巴拉瑞特美术馆

The Art Gallery of Ballarat is an Attraction that has Free Admission The main entrance to this venue is tucked away amongst a row of shops which did make it difficult to locate, especially as there is no prominent signage easily visible from the road.We actually ended up going into the Ballarat Visitor Information Centre to ask for confirmation of the address & directions to same, only to discover it was actually just across the road from where we had parked at the Visitor Centre! As we advise, a bit difficult to find. :)Upon entering the main foyer you will find the obligatory Gift Shop off to the right hand side with a Reception Desk over to the far left. As expected the prices for the items on sale in the Gift Shop are exaggerated. Rising up directly in front of you is an impressive Central Staircase that dominates the space.Exhibits: The Art Gallery has set out the exhibits in a fairly basic way at present, best described as a box format through which you simply meander from room to room where the majority of the art pieces hang on the walls.There are some interesting statues and furniture pieces dispersed throughout the venue and many of the paintings are quite stunning. A selection of the Collections are in permanent residence whilst the remainder are of limited tenure.In addition to the displays of artwork that visitors can view for Free, we are advised there are additional activities and events held throughout the year such as Gallery Talks, Concerts and Educational Programs some of which appear to incur a Fee.Summary: Whilst there are some wonderful individual art pieces & one can certainly appreciate the talent displayed & respect the visions of the artists, the overall layout and set up of the exhibition tends to lack creativity. A more traditional perspective seems to have been adopted when deciding how to present the art and my husband and I felt that this decision may well be denying some of these stunning pieces the best possible opportunity to inspire and reach their full potential.At present many of the areas within the Gallery are either vacant or underutilised. Some had chairs just stacked up in groups rather than having those chairs set up to afford visitors the opportunity to relax at their leisure and consider / contemplate what is before them.Conclusion:Due credit and appreciation goes to those whom have donated art work to the Gallery and care for these important journals from the past. Whilst there is much that can be gleaned as to our history as a result of collections such as these, we respectfully suggest that a bit more could be done to make this facility more engaging.Thank you for reading this review, we hope that it has helpful.

The Ikons exhibit was extensive excellent and easy to follow. The permanent collection of nineteenth and twentieth century art, especially by Australian artists, is delightful. The Gallery's imposing space is in equal parts impressive and restful. Their gift store is a pleasant diversion.

Stopped by for a quick visit and more than an hour later had forgotten all about rushing off. What a wonderful and varied collection. My personal favourite was "vignettes" exhibition. The gift shop has a great selection and we really enjoyed our afternoon tea in the cafe. Great family activity.

Even if you only have the slightest interest in art, you MUST see this gallery. It is simply incredible. The quality of the pieces in the masters gallery upstairs is outstanding. If you only ever visit one more art gallery in your life, make sure this is the one. Highly recommended.

A good regional art gallery, nice and peaceful with some lovely works. Could have done with an audio guide.

Whilst there are paid special exhibits the have a great gallery that's free. For a quiet relaxing walk around on a rainy day it's good. Haven't eaten at the cafe. The gift shop has unique gifts for that hard to buy for person.

the gallery itself is quite interesting, albeit small to a UK traveller. It is free entry, unless there is a special exhibition on. We paid to visit the Eikon exhibition, and it was worth every cent. The most beautiful Eikons, contextualised in a history of Russia and the Orthodox Church. Each Eikon separately interpreted, with the text in a variety of presentations making it accessible to all visitors.

Spent several hours here the quality & variety of works is excellent ,a good selection in the Lindsay family room & a good mix of old & modern.Local,European & Indigenous artists all represented.

By far the best of the regional public galleries in Victoria.Has a great collection. Large holding of prints. Growing collections of botanical images and aboriginal works.Cafe is very good.; as is the gallery shop.Will be hosting the Archibald Prize for the next few years when it tours the states. And will be expanding facilities to cope with this.Puts on regular big exhibitions, check out the web site.

The art gallery is located in a beautiful old building with an amazing staircase. Most of the displays were free to visit and offered a range of interesting pieces. The gift shop features a large selection of quality gifts. Be sure to add this to your Ballarat itinerary.

World renowned art from Russia ,Greece Syria, beautifully presented and with an all day ticket, so relaxed !! .

Just lovely Ballarat is a stunning place with its amazing building the people are really lovely there to .The shopping centres are huge the streets are lovely the Art Gallery is a must for anyone would is visting the town .The gift shop is well stocked .

A very good permanent collection displayed to advantage in the historic building. The art works and craft items portrayIing life in early Ballarat are particularly fascinating. The gallery shop Publications is well stocked; Andi was most helpful and knowledgeable with enquiries about past exhibitions ('For Auld Lang Syne' and 'Capturing Flora').

I enjoyed the high standard of art on display having previously visited the gallery I was interested to see new additions

As well as the Botanical Gardens, the Art Gallery of Ballarat was a delightful surprise. Even my 6 year old daughter could find some interest here. I love the inclusion of lounge benches which sadly, many galleries seem to be removing. Take some good leisure time here. 1 1/2 hours to relax and drink in a visual treat.