Art Gallery of WA: Sensory art thrills young crowd but capacity issues leave old favourites gathering dust

Visitor numbers to the Art Gallery of WA have soared to an all-time high, but high-profile patron Janet Holmes a Court has bemoaned the fact most of the State’s art collection is hidden from sight. The chair of AGWA said the gallery in Northbridge had simply run out of space. “Of the more than 18,800 pieces in The State Art Collection, only a small proportion are able to be displayed at anytime,” she said. “This collection belongs to the people of WA and we want the opportunity to share more of it.” Record attendance figures of 448,247 in 2024/25 were revealed in the Art Gallery of WA’s annual report, tabled in State Parliament this week, up 11 per cent on the previous financial year. The big increase was credited to the huge success of the Time + Rone exhibition, that also generated more than $3 million in revenue. “More than 60,000 people saw the installation, 844 people completed surveys about it, and 96 per cent agreed it moved and inspired them,” the report said. “Due to unprecedented demand, evening sessions were introduced. More than 10,000 people took the opportunity for an After Dark visit.” Labor has committed $10 million towards planning and design works for a major expansion, that Premier Roger Cook said in January could rival Tasmania’s MONA. More recently, Minister for Cultural Industries Simone McGurk vowed to dream big but wouldn’t put a price tag on the whole project. “We had an election commitment of a business case to look at what we need to do to look after the current structure,” she said. “But also we’ve got a whole lot of collections there that we’re just not getting out and I’m really keen that we get them out, not only to Northbridge, but also around the outer suburbs and the regions as well. “It’s definitely on our list of works that needs to be done.” Ms Holmes a Court called it a “once in a lifetime” opportunity, while gallery director Colin Walker, who has previously suggested a potential $850 million price tag, revealed planning was well underway. “We’ve got plenty of ideas and we intend to deliver them,” he said. “We’ve seen countless examples across the world how new, major contemporary galleries have regenerated and diversified economies, defined cities and cityscapes, and provided an enormous sense of place and pride for local communities. “They ultimately pay for themselves in economic activation but, as importantly, they offer whole new opportunities for artists and experiences for the public whilst enabling much, much more outstanding collections to be shared.” AGWA deputy director Penny Tassone said the record crowd was driven by youth keen to “escape” from “dark times” and attracted to modern and immersive art. But she promised traditional favourites would be on display in the Attachment Styles exhibition in December, including Frederick McCubbin’s Moyes Bay, Hans Heysens Droving into the light and Arthur Streeton’s Hillside. “These are our Mona Lisa’s,” she said. “We can’t run the State Art Collection and the big blockbusters at the same time. “We want to be able to put all of that out, absolutely. This is why we push for a new gallery, because we don’t want to deprive anyone of any of that, the new experiences, the new art coming up, and the over 17,000 works that we have.”