Please be advised the Araluen Arts Centre has re-opened.

The Centre was closed for a short period of time due to a small electrical fire in the plant room.

There has been no damage to the collections or buildings and it is pleasing to see the Centre re-opened.

Araluen Cultural Precinct Director Dr Mark Crees said the Araluen Cultural Precinct was home to one of the most important collections in the country, in particular its collection of Aboriginal artworks tracing the history of Aboriginal art development in Central Australia and the beginning of the Western Desert art movement, including around 50 original artworks by renowned watercolourist Albert Namatjira and more than 30 significant Papunya boards from the early 1970s. 

“We are grateful that our on-site systems came into immediate effect to contain the fire and that the Northern Territory Police, Fire and Emergency Services were onsite so quickly to ensure the protection of this significant collection, the multiple buildings on site, including significant heritage sites and the many local Indigenous sacred sites around which the Arts Centre is built,” he said.

Dr Crees thanked the community for their patience while the Centre was closed.

It is currently an exciting time for the Centre with three exhibitions delighting visitors, including the ground-breaking travelling exhibition from Freemantle Arts Centre, We Don’t Need A Map: A Martu Experience of the Western Desert and Araluen’s own Stories of time, place and belonging, an exhibition that explores the rich stories and relationships Aboriginal people have with country, and Viewpoints, an exhibition drawn from Araluen’s photographic collection that traverse the analogue/film era to the modern digital age. 

These exhibitions showcase the significantly important Araluen Art Collection and provide an opportunity to celebrate and learn about the Central Australian culture and landscape.

The Araluen Cultural Precinct is home to some of the most significant artistic, cultural and historical experiences in Alice Springs and provides a unique visitor experience, encompassing Central Australia’s key cultural institutions and collections.

In its four galleries and 500 seat theatre, the Araluen Arts Centre presents an annual program of exhibitions, theatre, and film, hosting iconic events such as the nationally significant Desert Mob.

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