Current & Upcoming Exhibitions

Reserved

A bite sized look at Dubbo's food culture

28 March 2026 - 25 October 2026

Do you know how much a T-bone steak cost at the Westside in the 1960s? Or what a Fürst Pückler is? The history of food is a fascinating one, and our exhibition ‘Reserved’ is a bite sized exploration of the food we eat told through some of the fascinating local menus held in the collections here at the Western Plains Cultural Centre.

Image Credit: Menu: Welcome to the Savannah Room, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo, 1986, Local Studies Collection, Dubbo Regional Council

2DU: At Your Service For 90 Years

7 March 2026 - 2 August 2026

For 90 years 2DU has been a trusted voice, connecting our community through good times and bad. Broadcasting everything from Royal visits and flood warnings to sporting events and public appeals, 2DU has remained committed to telling stories that matter deeply to us. As we stand on the threshold of an emerging digital landscape, community radio stations like 2DU remain relevant today, continuing to foster our sense of local community and identity.

Image Credits: Reg Ferguson at 2DU Studios, Dubbo, c.1952, courtesy of 2DU Archives, 2025_250_DIG

LINDA CHANT

DAYDREAM

28 February 2026 - 14 June 2026

"Daydream" is an immersive journey created by Cowra-based artist Linda Chant, showcasing the ability of art to become a portal to ethereal and dream-like worlds. Drawing on the richness of art history whilst embracing contemporary techniques, Daydream, creates a space that blurs the boundary between reality and imagination.

This is a HomeGround exhibition, produced by the WPCC and supported by Orana Arts. HomeGround is sponsored by Wingewarra Dental.

Image: Linda Chant, Untitled, 2025, acrylic on board, 40cm x 30cm. ©Linda Chant

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RUBY DAVIES

Rivers Flow to the Sea, to the Sea: Darling Baaka through Space and Time

7 February 2026 - 26 April 2026

A reflection on the development of Dubbo-based artist Ruby Davies’ artistic practice, ‘Rivers Flow to the Sea, to the Sea’ is an exploration into the presence of the Darling River through Davies’ life and the overarching impact it has had on her as an artist. Through a collection of paintings, photographs and mixed-media material, this exploration traces Davies’ continued interaction with the river and the land that surrounds it.

Supported by Create NSW.

Image: Ruby Davies, Billabong receding, 2023, oil on board, 51 x 54cm, 2023. ©Ruby Davies

OUT OF PLACE

29 November 2025 - 27 September 2026

Out of Place explores the odd, the curious and the wonderfully weird from within the collection of the Western Plains Cultural Centre. Asking the question of, what happens when the world rearranges itself and things get a little mixed up or out of place.

Image credit: Joanna Braithwaite, Emissary, 2011, Oil on Canvas. Collection Western Plains Cultural Centre. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program by Joanna Braithwaite. ©Joanna Braithwaite.

PEOPLE PLACES POSSESSIONS

DUBBO STORIES

Permanent Exhibition

The history of Dubbo told through the people who lived here. Stories of hardship, perseverance, ingenuity, tragedy and joy – Dubbo’s past is at once surprising and enlightening.

Telling the story of a place and its people is made easier by examining the myriad of ways we document, express and articulate our experiences. For a museum, the photographs, books, objects and official records help us to record history. The archives held by the WPCC allow community members to access this material for research or general interest. From diaries and ledgers to photographs that transport us back in time, the WPCC Collection provides a unique portal to our past.

Image Credit: Maker unknown, Shoe – Female – Chinese, date unknown. Red satin. Braid edging continues down to the toe. Calico sole with embroidery under the heel. Bird and flower embroidery. Orange tie embroidered in shades of blue. Designed for the custom of bound feet. Collection WPCC.

WASTE 2 ART

2 May 2026 - 9 August 2026

Waste 2 Art is an annual community art exhibition and competition that features artworks created by community members using recycled and unwanted materials. The results are imaginative and thought-provoking with the artworks showcasing recycling and sustainable living.

With this creative use of waste materials, Waste 2 Art also provides an innovative approach to waste education. Schools and community groups take up the challenge and create artworks out of materials that might otherwise be thrown away.

The theme for this year's exhibition is ‘Shrink Your Footprint’. All entries must fit inside a shoebox.

Dubbo Regional Council is a proud NetWaste member and supports commitment to re-use and recycle through creative expression.

ARTEXPRESS 2025

15 August - 4 October 2026

This dynamic and popular exhibition features a selection of exceptional student artworks created for the art-making component of the HSC examination in Visual Arts. ARTEXPRESS 2025 celebrates students’ artistic excellence and provides insight into the issues that are important to them.

The exhibition encompasses a broad range of approaches and expressive forms, including ceramics, collection of works, documented forms, drawing, graphic design, painting, photomedia, printmaking, sculpture, and time-based forms.

ARTEXPRESS is a partnership between the NSW Education Standards Authority and the NSW Department of Education.

SENSORIAL

17 October 2026 - 31 January 2027

In response to the experiences of those in the neurodivergent and disabled communities who find gallery visits frustrating, noisy and ultimately unsatisfying, sensorial provides a sensory reprieve. The premise of this exhibition is to touch, listen and be immersed in the artworks, rather than simply observe them.

The exhibition includes new and existing work made by neurodivergent and disabled people, and those who work with them. The artists and collectives have wholeheartedly embraced the idea of presenting works that captivate our full range of sense and, most importantly, can be touched. The works are invitations to enter each artist’s world and consider their perspective.

A Blue Mountains Cultural Centre touring exhibition, curated by Rilka Oakley and proudly funded by NSW Government. The development of sensorial was supported by the Dobell Exhibition Grant, funded by the Sir William Dobell Art Foundation, and managed by Museums & Galleries of NSW.

Image: Liam Benson, Hello, good to meet you, (installation view) 2022, fabric, netting, felt, cotton, dance fringe, single-channel video, sound, saddle racks, 300 x 900 x 200cm. Photo: Silversalt

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TAMARA LAWRY

BODY AND SOIL

20 June - 4 October 2026

For artist Tamara Lawry, the body and its identity are inseparable from the places and times they interact with. Drawing upon juxtapositions of the forms of trees and those of aging women’s bodies, Body and Soil explores this relationship and creates a space where the feminine and the natural are irrevocably connected.