About

Purple Noon Gallery is a contemporary art gallery on Sydney’s northwest outskirts, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. The gallery supports the work of established artists, whilst also providing a nurturing platform for fresh talent and local art. Gallery director Dr Robyn Williams carefully curates the constantly changing program of exhibitions.

Purple Noon has forged a reputation for outstanding contemporary art projects, showcasing established practitioners from around Australia. Concerned with ideas around cultural exchange, the gallery incorporates a diverse mix of art from around Australia, proudly supporting Australian Indigenous artists presented in association with several important Aboriginal Art Centres. It also administers the national Hawkesbury Art Prize, developing and broadening ideas on contemporary Australian identity.

The primary focus of Purple Noon Gallery is to promote excellence and innovation in contemporary art, holding diverse and exciting exhibitions, events, and forums to create opportunities for collectors and investors to meet with artists for discussion. Our in-house framer is available to provide ‘on the spot’ framing options for paintings and works on paper.

Since its opening in November 2006 Purple Noon Gallery continues to establish itself as an exhilarating cultural hub for the local community and has become an attractive alternate art destination for neighbouring Sydneysiders. Purple Noon exhibits an impressive range of contemporary Australian paintings, limited edition prints and etchings, sculpture, fine woodwork, glass and jewellery by local & national Australian artists.

THE SPACE

The gallery is friendly and relaxed with artworks ranging from small affordable works to large investment pieces. The building itself embodies a relaxed, bespoke and enchanting ambience with solid sandstone walls, old timbers, leadlight windows and corrugated iron, in harmony, fostering a unique expressive environment that is aesthetically pleasing and ideal for displaying beautiful and engaging artwork.

The accessible and diverse nature of the gallery, set among historic Hawkesbury sites at the foothills of the Blue Mountains, have made it a must for art lovers, and destination point for day trips from central Sydney. The gallery has developed a reputation for providing practical and creative consultancy for clients and we strive to make your art buying experience the pleasure that it should be. There is no better way to beautify or enrich your home or office than with a well- selected piece of art.

The gallery offers an occasional self serve cafe in the relaxed environment, either inside in our library/reading room, or outside in the cafe garden area looking to the Blue Mountains

GUIDANCE

The gallery is owned and directed by Dr Robyn Williams who completed her PhD; an ethnography of an art community in the Western Desert. Her research has a strong focus on art production and resilience in a remote Aboriginal community, investigating the commercial art, culture and storied environment of a small remote place situated in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands.

“I feel that I bring a fresh approach to this position, with broad experience across various branches of knowledge that intermix the commercial, cultural and educative paradigms. I have had extensive experience working alongside Australian Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and communities. My place-oriented research explored art production as contextualised cultural practice”.

Arthur Streeton

The name Purple Noon is synonymous with Australia’s acclaimed painter, Sir Arthur Streeton. The gallery is only 400 metres from Streeton Lookout, embracing views across the Hawkesbury River to Sydney. Streeton’s well known painting “The Purple Noon’s Transparent Might” was executed here in 1896. It is a popular spot for visitors, particularly those following the artists’ trail tracking the footsteps of former Australian masters. From the lookout, in one direction there are spectacular views to Sydney, and in the other, a delightful panorama of the Hawkesbury River looking up towards the Grose River and Valley and the Blue Mountains. It is quite common to see artists with easel and paintbrush recreating Streeton’s splendid scene.