It takes a village to raise a creative! Get an insight into the often-unseen work and supporters needed for the arts to thrive. The work of art documents the creative process, evoke states of creativity and inspiration, and shows us clues about the subject’s own work from the way artists portray them.

Enjoy, sit back, and relax with some of our favourites from the Gallery’s collection, where they find themselves expertly – and comfortably – captured by their artists.

Portraiture. Not as you know it. We invite you to stretch, push, resist and transcend portraiture’s conventional constraints.

Join us in the Gallery for a free 30-minute tour of Portrait23: Identity, as we stretch, push and transcend portraiture’s conventional constraints.

Take a 30 minute tour of the Portrait Gallery exploring the collection and the building.

Little Darlings is for primary and secondary students, with four separate categories across Kindergarten to Year 12. Responding to the theme ‘identity’, students painted, drew, photographed, printed or combined all of these to make their portrait.

Australian portraiture of the mid-twentieth century was rich with the influence of European modernism, exemplified by the work of artists including Arthur Boyd, Judy Cassab and Clifton Pugh.

Spanning the 1880s to the 1930s, this collection display celebrates the innovations in art – and life – introduced by the generation of Australians who travelled to London and Paris for experience and inspiration in the decades either side of 1900.

Join us in the Gallery as we explore Portrait23: Identity with audio descriptions for visitors who are blind or have low vision.

Put down the drop sheet and join us from your living room, as we dive deep into the minds behind loud colours, bold patterns and bright interiors.

We're back on again in April for the next of our Spotlight Series! This time Karena – our Exhibitions Manager – will be taking a look at Dr Joseph Brown with Two Typists by Noel McKenna.

Our popular art cart is back for the school holidays! Ponder your place in the world and reflect on your own identity by making your own ‘me tree’.

Draw while listening to Bella Groove as they play an assortment of originals alongside familiar jazz and blues tunes.

Explore portraits through drawing and creative activity in the galleries.

What’s all the fuss about? Grab a cuppa and join us as we look at three sitters in our collection who have, unwittingly or deliberately, created storms in teacups.

Rush in, slow down and take a looong look at a few portraits, then meet to share your thoughts and observations.

Join acclaimed Yarrenyty Arltere Artists who live and work in Mparntwe/Alice Springs in a creative walk-up sewing workshop.

Explore portraits through drawing and creative activity in the galleries.

Awaken a sense of place and belonging and explore the National Portrait Gallery building and discover the award-winning design elements and cultural significance.

Grab your rucksack and join our Collection Administrator, Renee Joyce to explore the role of place in providing portraiture’s context and narrative.

Join Maxine Beneba Clarke as she reads her book Fashionista, leads us in craft activities and finishes in a flurry with a fashion parade finale!

Calling all fashionistas, fashion-resisters, fun lovers, fun makers and cool creators! Join Maxine Beneba Clarke as she reads her book Fashionista, leads us in craft activities and finishes in a flurry with a fashion face-off finale!

Explore our special exhibition Portrait23: Identity and the main collection before our usual opening hours. We’ll have low sensory spaces, quiet areas and a creative activity for families to enjoy together.

This autumn, join a Learning Facilitator to look at the portrait “The Family” by Charles Blackman to explore ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­colour, patterns and faces through movement, singing and crafty play.

This year’s lecture will be delivered by Stephen Page AO, former Artistic Director of Bangarra Dance Theatre and descendent of the Ngugi/Nunukul people of the Quandamooka Nation and the Munaldjali clan of the Yugambeh Nation from South East Queensland.

This autumn, join a Learning Facilitator to look at the portrait “The Family” by Charles Blackman to explore ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­colour, patterns and faces through movement, singing and crafty play.