Australia’s foremost prestigious and controversial portraiture prize – the ‘Archibald Prize’ – is among a number of exhibitions announced for the Central Coast community as part of Gosford Regional Gallery’s new Winter/Spring Program.

The new program also sees the return of the hotly contested ‘Gosford Art Prize’, which this year has been expanded to include an Aboriginal Art prize for the first time.

Central Coast Council Team Leader Art Galleries, Arts and Culture, Tim Braham said the Gallery prides itself on securing prestigious exhibitions for our community and it is because of this that the venue has recently been ranked as TripAdvisor’s number one destination to visit in the southern area of the Coast, among 17 other local attractions.

“We are delighted to continue bringing fantastic exhibitions to the Central Coast and saving locals a trip to Sydney or Newcastle,” Mr Braham said.

“The most exciting exhibition in our new program is the 2019 Archibald Prize, choosing to return to the Gallery for just the third time in its 98 years of exhibition – telling us that the experience we offer here on the Central Coast is world-class, which is reflected in our recent TripAdvisor ranking of number one.

“The Gallery is also a platform for local artists to professionally display their works and we have some great local exhibitions including ‘Short Stories’ by Miriam Cullen, ‘PARADIGM/SHIFT’ by Natalie Verriest, ‘Heads above water’ by Peter Baka and ‘Tales of a modern Blackfulla’ by Garry Purchase.

“The Gallery is recognised as a ‘hidden gem’ of the Central Coast and we invite locals and visitors to check out our new Winter/Spring Program and drop by to view the exhibitions, take a stroll through the Gardens and enjoy a coffee at the café.”

Mayor Jane Smith said the Gallery is an important cultural and educational resource that attracts outstanding exhibitions for locals and visitors to the region to enjoy.

“Our Gosford Regional Gallery hosts a variety of local, national and international exhibitions from both established and emerging artists and its recent ranking on TripAdvisor shows just how valued the facility is,” Mayor Smith said.

“Tourism is a significant industry on the Central Coast and the visitor economy makes a positive contribution to the community through building local pride, youth employment, and supporting local events and community infrastructure.

“Council is committed to investment in tourism for the region and this achievement brings us one step closer to being the natural choice for leisure, business and major events in regional NSW.”

Gosford Regional Gallery’s new Winter/Spring Program can be viewed online at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au/galleries