Art & Culture

Anita Faulkner runs "ArtOnly by Anita" from Mayne Street, Murrurundi, working as a portrait and illustration artist who paints by hand and also works in airbrush for large-scale mural pieces. She takes commissions for portraits, pet and animal portraits and weddings, and offers private and group art tuition. She is known locally for painting the murals on the water tanks at the redeveloped Murrurundi Wilson Memorial Hospital, a design developed in collaboration with students from Murrurundi Public School.

A multi-award-winning artist, author and photographer based in Murrurundi, specialising in portrait paintings, expressionism and portrait photography. His accolades include the People's Choice Award at the Archibald Prize, the Darling Portrait Prize at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, and the National Photographic Portrait Prize.

A local sculptor who, together with fellow artist Charlotte Drake-Brockman, crafted the corten steel sign at Murrurundi's southern gateway — depicting sheep leaping over the town name while being herded by a cattle dog. The pair's collaboration has produced steel sculptures seen around the town and wider region.

An internationally established artist born in Israel, trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, who lived a decade in New York before settling in Australia in 1990 and moving to the Upper Hunter in 2000. Her work explores dislocation, exile, heritage and migration, often drawing on the Murrurundi landscape itself — its droughts, floods, bushfires and seasons. She holds a PhD in Fine Arts from the University of Sydney, and her work is held in the National Gallery of Victoria, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and several NSW regional galleries. She can often be found at Haydon Hall ('The Bank'), an eatery, garden and gallery in Murrurundi.

John Bradley is an Australian landscape artist based in Murrurundi, working primarily in oils across realist, impressionistic and nostalgic styles — landscapes, seascapes, street and night scenes, sunsets, and subjects like locomotives, aircraft and ships. A professional artist for over 40 years, he is represented by Morpeth Gallery and Articles Gallery, has published three art books, and his work is held by collectors in Australia, New Zealand, the US, UK and Canada.

Mandy Archibald is a landscape and wildlife photographer based in the Pages River Valley on the outskirts of Murrurundi, where she and husband Sandy have lived since 2002. Her photography grew out of taking reference shots for drawings, and now spans the valley's scenery and local wildlife. A past president of the Murrurundi Arts and Crafts Council, she also hosted the ABC local radio history segment "A Peek in the Past" for seven years.

A regional outpost of the Michael Reid gallery, established in 2006 on the corner of Boyd and Mayne Streets. It hosts a rolling calendar of exhibitions of contemporary Australian art, an outdoor sculpture garden, a concept store and a kiosk. Artists who have exhibited here include Adam Cullen, David Bromley, Noel McKenna, Robert Jacks, Chris Langlois, Paul Ryan, Lucy Vader and Sally Gabori. Open Wednesday to Sunday, 9:30am–4pm.

A community organisation set up to nurture, encourage and promote creative pursuits in the Murrurundi district. It runs the annual Murrurundi Arts & Crafts Prize, the Recognisably Murrurundi Art Prize and a Photographic Arts Prize, along with member workshops, a library and equipment hire.

Murrurundi Garden Club Inc is a community organisation for local gardening enthusiasts, listed among Murrurundi's seniors and community activity groups. Further details on its meeting times and activities weren't able to be confirmed online — contact the Murrurundi Visitor Information Centre for current details.

Local history museum run by the Murrurundi Historical Society. Open Saturday and Sunday, 10am-12pm. Contact Jenny on 0418 647 176.

A mixed media and textile artist based in Murrurundi with over 45 years of experience, working across stencil printing, hand embroidery and fabric manipulation to create wearable art from upcycled and salvaged materials. Her exhibition "Garb Age" was shown at the Old Tattersalls Hotel, Murrurundi, in April 2023.

A portrait and pastel artist based at Upstairs Art Studios and Gallery on Mayne Street, known for his skill in the "chiaroscuro" method — a technique built on the old masters' use of light, reflection and shadow — applied to portraiture, nudes and pastel impressionism. He is also active in Murrurundi's community arts scene, including as an organiser of the Murrurundi Art Prize and Murrurundi Photographic Competition.