of unbridled fun.

🗓️ Sunday 30 August, 1 - 3pm
🎟️ Tickets are free but bookings are essential: wollongongartgallery.au/gallery-events/film-screening-of-pee-wees-big-adventure

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Image: Film still from of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, 1985, Directed by Tim Burton.

26/08/2026

Have you seen Edge City yet?

The exhibition unfolds across two chapters, beginning with a focused survey of recent and key works by Elvis Richardson.

Richardson examines the built language of settlement and suburbia—its fences, thresholds, materials and protective gestures—drawing attention to the seductive surfaces and underlying tensions embedded within everyday domestic settings.

Showing until 18 October.

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Image: Installation shot of Elvis Richardson: Edge City featuring Elvis Richardson, Artist lifestyle, 2018, enamel paint on aluminium. Collection of the artist. Photo by Silversalt.

25/08/2026

Last chance to get your tickets for Cicada at Wollongong Art Gallery.

From dusty 90s suburbia to the dazzling world of high-end art galleries, Cicada follows a young artist from childhood dreams beneath the Hills Hoist to the dizzying heights of success, and the subsequent fall from grace.

Written by Tegan Ware and starring a local cast including Alana Maclean Dowling, Tilly Murphy, Oliver Harcourt, William Phillips and Bryson Grenfell, this new work from MERRIGONGX is a thrilling, immersive must-see.

🗓️ 27 - 29 August
🎟️ Reserve your spot for free and pay what you think it's worth afterwards

A curious kid draws to make sense of the world around him. An ambitious young adult cuts up his childhood drawings to create something new. A desperate man claws for a shred of inspiration, even if it means hurting his loved ones in the process.

18/08/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the opening of GO BAG over the weekend.

Congratulations to curator Olivia Welch and all the artists involved in this exhibition. A special thank you to Lucky Lartey and Scotty So for their incredible performances, bringing an extra layer of energy to the opening.

GO BAG is now showing until 1 November.

10/08/2026

Don't miss one of the final scheduled performances of Farewell Tour.

Created and performed by conceptual artists Joe Wilson and Chanelle Collier, Farewell Tour is an ambient psych-rock project that explores themes of love, joy, death and loss through field recordings, guitars and vocals. Existing somewhere between concert, performance and ritual, each presentation carries a rare sense of immediacy and presence.

“An epic love story of a band where every song is their last. A never ending farewell tour.”

📅 Sunday 16 August, 1.30–2.15pm
🎟 Free, bookings essential via link in bio

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Video Credit: Chris Bennett Underground Media

01/08/2026

Join us for the official opening of GO BAG, curated by Olivia Welch.

GO BAG looks at the many forms of transient living, from migration and housing insecurity to the broader experience of movement and adaptation. Themes of displacement, belonging and resilience emerge through works that reflect on diasporic identity, community, and survival.

Take some time to explore the exhibition and enjoy complimentary drinks and light refreshments.

🗓️ Saturday 15 August, 1 - 3pm
🎟️ Free, no booking required

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Image: Lucky Lartey, Slowly it will be good, 2022-ongoing, performative intervention using PVC tape, digital prints, pins, “Ghana Must Go” synthetic bags, 200 x 260 cm (variable). Photograph: Ivan Buljan.

28/07/2026

📸 Entries are now open for our 2026 Student Photography Competition!

This year, students in Years 7-12 are invited to respond to the theme What We Carry, inspired by the exhibition GO BAG.

The competition theme encourages students to think about both the physical and emotional things we hold onto. This might include objects we take with us, as well as memories, identities, cultural connections, and personal histories that shape our sense of belonging.

🏆 Multiple prizes are up for grabs, including a first prize valued at up to $200.
📅 Entries close on Friday 25 September.
🔗 wollongongartgallery.au/get-involved/student-photography-competition

23/07/2026

In Ballad of the Burbs, Illawarra artist Nicci Bedson celebrates the suburban homes that define our region.

Bathed in shifting light and rich with nostalgic detail, her acrylic works transform familiar façades into tender portraits of memory, belonging and the rhythms of daily life.

Ballad of the Burbs is now showing, until 9 August.

23/07/2026

What if shaping Wollongong’s future was as simple as sharing one idea?

The City of Wollongong is partnering with Canva to bring our community’s hopes, ideas and vision for the future to life through Wollongong Goals.

Wollongong Goals is a place for everyone to share what matters most in their neighbourhood, community and Australia. Every goal submitted helps create a clearer picture of our shared priorities and the kind of Wollongong we want to build together.

Your ideas can help inspire conversations, guide future planning and support meaningful action for our city.

Share your Wollongong Goal today. Shape your community.

Visit wollongonggoals.org