Bendigo Arts Centre announces major expansion with new contemporary gallery wing

The Bendigo Art Gallery will triple its exhibition floor space with a new contemporary gallery wing after receiving $42 million in combined state and federal funding for the most significant expansion in the institution's 148-year history.

The new wing, designed by Denton Corker Marshall, will provide 3,200 square metres of climate-controlled exhibition space, a dedicated First Nations art and culture gallery co-designed with the Dja Dja Wurrung community, an education centre for school programs, and a rooftop sculpture garden overlooking the historic precinct.

Gallery director Tansy Curtin said the expansion would allow the gallery to accept touring exhibitions that had previously been unavailable due to size constraints, and to showcase more of its permanent collection, currently with only 30 per cent of works on display due to storage limitations. "Bendigo has punched above its weight for 148 years with inadequate space. This changes everything," she said.

The First Nations gallery was described by Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation chair Rodney Carter as a landmark commitment. The gallery has worked with the corporation for five years on a repatriation program and will now be able to display returned cultural objects in conditions that meet the community's standards.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2026, with the expanded gallery projected to open in the first half of 2028.

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