The NGV celebrates its 150th birthday this week!

The NGV commissioned  local illustrator Fleur Harris of the Jacky Winter Group to create this souvenir map outlining events taking place between the two city galleries - downloadable here.

Did you KNOW that the National Gallery of Victoria turns 150 years old this week!?  That's 150 years of free admission, memorable exhibitions and events, much-loved Australian art and annual international blockbusters. And of course anyone who grew up in Melbourne would have at least one childhood memory of soaking their sleeves in the famous waterwall!

To celebrate this important milestone, the NGV have a HUGE weekend planned - all events are FREE and everyone's invited!  It's called the NGV 150 pARTy Weekend, and will take place at both NGV St Kilda rd and the Ian Potter Centre at Fed Square, with many outdoor events and orange balloons to guide your way between both venues!

The weekend will be full of free talks and tours, such as the My Top Ten Talks event, in which art-loving local personalities (including Charlie Pickering and Ruby Rose!) will chat about the ten best loved works in the NGV Collection.  There's also plenty planned for the KIDS - NGV Kids Space, the brand new dedicated kids’ gallery at NGV International, opens its doors on Saturday for the very first time, kicking off with a live broadcast from ABC 774 between 8.30am and 11.00am.  There'll be free kids activities and workshops on offer all weekend including a hand-on Art Sparks workshop in the Great Hall.

BUT THE BEST bit, I reckon, will be the NGV pARTY after dark on Saturday night! An evening of live music, food and wine, across both gallery venues.  The Ian Potter centre hosts Indigenous Cabaret, featuring Lisa Maza, Kutcha Edwards, Emma Donovan and Constantina Bush and the Bushettes from 5.00pm - 9.00pm, whilst Combo La Revelacion, Dan Sultan and The Bamboos play the Great Hall at NGV International from 7.30pm until midnight.  OMG awesome.

Annoyingly, I'm in Sydney all weekend.  TEDx better be good. :)