About
Whitehorse Artspace first opened in 1998 at Box Hill Town Hall. Major renovations extended the size of the gallery in 2007. It is a thoughtfully designed, contemporary gallery space used to display a diverse program of exhibitors as well as thoughtful curations of our significant collection. This collection includes remarkable works from early Australian impressionist pieces through to modern and contemporary works of all mediums.
The main gallery is a museum-standard space that displays our larger, curated exhibitions. The adjacent All Nations Foyer is a community-focussed space open to expressions of interest from all artists: emerging, mid-career and established.
Located inside the Box Hill Town Hall, Artspace aims to present the best in visual arts practice to the community. Alongside contemporary approaches, the rich artistic heritage for which the municipality is nationally recognised is a keystone of our programs and the Whitehorse Art Collection.
We are thrilled to share another year of diverse exhibitions that celebrate the incredible creativity our municipality has to offer.
Whitehorse Art Collection
Artspace provides a home to the Whitehorse Art Collection, which contains almost 2,000 significant artworks.
Displaying a diverse program of exhibitions each year, Artspace regularly hosts artist and curator floor talks and educational tours.
The current collection includes:
- over 900 works on paper (including limited edition prints)
- almost 200 paintings
- over 500 contemporary ceramic works (including a generous donation from Ceramics Victoria)
- over 100 sculptures, textiles, woodwork, glassware and jewellery
- over 30 public art pieces
Works in the collection employ a wide range of media, reflecting the interests and philosophies of significant artists of the nineteenth and early twentieth century.
This collection is available as a community, cultural and educational resource for residents of Whitehorse and visitors to our city.
Opportunities for Artists
Expressions of Interest
The Whitehorse Art Gallery Expressions of Interest (EOI) Program, formerly known as the Invited Artist / Invited Group Program, invites artists who live, work or study in the City of Whitehorse to submit exhibition proposals.
We welcome a broad range of artistic practices and media, including:
• Ceramics
• Drawing
• Painting
• Printmaking
• Sculpture
• Photography
• Textiles
Applications are open to both individual artists and artist groups/collectives.
The EOI program supports a diverse exhibition schedule and provides local artists with opportunities to exhibit in a professional public gallery. Successful applicants receive:
• Curatorial support
• Marketing and promotional opportunities
• Artist fees
The next Expressions of Interest round will open in April 2027 for exhibitions taking place in 2028.
All Nations Foyer
The All Nations Foyer is an exhibition space located adjacent to the Whitehorse Art Gallery. The space features lockable glass display cabinets suitable for three-dimensional artworks, as well as wall space for two-dimensional works.
Applications are open to artists who live, work or study in the City of Whitehorse. Practitioners working across all media are encouraged to apply, including:
• Ceramics
• Drawing
• Painting
• Printmaking
• Sculpture
• Photography
• Textiles
There is no cost to exhibit in the All Nations Foyer.
Applications are currently closed and will reopen at a future date. To stay informed about upcoming exhibition opportunities at the Whitehorse Art Gallery and the All Nations Foyer, subscribe to the Creative Whitehorse eNews.
Internships
For information about internships and other exhibition opportunities, please contact the Curator:
Email: artspace@whitehorse.vic.gov.au
Phone: (03) 9262 6250
Art History in Whitehorse
Almost every Saturday for some four years between 1885-1888, a group of Melbourne artists raced to the Lilydale line to catch a steam train, leaving behind the bustling metropolis for an idyllic weekend of camping and painting.
The artists camped and painted together on a site near Box Hill, using the en plein air (out in the open) painting method to create paintings that strongly evoked the natural landscape and lighting of Australian bush.
These artists included Frederick McCubbin, Louis Abrahams and Tom Roberts, Charles Conder, Arthur Streeton, Theo Brooke Hansen and Jane Sutherland. Together they pioneered the Australian Impressionist movement.
The artists’ camp later relocated to the hillier Eaglemont and Heidelberg area where views of the Yarra River inspired further paintings. In 1891, the art critic Sidney Dickinson dubbed the group the Heidelberg School. Today they are recognised as the Australian Impressionists.
Although much of the bushland has disappeared, there are still areas in Whitehorse that evoke the original landscape that inspired the artists. The Whitehorse Artists’ Trail maps out areas close to where the artists camped and painted.
