© National Portrait Gallery 2025
King Edward Terrace, Parkes
Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
Phone +61 2 6102 7000
ABN: 54 74 277 1196
Artist Talk
Thom Roberts
Event, Saturday 12 April
Join us for an artist talk by Thom Roberts to celebrate the opening of his first solo exhibition, The Immersive World of Thom Roberts at the National Portrait Gallery.
Slow Art Day
Event, Saturday 5 April
Slow Art Day is a global event with a simple mission: to help more people discover for themselves the joy of looking at art and its transformative power.
Drawn In
Ethan McAlister
Event, Sunday 18 May
Draw while listening to the music of composer and musician, Ethan McAlister, including a special rendition of an original song ‘The Shoreline’. As part of his performance, McAlister will expand on the song through improvisation, experimentation and looped sections to explore the nuances of a single song.
Drawn in
Ava Martina
Event, Sunday 20 April
Listen to the soulful vocals of Ava Martina blended with electric guitar while drawing. Ava will perform a mix of originals and covers spanning generations of artists.
Portrait Play
Face the music
Event, Selected days from Monday 14 April
Join us for Portrait Play these school holidays as we explore portraits and music. Come and meet the people that live on our walls, discover musical instruments hidden in the portraits and get creative on your journey through the galleries.
Relaxed afternoon
Event, Wednesday 23 April
Explore the Gallery at a quiet time of day. We welcome anyone of any age who would benefit from a more relaxed gallery experience.
Drawn In
The Composer's Canvas
Event, Selected Sundays in Autumn
Join us for a new iteration of Drawn in this autumn. The Composer’s Canvas is a series of drawing sessions once a month at the Gallery.
Story Time
Secrets of the Seasons
Event, Starts Tuesday 15 April
This Story Time we’re exploring the magic of a childhood spent in the Australian bush with the book Secrets of the Seasons, written by Heidi Cooper Smith.
Little Faces
Event, Selected days from Wednesday 9 April
Do we have a treat for the smaller humans in your life! Little Faces is for babies and toddlers (with their grown up) to play, sing and have fun discovering a portrait together.
Drop in drawing
Event, Daily from Friday 29 November
Experience the vibrant flowers and foliage in our Western Courtyard through drawing and observation.
Guided Tour
The art of portraiture
Event, Daily until Saturday 31 May
Learn about the architecture of the building before journeying through the Gallery to hear about the lives and legacies of the portrait subjects and the artistic techniques used to tell their stories.
Introduction tour
Welcome highlights
Event, Daily until Saturday 31 May
Join a short introductory tour of the National Portrait Gallery and discover a few key portraits.
Art Cart
Event, Daily until Friday 11 April
Drop into the Gallery for free creative activities inspired by the flora and fauna featured in the vibrant exhibition, Joan Ross: Those trees came back to me in my dreams.
The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy
Visual Arts & ATSI (lower primary)
Event, Selected days from Monday 9 June
Join the National Portrait Gallery for an engaging 45-minute online session where lower primary students explore the NAIDOC theme The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.
The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy
Visual Arts & ATSI (upper primary)
Event, Selected days from Monday 9 June
Join the National Portrait Gallery for an engaging 45-minute online session where upper primary students explore the NAIDOC theme The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.
My Awesome Australian
Visual Arts & Civics and Citizenship (lower primary)
Event, Selected days from Thursday 8 May
To celebrate 50 years of the Order of Australia, the National Portrait Gallery invites school students nationwide to create portraits of outstanding community members.