Adelaide Art Galleries, Museums, Supplies & More

Best art galleries Adelaide museums supplies classes your area

Today we will all be going on a deep dive into art in Adelaide. Our opening section will fully cover the best art galleries and museums near you.

After that we will get into a variety of other topics like local art supply stores, events, festivals, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures and statues, art classes, studios for rent, and the top frame shops in your area.

If you are after any specific section you can jump straight to it using the table of contents on the left and we are also including a Adelaide art map with all of the various places we mention throughout the post pinned on it. We have covered the other major cities in Australia at this link if you want to check them out.

Best Art Galleries & Museums In Adelaide

If you want to visit the best art galleries and museums in Adelaide you can go to:

The Art Gallery of South Australia is open from 10am to 5pm daily and was founded in 1881 housing one of Australia’s major art collections in one of this city’s most attractive structures. You can find it and many other places we are about to mention at North Terrace which is a cultural boulevard that is located between the South Australian Museum and the University.

For almost 150 years the South Australian Museum has been dedicated to making Australia’s natural and cultural heritage accessible, engaging, and enjoyable. It is a place where families may come together to learn and grow from 10am to 5pm daily.

Samstag Museum of Art is open from 10am to 5pm Tuesday through Saturday and is one of the University of South Australia’s leading creative institutions while its establishment in 2007 reflects the University’s determination to make a dynamic contribution to South Australia’s intellectual and cultural life as well as the tertiary education sector.

From its CBD art venue ACE Open creates transformational contemporary art experiences for artists and spectators. ACE Open began in 2017 building on the 116-year legacy of its predecessors the Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia (CACSA) and the Australian Experimental Art Foundation (AEAF). Head over to ACE from 11am to 4pm Tuesday through Saturday to see all that they have to offer.

Nexus Arts has worked regularly over the last 30 years to establish performance and presenting opportunities, establish programs, and lobby for the inclusion of culturally and linguistically diverse artists and communities within mainstream arts in your area. Nexus’ initiatives have challenged and questioned cultural preconceptions sparking critical discourse in both contemporary arts and community settings.

For more than 50 years supporting and promoting unique and remarkable craft and design has been the goal of JamFactory through their workshops, exhibitions, and shops. It is based in Adelaide’s West End Creative Precince with a satellite campus near Seppeltsfield in the Barossa and their stores, exhibits, public activities, and traveling exhibitions highlight the greatest Australian craft and design talent plus all purchases directly fund their training and exhibition program.

Gagprojects is open from 11am to 6pm Tuesday through Saturday and some of you may know it by its former name Greenaway Art Gallery which was founded in 1991 in a big renovated warehouse in Kent Town.  The gallery’s concentration has always been on promoting the greatest local and national contemporary artists supplemented by frequent invites to artists from other countries with a strong emphasis on conceptual and difficult disciplines in a range of materials.

TAFE SA is the biggest vocational education and training (VET) provider in the city and one of the largest in Australia. It is also a registered supplier of higher education and since its inception in 1971 they have educated over one million pupils while taking over 68,000 student enrollments each year and provide training at over 290 venues throughout South Australia.

Carclew is South Australia’s first multi-art form and cultural organization focused on artistic output created by and for persons aged 26 and under. It gives young people the opportunity to experiment with many creative genres, helps budding artists develop their skills, and advocates for youth arts practice.

Materials & Supplies Near You

These art stores near you should have all of the materials and supplies you desire:

Clipboard is a renowned independent art and office supplier having outlets in the north and south part of town.

Port Art Supplies is located in the historic district near the Black Diamond corner and offers a wide choice of high-quality fine art supplies while Art Spectrum, Canson, Cretacolor, Lukas, Langridge, Arches, and Sennelier are just a few of the brands they carry. Port also supports local arts programs in their efforts and is thrilled to be a part of such a vibrant community.

One of South Australia’s major art, craft, and stationery supply wholesalers and retailers is Premier Art Supplies who has been in business for nearly forty years selling a comprehensive product selection.

Art To Art is a family-run art supply store that sells a wide range of high-quality art supplies from leading Australian and worldwide companies. Paints, brushes, canvases, pastels, charcoals, pencils, markers, inks, and accessories are all available.

Eckersley’s is one of the country’s major dealers of fine art, craft, and design products where you can shop online or in person if you are an inspired artist, a dabbler in the arts and crafts, a bride-to-be looking for invitation ideas, an architect in need of technical drawing equipment, or even a teacher in the art and design sector in your area. The company began more than 50 years ago in October 1965 with the opening of its first shop in Prahran, Victoria.

Shows & Events

Some of the top local art shows and events are:

The Adelaide International was a biennial art exhibition held in at the Samstag Museum of Art in partnership with the Adelaide Festival of the Arts which featured a range of contemporary visual works from artists based outside Australia. After a pause in the partnership was agreed the exhibition was revived by the Samstag as a series of three annual events with the new title Adelaide International with a different context and concept.

Adelaide Fringe is the Southern Hemisphere’s largest arts festival and it transforms the city for 31 wonderful summer days and nights spanning the state from Whyalla to Naracoorte while featuring unique and dynamic activities including cabaret, theatre, comedy, circus, music, visual arts, workshops, and so much more.

Art Dealers & Appraisers

When you want to find some new unique pieces to add to your collection or figure out the true value of something visit art dealers and appraisers like:

Elder Fine Art Galleries first opened its doors on Melbourne Street in 1965 when Jim and Helen Elder traded as J.G.Elder upholstery. They relocated to 58 Jerningham St in 1968 focusing on good antiques and Australian Paintings importing frequent shipments of fine quality antiques from throughout the world.

Eckermann Australian Fine Art specializes in purchasing and selling genuine Australian paintings as well as sold out limited edition prints.

The sale of early Australian paintings and items of historical interest as well as contemporary art is what Peter Walker Fine Art does best and their clients include major regional and state galleries, libraries, and private collectors from around the country and overseas.

Walking Tours

Flamboyance Tours at 101 Rundle Mall offers walking tours for all ranging from street art and culture to history and gastronomy.

Remember that there will be plenty to check out on the streets when the Fringe Festival is going on too.

Sculptures & Statues

Framing art supply stores Adelaide lessons near you studios

You might also want to take some photos of these statues and sculptures in your area:

  • Malls Balls at 100 Rundle Mall
  • A Day Out at Rundle Mall
  • Alice in Adelaide’s Wonderland at 42 East Ter
  • John McDouall Stuart Statue at 182/188 Victoria Sq
  • Charles Sturt Statue at 13/185 Victoria Sq
  • South African War Equestrian Statue at North Ter & King William St

Rundle Mall’s most renowned artwork is ‘The Spheres’ often known as the ‘Mall’s Balls’ by locals and it is made of two larger-than-life stainless-steel spheres stacked on top of each other. It stands over 4 meters tall and was created by Vienna-born artist Bert Flugelman.

Rundle Mall received four new tenants on July 3, 1999: Horatio, Oliver, Truffles, and Augusta. These life-sized bronze pigs seemed to be enjoying a fantastic day out in Rundle Mall as they wander the Mall, forage in the garbage for food scraps, and greet passers-by.

Alice in Adelaide’s Wonderland is a whimsical sculpture of Lewis Carroll’s heroine from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking Glass, and What Alice Found There. The statue’s base has characters from both novels including Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Duchess, and the Gryphon.

John McDouall Stuart was born in Scotland in September 1815 and came to South Australia in January 1839. He worked as a surveyor and following his experience on Captain Charles Sturt’s voyage to central Australia in 1844-45 he embarked on six significant inland excursions of his own. The statue honors John while the members of his expedition are listed on a plaque on the statue.

When the statue of explorer Captain Charles Napier Sturt was inaugurated in December 1916 it was characterized as the most lifelike statue in town.

South Australians who fought in the second South African War between Dutch-Afrikaner settlers and Britain and her colonies are remembered at the South African War Memorial which was erected on June 6, 1904.

Adelaide Art Classes

You might be interested in private lessons or group classes for kids, teens, or adults but either way the best art schools in Adelaide would be:

Adelaide Central School of Art is a single-focus art school with all classes taught by lecturers who are experts in their fields. It is South Australia’s only autonomous non-profit art school committed to preparing students to be practicing artists.

The Bapëa Gallery is part of the operation of the Bapa Art School and Studios and it hosts yearly exhibits by the school’s senior professor Peter Bok while offering a limited exhibition schedule with no more than six exhibits each year.

Jen Halman is a graphic artist from the United States who started Studio Vino in 2015 and since then it has grown and continues to do so. Like most paint and sip studios this should definitely be considered more of a place to take a casual art lesson near you.

Noah’s Art School serves kids ages 9 and above and is based in Holden Hill providing friendly casual instruction to both beginners and expert students.

For a professional organization that offers a diverse range of services such as art classes, courses, and workshops in your area consider Splashout Art Studios where qualified art tutors or invited experienced artists give the lessons.

Ruth Tuck was a well-known watercolour artist who founded the Ruth Tuck Art School in 1955 and today her enthusiasm for educating and encouraging new artists lives on via the school.

Studios For Rent Near You

If you are ready to start your next project consider renting art studio space at:

Framing

When you need art framing in Adelaide head to:

FramingLand specializes in custom picture framing.

Adelaide Picture Frames offers a highly personalized and pleasant service, custom framing, access to a large selection of framing materials, and the best quality craftsmanship.

With over 50 years of expertise in the custom framing industry Framing World provides individual advice and help to all of their clients who bring in their valuable things for framing.

Smartart is a frame and art gallery that excels with original art and works on paper by well-known Australian artists.

The Frame Connection is a local family-owned and run company that takes pride in their specialized workmanship with over 40 years of expertise in the business.

Dimond Bros, or Dimonds Gallery as it is currently called, has a rich history that dates back to the late 1890’s to the early 1900’s during the picture framing gold rush of the photography age.

By the way we have also discussed:

Have Fun Enjoying the Adelaide Art Scene

We tried to cover the full art scene near you to the best of our abilities. We listed the best local galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers.

If you made it this far you might just know quite a bit about the local art scene yourself. Feel free to share your own tips, or to let us know if we may have gotten anything wrong in the comments.

Have fun going to the galleries, museums, buying supplies, or doing anything that has to do with art in Adelaide!

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This post and all of the posts on our site are edited by Dan Soloman who has been a huge fan of art since he was a little kid. His mother was a good local artist, and she taught him the trade from a very early age. He studied art and its history in both high school and college, has worked at multiple galleries, and recently has begun creating and editing online content for this site and some other online media platforms.

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