Starting with Art

Starting with Art is a free one-hour tour and workshop for Years K–12 designed to take children on a journey of discovery and adventure through the Art Gallery of NSW’s permanent collection and selected temporary exhibitions. The program provides the opportunity to experience art through stimulating and engaging workshops and includes discussion, role-play and the use of sensory materials. Students are also given the opportunity to make artworks using a variety of materials.

Pre- and post-visit activities are incorporated into this program. Pre-visit activities, including a viewing of the selected images before the visit, aim to provide students with preliminary familiarity and understanding of the works, which will enhance the exhibition experience. Resource material is provided at the time of booking

Exploring emotions in art

Discover how contemporary artists explore and depict human emotions.

Unpacking contemporary art

Connect with artworks in the contemporary galleries through close observation, discussion, open-ended questions, role-play and the use of sensory materials. Respond to the artworks by making your own 3D sculptural artwork using a variety of tactile materials.

A walk in the bush

Discover the flora, fauna and stories of the Australian bush through paintings in the Gallery’s Australian collection.

The body in sculpture

Learn about the materials and methods used by artists to portray the human form in three dimensions.

The nature of art

Explore the ways in which artists have used the natural environment as a source of inspiration.

Courtly magic

Journey into the past and meet a colourful cast of characters from history through grand paintings in the European collection.

Mastering Impressionism

Observe how important light and colour were to the French Impressionists and explore the tools they used to create their masterpieces.

Exhibition-specific tours

The Gallery also offers Starting with Art tours and workshops for some specific exhibitions. These are listed under Education for the relevant exhibition. See What’s on