Nolan Gallery & School of Art

A Historic Waterfront Gallery in Hobart's Salamanca Precinct

Nolan Gallery & School of Art occupies a restored sandstone warehouse at 77 Salamanca Place, part of a row of seven buildings that once processed Tasmania's whaling and jam production. The gallery sits within Salamanca Arts Centre, which is publicly owned by Tasmanians. You'll find it upstairs from the Tricycle Café, next to the Long Gallery. Since 1999, it's operated as both a working art school and contemporary gallery space, serving the city's broader arts community.

The waterfront location is a genuine advantage. Salamanca pulls a steady flow of locals, visiting professionals, and tourists, so dropping into Nolan is straightforward if you're wandering the arts precinct. The old warehouse structure itself works in its favour, creating an authentic setting where teaching and exhibition happen naturally within a space that carries actual history.

Contemporary Tasmanian Artists Across Multiple Disciplines

Nolan Gallery shows work by Tasmanian artists across photography, printmaking, painting, jewellery and sculpture. You'll find everything from traditional plein air landscapes and Romantic pieces to stripped-back abstraction and figurative work. Rebecca Watson has shown some strong figure studies here, while Sam Woolmer and Jay Sykes bring newer perspectives to the mix. The place gives you a genuine snapshot of what's happening in Hobart's visual arts scene, with both established and up-and-coming artists side by side.

The Autumn Show is a good case in point, offering a wide range of original pieces at different price points. After contemporary abstract, landscapes, portraits or realist work? You'll find them here. Nolan Gallery is part of the Tasmanian Government's Collect Art Scheme, which gives you a decent indication of the quality on offer. It means you can buy original Tasmanian art through interest-free loans and flexible payment options, including lay-by.

Year-Round Exhibition Program and Monthly Openings

The gallery hosts monthly openings that double as social gatherings for Hobart's arts crowd. Past shows have included the Autumn exhibition and mixed media work featuring multiple artists. In 2026, they're partnering with Dark Mofo around the theme of 'The Beauty'. This steady rhythm of programming keeps people coming back to see what's new in contemporary Tasmanian art.

The school runs classes on the academic calendar, which lines up well with new shows and community events. This combination of exhibition space and teaching studio means visitors can look at finished works and get a sense of the creative process that goes into them. Each season brings new pieces and different artistic approaches, so there's always a reason to drop by.

Boutique Art Tuition and Creative Workshops

Nolan Gallery & School of Art stands out because of its integrated school side, which offers tuition tailored to every skill level. You can do private lessons, group classes or specialised workshops in oil painting, abstraction, drawing and plenty else. They work with conference delegates and business travellers passing through Hobart, running sessions in the loft at Salamanca Place or taking people out to the waterfront and around southern Tasmania. There are also holiday workshops for kids and full-day workshops for adults, so it's easy to jump in if you're wanting to give painting a go.

The gallery itself keeps things down to earth. They run painty art parties which are basically social drawing sessions, and they take on commissions and portrait sittings for special occasions. You can book private gatherings there too. Gift certificates for classes and workshops are available and they're good for twelve months. The whole setup works as an active, welcoming spot where you make art and look at art in the same space, rather than acting like some stuffy place.

Visiting Nolan Gallery: Practical Information

It's located at 77 Salamanca Place in Hobart, right in the middle of the waterfront with restaurants and other galleries nearby. The staff are happy to talk you through the pieces, explain how the Collect Art Scheme works, or sort you out with a workshop that fits what you need. There's an online shop if you want to browse Tasmanian art from home, though nothing beats showing up in person to see the work at proper size and have a yarn with the Nolan team.