Ngununggula is a new art gallery located within Retford Park, a property of the National Trust in the Southern Highlands of NSW. A stone’s throw from Sydney, in addition to its creative local population, the area has emerged as a haven for artists to settle and as a tree-change for city folk. It’s also been and promises to persist as a choice destination for day-trippers or weekends away.
As such it’s surprising that the area hasn’t had a major visual art space until now, enter Ngununggula the brainchild of Founder and celebrated artist Ben Quilty who commented: ‘I’ve been working on the concept of Ngununggula since 2017 and it’s so exciting to finally see this realised. We wanted to create a space to bring the community together with art and culture, and to give the Southern Highlands a hub for residents and visitors of all ages to access some of the most important artists of our time.’
Ngununggula’s two inaugural exhibitions are both comprised of new work from artists Tamara Dean who will present a photo-series and Megan Cope, installing a large-scale commission.
‘Ngununggula’ means “belonging” in the traditional language of the Gundungurra First Nation People. Director of Ngununggula Megan Monte said: “We’re so delighted that we can finally unveil Ngununggula to the public and begin this new chapter engaging with our local community and visitors…
Monte continues ‘…it’s been an unusual time to open a new gallery space but we’re so proud of what’s been achieved and can’t wait to welcome people in to experience the space and the beautiful works of both Tamara Dean and Megan Cope.’
Come mid-November the art gallery café Hearth will open in partnership with Moonacres Kitchen, with a focus on local produce and farm-to-table cuisine, created by chef Sabine Spindler.
The gallery is also hosting a number of artist talks, workshops and will launch a regular Friday night art event with music, cinema and more. Keep an eye on their website here for more info.