Arts and Culture
Cultural Guide to Perth
24 Oct '19
art gallery of western australia
Cultural Guide to Perth
If you like a spot of culture every once in a while, then you’re in luck, because Perth is full of museums, galleries and historical tours. What’s even better is that you can do so many of them from the city centre, which means that planning your cultural adventures has never been easier. Here are some of the best ones.
Visit the Art Gallery of WA
The Art Gallery of Western Australia is home to more than 17,500 works comprising of works dating from 1700s to today. One of the Collection key strengths is its pre-eminent holdings of Western Australian Indigenous and non-indigenous art. Every year, an exhibition called “Pulse Perspectives” (previously known as Year 12 Perspectives) showcases works from Year 12 students who graduated the previous year. The Gallery is free to visit from Wednesday to Monday, but visitors are asked to make a voluntary donation upon entering.
Go on a coffee, culture and art tour
The tour experts at Two Feet and a Heartbeat have the ultimate Perth walking tour, complete with art, culture and history. Start your day in the city with a coffee, and then follow your tour-guide to discover hidden art, laneways, secret gardens and learn about the local history while exploring the city. You also get to see the heritage precinct of Perth, the old theatre district and educational precincts, and then finish up with food at Elizabeth Quay overlooking the iconic Swan River.
two feet and a heartbeat Head to PICA
Housed in the large and striking heritage building in the heart of Northbridge, the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts is the place to go to experience the best of Australian and international visual, performing and cross-disciplinary art. PICA runs a year round program of changing exhibitions, seasons in contemporary dance, theatre and performance and a range of interdisciplinary projects that are sure to delight visitors.
Go on a self-guided architecture walk
If you’d like to spend your day roaming the streets to discover the late 19th and early 20th century architecture in Western Australia, then get the Historic Heart of Perth app. It’s free to download and takes you on a guided tour of Perth’s heritage buildings including Government House, Perth Town Hall, State Buildings and St George’s Cathedral. In addition to these landmarks, the tour also includes a number of beautiful private residences and commercial buildings, and a magnificent heritage-listed Moreton Bay Fig tree.
Visit the Berndt Museum
Established in 1976, the Berndt Museum holds one of Australia's most significant collections of Aboriginal paintings, artefacts, photographs and sound recordings; as well as art and artefacts from Melanesia, Asia and South-East Asia. The museum is located within the Dr Harold Schenberg Art Centre on the grounds of the University of Western Australia, with exhibitions open between 11am-5pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
- 24 Oct '19