09/08/2024

The latest Dragon’s Lair Gallery exhibition, ‘Revealed: hidden treasures from the art collection’ includes artworks from many notable Australian and international artists, including Andy Warhol, Max Dupain, Sydney Ure Smith, and Brian Dunlop, many of which are being displayed for the first time to the public.  

Drawn from Hurstville Museum & Gallery’s collection of over 150 artworks, the exhibition presents a selection of diverse mediums, artists, and subjects, highlighting a variety of historical and contemporary paintings, drawings, prints and photographs.
 
As part of the exhibition, Claire Baddeley, Hurstville Museum & Gallery Curator, will host an informal tour discussing the artworks on show, and their local connections, exploring in more detail the ‘treasures’ in the exhibition on Saturday 14 September.
 
Georges River Council General Manager, David Tuxford, said, “Hurstville Museum & Gallery is dedicated to preserving the unique history of the St George region, as well as working with local communities to develop exciting art and history exhibitions and public programs.  
 
“While Hurstville Museum & Gallery is best known for its collection of over 6,000 objects, it also has a significant collection of works of art.
 
“This is a must-see for art lovers, especially for our local visual art students; I encourage the community and wider Sydney to visit and see this spectacular collection.”  
 
The art collection was established during the 1980s and has continued to develop through donations and acquisitions. Works on display were previously part of the former Hurstville City and Kogarah Council collections, library collections, Hurstville Historical Society collections, winners of the previous Art Awards, and works produced during the Georges River Council’s Artist In Residence program. The artworks include rare works from the early 19th century through to present day works by artists connected to the Georges River area.  
 
The earliest artwork in the collection, included in the exhibition, is a 1791 copper engraving by Georg Vogel, made after a drawing by the English maritime painter Robert Cleveley of the first published view of the Sydney region drawn from life, depicting the entrance to Botany Bay.  
 
The exhibition highlights the natural beauty of locations such as Lugarno and Mortdale, with the distinctive light, atmosphere and colour of landscapes and river scenes in the Georges River area captured through artworks in oil, watercolour and pastel. 
 
Included in the exhibition are paintings inspired by suburban life in Australia, work by a former Official war artist, as well as the work of a First Nations artist from the Central Desert region of the Northern Territory. 
 
The exhibition will run from Saturday 10 August to Sunday 22 September 2024.
 
The diverse array of artworks on display are just a small glimpse into the treasures of the Hurstville Museum & Gallery art collection and this exhibition is sure to have something to delight and surprise all visitors. 

Event 

Hurstville Museum & Gallery Curator, Claire Baddeley, will host an informal tour discussing the artworks on show, and their local connections.
 
Date: Saturday 14 September 2024.
Time: 2.30pm.
Location: Hurstville Museum & Gallery, 14 MacMahon Street, Hurstville. 
Cost: All welcome, free event followed by afternoon tea. RSVP at Council’s What’s On page.