Address: Top Gallery

Opening Event :
Friday 7 February 2025, 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Exhibition Dates :
Friday 7 – Wednesday 26 February 2025
Monday – Friday 10:00am – 5:00pm

This exhibition of new work by emerging artist Suemi Chiba explores the possibilities of clay within two different residency places, combining a variety of techniques and materials that the artist experimented with to develop skills and to explore a personal narrative.

“I would like to present an exhibition of ceramic works that combine the rough qualities of dark clays with the refined qualities of white clays. In ceramics different types of clays are generally used for different purposes; they match certain glazes and display different qualities that highlight specific processes and firing types. White clays are often used in refined and decorative work such as with porcelain figures or bone china tableware and ornaments. Often these works are decorated with painting and metallic lusters. Rougher darker clays are often used for more sculptural work and can be used in atmospheric firings where the firing itself plays a large role in the look of the work where effects are created from the fire or chemical reactions of soda and ash. Many ceramic artists will lean towards one of these two very different directions. 

I come from two different cultures that have a long history of ceramic traditions. I am half-Japanese, half-British, grew up in Alberta, Canada, and live in Tasmania, Australia. My ceramic style is influenced by all these cultures and I am still forming my own narrative in my work. I love Japanese techniques, atmospheric firings and the Japanese aesthetic and I also love highly decorative work that might have been seen in my British grandmother’s house.

I am currently completing a six month internship at Gaya Ceramic Arts and will have also completed a residency at the Medalta Historic Clay District in Alberta, Canada. During this time I have the opportunity to complete work with atmospheric firings such as soda, raku and wood firing as well as experimenting with different types of clay. I am working on combining elements of highly decorative work in porcelain with heavier clays used in atmospheric firing.”
– Suemi Chiba

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Opening Event :
Thursday 9 January 2025, 5:00pm – 7:00pm

Exhibition Dates :
Friday 10 January – Saturday 1 February 2025
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturdays 11:00am – 1:00pm
Sundays CLOSED

New works by emerging artist Klaaske Greenwood.

This collection reimagines the cowgirl archetype as more than a person—it is a way of being or state of mind. These loosely painted pieces depict the duality of strength and vulnerability, rebellion and grace. Featuring local, popular culture and historical characters the exhibition plays with this sense of identity in its various forms.

Associate Membership of the Salamanca Arts Centre is by application and is open to any individual who supports the vision, aims and activities of Salamanca Arts Centre. As an Associate Member of Salamanca Arts Centre you will be supporting one of Tasmania’s foremost cultural organisations.

Associate Membership is an annual membership, spanning 1 January – 31 December each year.

Associate Membership is required to be eligible to exhibit in SAC’s Access Gallery Program (includes Sidespace Gallery, Top Gallery and Lightbox). Exhibiting artists must have valid Associate Membership at the time of their exhibition; Associate Membership is not required when applying to exhibit.

Find out more about the current SAC Associate Membership Benefits, Discounts and Offers for 2025 below.
We will be increasing Benefits this year to ensure representation across all art forms – so keep an eye out for exciting developments.

Nolan School of Art | Adults

Opening event:
15 November | 6pm

Daily Opening Times :
Monday 4 November – Sunday 1 December 2024

Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturdays 10am – 4pm
Sundays 1pm – 4pm

On the shoulders of giants, the adult students of Nolan School of Art are inspired by art movements and art practice from the past.

On the 25th year of Nolan School of Art, we celebrate the many students who have past through our doors with an exhibition form the classes of Phoebe Webb, Jake Walker, Josh Lamb, and Caroline McGregor. You will see contemporary gestural abstraction, sensual life drawing, funky still life, and various spirited daubings.

Opening Event :
Friday 6 December 2024 @ 6.30pm

Daily Opening Times :
Friday 6 December 2024 – Sunday 5 January 2025
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday – Sunday 11:00am – 4:00pm

CLOSED for Christmas / New Year
from Monday 23 December 2024 | REOPENS Saturday 4 January 2025

Joy resides in simple things : the warmth of the sun on your skin, the breeze in your hair, the freedom of dance within… But what if these simple pleasures slip away?

Simple things define our childhood, shaping our experiences, exploration, and growth. Without them, childhood fades, halting our development.

Within us reside various personas: the playful child, the mature adult with desires, moments of sadness or confidence. On the surface, we embody a blend of these identities.

To reveal our true selves demands courage, requires us to dive deep. Self-discovery hinges on the freedom to explore this life.

Without freedom, nothing is simple.
– Magie Khameneh

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The Story

Mona’s story starts with following the peacock, the Persian metaphors which sent Eve out of heaven.
She wants to feel, experience, indulge in what we call living.
To feel the breeze in her hair, to see the dazzling colours under the dancing brims of sun.
Simple as it seems but not where she lives.
She refuges to her imagination to build what has taken from her, to flee from pain, shame and suffocation.

Her story is a testament to her resilience as she navigated enforced modesty and the suppression of her true self, ultimately shaping her life and proving that the ideas of freedom can evolve into reality when nurtured within one’s mind.

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Daily Opening Times :
19 September – 27 October, 2024
Weekdays: 9am – 5pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am – 4pm

Embark on a journey into the ethereal realm of Tasmania’s threatened marine species through an art experience that connects you with their world. Tasmanian artist Wendy Steinberg invites you to explore the fragile beauty of the threatened creatures that dwell beneath and soar above the waves of Tasmania’s unique waters.

‘Living Ghosts: Above and Below the Waves’ is a follow up to Wendy Steinberg’s 2018 debut exhibition, ‘Creatures of the Deep’. Representing an evolution in the artist’s practice, this collection of work brings these threatened marine species to life, portrayed through a range of evocative artistic media.

Discover the Living Ghosts under threat

In Tasmania, we are fortunate to have some of the most distinctive marine environments on Earth. Yet, our marine species and the habitats that support them are in danger. The theme of ‘Living Ghosts: Above and Below the Waves’ underscores the very real risk of these species disappearing in our lifetime. The exhibition explores the mutual interdependence between the submarine and aerial worlds and how anthropogenic pressure in either domain threatens both.

Step into the mesmerising realm of Tasmania’s endangered marine species, brought to life through ink, watercolor, and mixed media artworks. Encounter the haunting elegance of the Maugean Skate, discover the elusive Spotted Handfish, marvel at the graceful flight of the wandering Albatross. These captivating species and more beckon you to delve deeper into their world, where each encounter reveals a story of survival and interconnectedness.  

The Fight to Save the Living Ghosts

Don’t miss this rare opportunity to witness “Living Ghosts: Above and Below the Waves”. Delve into the enchanting world of Tasmania’s endangered marine species and learn about the conservation efforts underway to save these enchanting species from extinction.  

Join Wendy in raising awareness about Tasmania’s marine biodiversity and the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect these living treasures, and recognising the immense value they represent to our living world.

Daily Opening Times :
Saturday 3 August – Monday 16 September 2024
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday 10:00am – 2:00pm

Material Desires by Lorenz Cherry is an enquiry that delves into the intricate relationship between individual consumer choices and the pursuit of joy and happiness.  This exhibition invites viewers of all ages and walks of life to contemplate their own diverse material desires.

The core premise of Material Desires revolves around the idea that consumerism, often criticized for its excesses and negative environmental impact, can also be a source of genuine happiness and personal fulfillment. The exhibition seeks to challenge conventional stereotypes surrounding consumer culture by exploring the emotional and personal dimensions of our favourite purchases.  The core objectives of the exhibition are:

1. To Celebrate Diversity in Consumer Choices : Material Desires aims to showcase the vast spectrum of consumer items that people find joy in, highlighting the rich tapestry of tastes, interests, and backgrounds that make up our society.

2. To Challenge Assumptions : By examining the positive aspects of consumerism, the exhibition challenges stereotypes and encourages a more nuanced understanding of how our favourite things contribute to our well-being.

3. To Promote Self-Reflection : The artworks prompt visitors to reflect on their own cherished purchases and the personal significance of these objects in their lives.

4. To Foster Dialogue : The exhibition provides a platform for visitors to engage in meaningful conversations about consumerism, happiness, and the role of material possessions in our lives.

In summary, Material Desires, invites viewers to contemplate the emotional and personal dimensions of their acquisitions and explore the intersection of materialism, values, and identity

Daily Opening Times :
Friday 12 – Monday 29 July 2024
9:00am – 5:00pm Monday – Friday
**Weekends TBC**

Opening Event :
Friday 12 July 2024, 4:00pm – 7:30pm

Sarah Wells, AKA, Freekshow, is an emerging, Hobart based artist, who works with a range of mediums and scale in the dedication to bring to life her own multicoloured, fictionalised worlds.

Daily Opening Times:
Tuesday 4 June – Monday 1 July 2024
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturdays 10:00am – 2:00pm
Sundays & Public Holidays CLOSED

“Articulating silence, documenting the reoccurring motifs, images and landscapes which have influenced my internal world.

Just as we pause for understanding as we read, painting can be this silence in life. With this body of work, I am documenting the reoccurring motifs, images and landscapes which have influenced my internal world.

The matters which entertain my mind when I paint range from; coastal habitation, love, grief, reverence of nature, genealogy and theocracy.

Somewhat idealised and romantic the imagery is watery and mutable, blues and greens are implemented as contemplative colours, nothing is absolute. I have also begun to appreciate the interplay of organic forms alongside the geometry of architectural shapes. The human figure is mutable, unsettled and extending outside of the body in the way of two faced heads and bodies which could reveal themselves as trees.

This semi abstract approach to painting allows me to fold and unfold the repetitiveness of being or come to terms with the shock of a new feeling. I find myself painting in a state of gratitude for the good and bad. In this way each painting is an articulation of my internal world, they are an effort to observe and communicate feeling. I can only hope to capture something which others recognise in the world around them.

Contextual artists include; Clarice Beckett, Ken Kiff, Marc Chagall, William Blake.”
– Ellyn Anderson

May 3 – 27

Daily opening times:

9am – 5pm Weekdays
10am – 3pm Weekends

An exhibition of work from home educated students

Every week home educated students come together to create art in a fun, social environment. This is our first class exhibition from students of all age groups.