Address: Top Gallery

Exhibition Dates :
Friday 4 – Saturday 26 July 2025
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Weekends CLOSED

Opening Event :
Friday 4 July 2025, 5:30pm – 7:30pm

The Meehan Range, Pontville and Surry Hills, Sydney, each gave rise to a visual puzzle.  How to depict the blue-teal spring growth of the Risdonii slopes against dull Stringybark? What would the resurrection look like at Pontville? How the dark cavern of street trees contrasts with the scorching Sydney  sun?

“Inspired by my landscape painting practice, recent classes with Jake Walker, and visiting my daughters, Three places explores the relationship between place and person. How our perception and depiction of place is redefined by its connection with people we know.

The works have their origin in three very different locations. The Meehan Range as a backdrop to Flagstaff Gully and Mornington, the historic township of Pontville, and the inner city, Sydney suburb of Surry Hills.

The Meehan range is partly suburban (my eldest daughter lives close by), partly tamed countryside. Mountain bikers cross it. Yet it is home to eucalyptus risdonii which seems to require a stony, dry, north westerly aspect. Only this allows it to survive and gives rise occasionally to a brilliant blue flush of growth amid the dull greens of other gum trees.

Pontville – Brighton is a mixture of historic graveyards churches, and emerald green sporting areas. Scenes enjoyed by our second daughter.

Surry Hills with its nineteenth century dock workers terrace houses is a place in transition. The street trees are a constant but add a dimension of change when providing deep shade or filtered light over the Victorian facades. Our youngest daughter’s home is here. 

I have used a less descriptive, partly abstract method to try to communicate the transformations these places show and their meaning for those who observe them.

“Transformation” and “meaning”, has taken me towards an attempted portrayal of the magic or spirit of the places, while speculating on the relationships between place, the people there and the observer. St Matthews Cemetery Pontville is the frame for the ultimate transformation, the resurrection!”
– Kevin Crowe

Exhibition Dates :
Thursday 29 May – Sunday 29 June 2025
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday & Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm

Opening Event :
Friday 30 May 2025, 5:00pm – 7:00pm

The Tracings unique-state monoprints of Frances Malcomson and Julie Todd draw attention to Nipaluna/Hobart’s untended urban plant growth  and Lutruwita/Tasmania’s fragile coastlines.
What appears at face-value to be unchanging, may be at risk.
What is changing is often overlooked.
Multi-layered, monochromatic and nuanced imagery conveys nature’s  entangled tracings.

The Tracings exhibition is a localised response to a global emergency. Delicate, unique monoprints highlight the value and vulnerability of natural environments. The engaging works draw attention to untended urban plant growth within Nipaluna/Hobart and fragile coastlines throughout Lutruwita/Tasmania. What appears at face value to be acceptable and beautiful, may in fact be at risk. What is overlooked, may be valuable. 

Artists Frances Malcomson and Julie Todd have deep-felt connections to their surroundings. As fellow printmakers, they employ complementary monoprinting methodologies in their unique-state works. The monochromatic tonalities and abstracted elements complement and enhance their nuanced and subtle imagery. The tracings and layerings of the identified environments are embodied in imagery created through multiple steps of printing and over-printing each work.

Frances’s artworks depict weed species that flourish within overlooked nipaluna/Hobart urban sites: “Walking within local neighbourhoods, I observe the tension between human ordering of nature and disordered weed growth. Through printmaking directly with plants gathered from neglected sites, my work exposes the adaptive entanglement of damaged nature. In The Tracings exhibition I present red valerian, an escaped garden species now prevalent as weed growth throughout nipaluna/Hobart verges. My exhibition works reference small pockets impossibly scattering the cliff face of The Courtyard at Salamanca Arts Centre. ”

Julie’s artworks reflect waterways and coastlines of lutruwita/Tasmania: “Working as a printmaker, I explore my long-felt connection to the coastal waters and edges of my island home. Each unique print is an emotional response to the shifting, sometimes damaging, traces of time and tide. Through multi-layered printmaking processes, I build imagery that reflects our planet’s environmental intricacies and interconnectedness where one action leads to another, which leads to another…”

Opening Event :
Friday 4 April 2025, 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Exhibition Dates :
Friday 4 – Saturday 26 April 2025
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm 
Saturday 10:00am – 3:00pm
Sundays open by appointment
Public Holidays CLOSED

Paintings, portrait and sculptural exhibition by emerging artist Rebekah Pybus

“Undercurrents explores the layered depths of time, memory, and emotion within place and the human psyche. This exhibit will feature portraiture, re-imagined iconic paintings, and clay sculpture. My portraits of women reveal the complexity of feminine power—her pain, intuition, and resilience—acting as mirrors to the viewer’s subconscious. Drawing from both historical and personal narratives, I reinterpret iconic paintings through my own lens, intertwining them with my lived experience. My lifelong fascination with mythical marine creatures serves as a metaphor for the fluid, unseen forces that shape us. The shoaling of ceramic hammerhead sharks is inspired by one of my sons’ love for them, while my other son’s passion for waves is reflected in the movement and energy of the work, weaving their wonder and curiosity into the exhibition. Through paintings, sculpture, and immersive installations, I invite viewers to navigate these undercurrents, where the seen and unseen converge, evoking a sense of connection and introspection.”
– Rebekah Pybus

Exhibition Dates :
Friday 2 – Sunday 25 May 2025
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday* & Sunday 11:00am – 3:00pm

John Coleman’s companion album Amber and the Flow can be accessed HERE

*Live Music from 1:00pm – 3:00pm on Saturdays

Seeing this Place, a collection of 20 paintings and charcoal drawings, is singer-songwriter John Coleman’s visual ode to the ephemeral and pervasive beauty of South East Tasmania.

Seeing this Place is a visual celebration of South East Tasmania. The collection of oil paintings and charcoal drawings are companions to a new album of original songs exploring life in Tasmania, titled “The Amber and the Flow”. 

“Nearly nine years ago I moved permanently to Susans Bay (SE Tasmania) and was able to convert the shed in our yard into a studio where I have been able to  continue my writing and painting practices. The paintings, drawings and songs are for me a kind of thank you for the gift of sea and sky – hills and silence.  While my songs are often narrative reminiscences, the making of my paintings has become my other way of “seeing”. The songs are emotional and conceptual but the making of the artworks is another contemplative way – a complementary and “slower” way. My practice is a response to the ever-present invitation to set aside circling thoughts and to dwell deeply in the “particular” – the small, the vast, the natural, the blue and the green and the patches of light – the lovely light. This deep looking and the subsequent creation feel more akin to bird watching and contemplation rather than an exercise of intellect and imagination. And so, my intention with this exhibition is to communicate something of the peace and beauty of this place where we live.

My landscape method is one that usually begins with a tramp along shores and bushland, stopping periodically to sketch and photograph. It’s about seeing and being affected by light, colour, smell and sound – the delicious immersion in landscape. There is always warm anticipation in this first stage. Back in the studio I will create one or two charcoal drawings that help me to know the contours and note the points of attraction for me. Often there’s a sense of discovery as I realise what it was that drew me to this particular aspect of land and sky – whether the transformation of light to hillsides and rock faces, the geometry of a green-black belt of trees above tidal angularities, or the thick green foliage of wetland forest above the little bird filled lake. And always the sky and the land are equal actors. Of course, then there is the painting – all the steps that occur before the final subtleties and the knowing that “it is done”. 

I am seeing this place.”

– John Coleman (2025)

John Coleman’s companion album Amber and the Flow can be accessed HERE

Opening Event :
Friday 7 March 2025, 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Exhibition Dates :
Friday 7 – Monday 31 March 2025
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday 8,15 & 29 March 2025 10:30am – 2:30pm
**CLOSED on Sat 22 March 2025**
Sundays & Public Holidays CLOSED

Flora Notata by Angela Anderson, explores the relationship between people and plants in the urban environment via an immersive exhibition of Cyanotype prints, video projections, and sculptural installations.

“Flora Notata (Latin: ‘noted plants) is a meditation on plants and place; of getting to know the natural environments we live in, and ourselves, better.

Although I greatly enjoy the natural world around me, I realised that I barely noticed specific plants, or knew the names, origins, or habits, of many of those that I encounter daily. I decided to pay more attention in the places I spent time in to come to know that which I walked among.

I duly photographed and identified the foliage I noticed with an App. I came across flora endemic to the areas I was in and observed introduced plants, trees and weeds everywhere. I learned their names – in Latin – their origins, distribution, and growing habits. This was useful information at the time (much of it hasn’t stuck in my memory), but it lacked the feeling of wonder and majesty that the plants imparted: of the many and varied designs, the shadows of their unique forms, the way they moved and sounded in the breeze. 

Through the lens of the Cyanotype process – a 180-year-old camera-less photographic technique that produces images in shades of blue – the shadow selves of the plants revealed themselves. In making the prints many plant specimens resisted laying flat and I didn’t force them. This sense of movement seems fitting to the dynamic nature of plants in the environment – growing, blooming, blighted, fading, and decaying in continuous cycles, basking in the sun, hiding in or casting shade, bending to the breeze and the weather. Additionally, I video captured plants in motion and toned the resulting vignettes Cyanotype-blue to capture the sensory experience of the living world.

Curious about the experiences of others, I invited others to gather plants from their gardens for me to make prints of. The selections they made revealed individual values and aesthetics influenced by family background and social, cultural, and environmental conditions. They are both personal maps and  collective stories of place.

This small survey of plants serves as a reminder of the beauty and knowledge that grows when we pay attention. I invite you to explore your own everyday environment to see what you discover out there and also within yourself.”
– Angela Anderson

Opening Event :
Friday 7 February 2025, 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Exhibition Dates :
Friday 7 – Wednesday 26 February 2025
Monday – Friday 10:00am – 5:00pm

This exhibition of new work by emerging artist Suemi Chiba explores the possibilities of clay within two different residency places, combining a variety of techniques and materials that the artist experimented with to develop skills and to explore a personal narrative.

“I would like to present an exhibition of ceramic works that combine the rough qualities of dark clays with the refined qualities of white clays. In ceramics different types of clays are generally used for different purposes; they match certain glazes and display different qualities that highlight specific processes and firing types. White clays are often used in refined and decorative work such as with porcelain figures or bone china tableware and ornaments. Often these works are decorated with painting and metallic lusters. Rougher darker clays are often used for more sculptural work and can be used in atmospheric firings where the firing itself plays a large role in the look of the work where effects are created from the fire or chemical reactions of soda and ash. Many ceramic artists will lean towards one of these two very different directions. 

I come from two different cultures that have a long history of ceramic traditions. I am half-Japanese, half-British, grew up in Alberta, Canada, and live in Tasmania, Australia. My ceramic style is influenced by all these cultures and I am still forming my own narrative in my work. I love Japanese techniques, atmospheric firings and the Japanese aesthetic and I also love highly decorative work that might have been seen in my British grandmother’s house.

I am currently completing a six month internship at Gaya Ceramic Arts and will have also completed a residency at the Medalta Historic Clay District in Alberta, Canada. During this time I have the opportunity to complete work with atmospheric firings such as soda, raku and wood firing as well as experimenting with different types of clay. I am working on combining elements of highly decorative work in porcelain with heavier clays used in atmospheric firing.”
– Suemi Chiba

Opening Event :
Thursday 9 January 2025, 5:00pm – 7:00pm

Exhibition Dates :
Friday 10 January – Saturday 1 February 2025
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturdays 11:00am – 1:00pm
Sundays CLOSED

New works by emerging artist Klaaske Greenwood.

This collection reimagines the cowgirl archetype as more than a person—it is a way of being or state of mind. These loosely painted pieces depict the duality of strength and vulnerability, rebellion and grace. Featuring local, popular culture and historical characters the exhibition plays with this sense of identity in its various forms.

Associate Membership of the Salamanca Arts Centre is by application and is open to any individual who supports the vision, aims and activities of Salamanca Arts Centre. As an Associate Member of Salamanca Arts Centre you will be supporting one of Tasmania’s foremost cultural organisations.

Associate Membership is an annual membership, spanning 1 January – 31 December each year.

Associate Membership is required to be eligible to exhibit in SAC’s Access Gallery Program (includes Sidespace Gallery, Top Gallery and Lightbox). Exhibiting artists must have valid Associate Membership at the time of their exhibition; Associate Membership is not required when applying to exhibit.

Find out more about the current SAC Associate Membership Benefits, Discounts and Offers for 2025 below.
We will be increasing Benefits this year to ensure representation across all art forms – so keep an eye out for exciting developments.

Nolan School of Art | Adults

Opening event:
15 November | 6pm

Daily Opening Times :
Monday 4 November – Sunday 1 December 2024

Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturdays 10am – 4pm
Sundays 1pm – 4pm

On the shoulders of giants, the adult students of Nolan School of Art are inspired by art movements and art practice from the past.

On the 25th year of Nolan School of Art, we celebrate the many students who have past through our doors with an exhibition form the classes of Phoebe Webb, Jake Walker, Josh Lamb, and Caroline McGregor. You will see contemporary gestural abstraction, sensual life drawing, funky still life, and various spirited daubings.

Opening Event :
Friday 6 December 2024 @ 6.30pm

Daily Opening Times :
Friday 6 December 2024 – Sunday 5 January 2025
Monday – Friday 9:00am – 5:00pm
Saturday – Sunday 11:00am – 4:00pm

CLOSED for Christmas / New Year
from Monday 23 December 2024 | REOPENS Saturday 4 January 2025

Joy resides in simple things : the warmth of the sun on your skin, the breeze in your hair, the freedom of dance within… But what if these simple pleasures slip away?

Simple things define our childhood, shaping our experiences, exploration, and growth. Without them, childhood fades, halting our development.

Within us reside various personas: the playful child, the mature adult with desires, moments of sadness or confidence. On the surface, we embody a blend of these identities.

To reveal our true selves demands courage, requires us to dive deep. Self-discovery hinges on the freedom to explore this life.

Without freedom, nothing is simple.
– Magie Khameneh

The Story

Mona’s story starts with following the peacock, the Persian metaphors which sent Eve out of heaven.
She wants to feel, experience, indulge in what we call living.
To feel the breeze in her hair, to see the dazzling colours under the dancing brims of sun.
Simple as it seems but not where she lives.
She refuges to her imagination to build what has taken from her, to flee from pain, shame and suffocation.

Her story is a testament to her resilience as she navigated enforced modesty and the suppression of her true self, ultimately shaping her life and proving that the ideas of freedom can evolve into reality when nurtured within one’s mind.