A Tour Of Melbourne’s Art Scene

The art scene is just one reason to explore Melbourne, and with Melbourne City Sightseeing, you can visit many of the major galleries and exhibitions with stops on the City and St Kilda tours. With an array of works from Australia and around the world, we’ve got your Melbourne art tour sorted.

National Gallery Of Victoria: The Ian Potter Centre

Home of Australian art both Indigenous and non-Indigenous from colonial times to today is the National Gallery of Victoria’s Ian Potter Centre. Until 23rd August, the Ian Potter Centre is hosting The Kaleidoscope Turn, a collection inspired by light, sound, colour, movement and space.
Federation Square, Melbourne
Stop 1 on the City Tour and St Kilda Tour

Linden New Art

Located just off of The Esplanade through Robe Street is Linden New Art, a not-for-profit contemporary art space based within a Victorian mansion, which makes it all the more of an experience to discover contemporary art. The most recent exhibition is Atmosphere, which showcases local artists until 12th July, and will be replaced by Listening Awry on 6th August, which looks at musical engagement.
26 Acland Street, St Kilda, Melbourne
Stop 5 on the St Kilda Tour

Dark Horse Experiment

Just a short walk from Queen Victoria Market is Dark Horse Experiment. A contemporary research art gallery that seeks to push boundaries and experimentation, it has long been the idea that anything goes in any medium. On 23rd July – 13th August, the gallery’s director, Adrian Doyle, will present his own exhibition ‘Never Forget To Remember’.
110 Franklin Street, Melbourne
Stop 8 on the City Tour

1000 £ Bend

From Queen Victoria Market, walk down Queen Street to Little Lonsdale Street for coffee, burgers and art. Through the café is one of the largest independent art spaces in Melbourne, with regular and changing events from exhibitions to fashion shows and pop-up shops.
361 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Stop 8 on the City Tour

Tolarno Galleries

It may showcase some of the youngest and freshest artists, but Tolarno Galleries in Chinatown was born in 1967. Exhibiting artists from Australia and around the world, it should be many art enthusiasts’ first port of call for contemporary art. An example would be Tim Johnson’s Open Source, a collection of acrylics on canvas from 14th July – 29th August.
Level 4, 104 Exhibition Street, Melbourne
Stop 12 on the City Tour

FAD Gallery

Just off from Little Bourke Street is FAD Gallery. The home of provocative art, this is an all-in-one venue where you can drink, dance and discover something new. Hidden down one of Melbourne’s laneways in Chinatown, it’s been providing a space for artists and musicians side-by-side since 1995.
14 Corrs Lane, Melbourne
Stop 12 on the City Tour

Arts Centre Melbourne

You can’t really miss Arts Centre Melbourne; sitting beneath the spellbinding spire, the foyers of the building hold its ever-growing art collection from 20th Century Australian artists including Arthur Boyd, Sidney Nolan and Ing King, as well as Indigenous paintings from Papunya in the Northern Territory.
100 St Kilda Road, Melbourne
Stop 11 on the St Kilda Tour
Take your art tour of Melbourne with Melbourne City Sightseeing and choose from a 24-hour, 48-hour and unlimited annual bus pass to make your way around the city. Buy yours at www.melbournecitysightseeing.com.au
Images courtesy of Sandy Dhaliwal and venues