Installation view, ‘Bodies’ Art Case (red), 2023, National Gallery of Australia, Kamberri/Canberra © the artists
Wednesday 4 February – Friday 1 May 2026
The Art Cases program is a core part of the National Gallery of Australia Touring Exhibitions program. The program comprises five art-filled cases that travel to schools, libraries, community centres, galleries and aged care homes, where the works are discovered and handled by adults and children of all ages for both exhibition and hands-on programs such as art making and storytelling.
In 1988 Jim and Elaine Wolfensohn generously donated funds to purchase interesting and durable works to tour to metropolitan, regional, and remote areas of Australia. After three decades of touring, the program has expanded thanks to the generous support of the Neilson Foundation, with five cases now touring Australia.
The Benalla Art Gallery is excited to receive four of these cases in 2026, with two cases visiting for three months at a time. This is a special opportunity for the community fostering art education and connection through art.
The first cases to make their way to Benalla are the Body (Red) and Form and Function (Orange) cases. The ‘Bodies’ Art Case brings together works that explore the lived experience of biology (flesh and blood), and how our bodies influence memory, and space; while the ‘Form and Function’ Art Case brings together works that blur the line between art and design. For schools, this is an opportunity to support object-based learning, providing a rich scope for critical and creative thinking, investigating Visual Arts, Design and Technologies, the Humanities and Social Sciences, Health and Physical Education and Science (Biology), and the cross-curriculum priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures. It is also an opportunity to foster connection and wellbeing within our community spaces through experiencing and ‘feeling’ art.
The Benalla Art Gallery is offering an opportunity for schools and community groups to experience the National Gallery Art Cases program. Gallery staff will facilitate a session whereby participants handle each of the artworks, learn about the artist and creator; and engage in learning activities developed by the National Gallery. These sessions are free.
Sessions are available as incursions or can also be delivered at the new Pop-Up Benalla Art Gallery at 75 Bridge Street East, giving the community the opportunity to also view the current exhibitions on display.
To enquire about a booking and to find a suitable session, please email gallery@benalla.vic.gov.au or phone the gallery on 03 5760 2619.
The National Gallery’s Art Cases are generously supported by the Neilson Foundation with grateful acknowledgement of founding patrons Elaine and Jim Wolfensohn.
