Arts & Culture
The City of Albany offers a range of arts and cultural services aimed at building the cultural and social fabric of our community and reflecting Albany's identity as a highly creative and arts-engaged regional hub.
City of Albany's Vancouver Arts Centre
The City of Albany manages the Vancouver Arts Centre, which is based in a historic building on Vancouver Street and offers an annual program of events and cultural services for the local community and visitors to the region. For more information please view the Arts and Culture website.
City of Albany Art Collection
The City of Albany's permanent art collection is housed within the Albany Town Hall in a dedicated storage facility. It comprises of more than 300 works of art with an emphasis on early 20th century works by Australian artists donated by Sir Claude Hotchin in the 1950’s and 60’s, and artworks acquired through the Albany Art Prize and Great Southern Art Award. These latter items are largely by Western Australian artists practising in the late 20th century and early 21st century. There are a number of other works, which have been donated or bequeathed over the years since 1950.
Objectives of the Collection
- To further develop and maintain a visual art collection of state and local significance and repute that reflects the cultural aspirations of the community.
- To collect works of visual art of demonstrable excellence by artists of significance and who have a connection with Western Australia or the Great Southern region, with particular emphasis on contemporary WA art, all art of local significance, particularly that by local artists.
- To collect works of visual art of heritage and historical value.
- To collect or commission selectively, works of art which enhance the civic buildings and public areas of the City and which foster an understanding, enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts among members of the general public.
- To collect works of significance for the fostering of research and reference.
- To ensure the preservation and safe keeping of the collection.
- To maximise accessibility to the collection.
- To heighten the public profile of the collection leading to greater community awareness, involvement and support.
Much of the collection can be viewed at the Library, the City's administration building on North Road and the Vancouver Arts Centre. The Vancouver Arts Centre regularly curate exhibitions that draw on the City's collection. The Great Southern Art Award acquires a work for the collection from the local community on a biennial basis.
For all enquiries relating to the Collection please contact the City of Albany's Visual Arts Officer who is based at the Vancouver Arts Centre on 08 9841 9260 or email [email protected].
City of Albany Art Prize
About the Prize
The Albany Art Prize was a national survey of contemporary Australian painting, presented annually for over a decade at the Albany Town Hall. The Prize was coordinated by the City of Albany and was made possible through significant sponsorship by the Jack Family Charitable Trust and which concluded in 2018.
Art in the Public Domain
In 2016, the City updated its Policy and Guidelines for the management and implementation of Art in the Public Domain.
Any community organisation or business wishing to develop artwork for the public domain must make an application to the City of Albany. Applications are handled through the Vancouver Arts Centre and all assessments are made in conjunction with the City's Planning department.
The Vancouver Arts Centre can provide advice and assistance to any individual or organisation wishing to develop public art (whether for the public domain or on private property).
Please use the following links to download the policy and guidelines and for further information please contact the Vancouver Arts Centre on 6820 3740 or email [email protected].
Art in the Public Domain Guideline
Art in the Public Domain Policy
These Guideline and Policy documents will be reviewed in late 2019.