Installation view NAIDOC Week Benalla community exhibition, 2026
Fri 3 Jul – Sun 6 Aug 2026
Pop-Up Benalla Art Gallery
75 Bridge Street East
Benalla Art Gallery, Benalla Health and Benalla Rural City Council are pleased to present this community exhibition held to coincide with national NAIDOC Week celebrations. The exhibition includes a broad array of works and mediums, showcasing First Nations artists from across the region of all ages, skills and interests. It gives them a space to share their talents, ideas and cultural heritage.
Benalla Art Gallery recognises the importance of acknowledging and respecting First Nations peoples who have cared for this land for countless generations. As a cultural institution, we believe it is essential that galleries provide spaces where First Nations voices, stories, perspectives and artistic practices can be celebrated and shared. Showing respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures is not simply a matter of acknowledgement — it is about actively creating opportunities for those cultures to be visible, valued and celebrated within our community.
This exhibition reflects that commitment. It provides an opportunity for visitors to experience the richness and diversity of First Nations creativity while celebrating the strength, resilience and ongoing contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to our region.
ARTISTS: Aunty Gayelene Arandall • Benalla P-12 College, Waller Street students • Ebony Broom • Aunty Cheryl Cooper • Christina Fitzgerald-Baboussouras • Clare Heffer • Bryan Norman • Chantel Norman • Daniel Norman • Shanaih Norman • North East Flexible Learning Network students • Jobe Stovell • Uncle Chris Thorne • Tomorrow Today’s Anganya students • VACCA Benalla Deadly Women’s Yarning Group • Aunty Desiree Walker • Waminda Community House • Miley Woodstock
NAIDOC Week is a time where all Australians are encouraged to celebrate and recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, history and achievements, participating and contributing to the oldest continuous living cultures on earth. Through this exhibition, we honour the theme of NAIDOC 2026: 50 Years Deadly.
