We acknowledge the Gadigal of the Eora Nation, the traditional custodians of the Country on which the Art Gallery of New South Wales stands.

Terms of entry

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is committed to providing a welcoming and safe environment that is conducive to the appreciation of art as well as protecting the art on display. To ensure the safety and security of visitors, staff and the artworks, we ask that you observe the following terms of entry for the Art Gallery, including our campus and the Brett Whiteley Studio.

All visitors:

  • accept that they enter the Art Gallery at their own risk and acknowledge that, to the maximum extent permitted by law, the Art Gallery is not responsible for any loss, damage, harm or injury resulting from your entry to Art Gallery premises, including any personal items left in our cloaking facilities

  • must behave in a manner that is respectful of other people in the Art Gallery and does not interfere with, disrupt or offend other visitors, and follow the directions of Art Gallery and security staff in this regard

  • must avoid behaving in ways which, in the opinion of staff, poses unacceptable risks to the Art Gallery’s collections, objects, exhibitions or property

  • must cloak items if directed by staff, including those listed in our Visit FAQs and any other item determined by staff (at their discretion) to be potentially hazardous to the safety and security of artworks or people

  • must comply with any directions from staff, including but not limited to directions to leave the premises at closing time and for any other reason (including exhibiting symptoms of illness), directions in the event of emergency, directions to move away from objects and exhibits, and directions to observe barriers and signage

  • must wear footwear, be fully clothed and maintain a socially acceptable level of hygiene while on Art Gallery premises

  • must keep noise to a level that does not disturb other people and, in major exhibition spaces, switch mobile phones to silent

  • must ensure that children under the age of 12 are accompanied by a responsible adult and are actively supervised at all times

  • will inform staff immediately if they become aware of any risk or potential risk to people or property

  • must have a valid ticket or pass to enter ticketed exhibitions or events at the Art Gallery and will abide by the ticket terms and these terms of entry.

Please remember that you must not:

  • be intoxicated or under the influence of an illicit drug while on Art Gallery premises

  • bring animals into the Art Gallery, except assistance animals accredited under a state or territory law to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effects of disability; or that is accredited by an animal training organisation

  • touch, or in any other way, interfere with artworks, objects or displays unless otherwise directed by staff or as indicated by official Art Gallery notices

  • damage, tamper with, misuse or remove Art Gallery property

  • bring onto Art Gallery premises items that, in the opinion of staff, may cause damage or may be used to conceal objects for removal from our premises (including but not limited to real or toy weapons; aerosol containers; containers containing paint, solvents or other liquid; laser pointers; drones; balloons; large bags)

  • consume food or drink other than in designated eating areas, including the restaurant, cafe and members lounge, and during functions in designated spaces

  • smoke or use e-cigarettes or vaporisers on Art Gallery premises, including the smoke-free zones near the entrances to Art Gallery buildings

  • plug personal devices into Art Gallery power points unless using a designated public charging location

  • leave personal devices or other items unattended (unless directed or approved by staff) or position them in a location that may be hazardous to others

  • solicit or undertake any commercial activity, including sales, fundraising, promotions, marketing, photography or filming, unless expressly authorised by the Art Gallery in advance of the activity (see ‘Photography and filming at the Art Gallery’ below)

  • for ticketed exhibitions and events, breach ticket terms.

The Art Gallery reserves the right to:

  • exclude or remove people from the premises for any reason, whether set out in these terms or not

  • exclude or remove you from a ticketed exhibition or event without compensation where you have breached the ticket terms or these terms of entry

  • inspect (whether physically or visually) any bags and other personal property on entry or departure from the premises

  • prohibit any items from the premises

  • remove unattended items

  • dispose of any unclaimed items left in our cloaking facilities after 90 days without reference or compensation to the owner of those goods

  • use security closed-circuit television cameras throughout the premises.

In most places in the Art Gallery and on our campus, visitors are welcome to take photos or make videos or films (referred to collectively as images) if:

  • it is for personal use only

  • no flash, selfie-stick, tripod or monopod is used

  • there is no sign prohibiting photography for a certain artwork or exhibition

  • it does not interfere with or disrupt other visitors or Art Gallery operations.

Permission is required to take images of identifiable people. It is not permitted to photograph or film other people without their permission or the permission of a parent or guardian in the case of children.

Some of the artworks on display are protected by copyright, and it is your responsibility to clear any copyright permissions relating to your use of images taken on Art Gallery premises. You may use photos of these works for personal purposes to the extent authorised by the Australian Copyright Act 1968; for example, for ‘research or study’ or ‘criticism or review’.

Commercial use of images requires Art Gallery permission. You are not permitted to sell, license or otherwise publish, disseminate or reproduce (or permit such), whether in whole or in part, any images or recordings taken inside the Art Gallery for commercial purposes without the Art Gallery’s prior written permission. For contact details, see Using images of the collection.

Commercial photography and filming at the Art Gallery or on our campus must be authorised in advance. To enquire, email venuehire@ag.nsw.gov.au

From time to time, the Art Gallery, or a crew designated by the Art Gallery, may set up to take photos or make videos or films (referred to collectively as images) on Art Gallery premises.

Areas subject to filming will have signage posted and you may be asked to sign a consent form for you, or any children with you, where your image is recognisable.

Notwithstanding any written consent provided, by entering Art Gallery premises you consent to, and authorise, the Art Gallery to take images and to use, reproduce and disseminate them via any means in any context or for any purpose without further authorisation by, or compensation or attribution to, you. All images are the sole property of the Art Gallery or our licensees and by entering Art Gallery premises you release the Art Gallery from liability arising on account of such usage.

Social media content

Notwithstanding the above, if you upload, publish or disseminate any user-generated content taken on Art Gallery premises (including, without limitation, text, photographs, video recordings, data recordings or sound recordings) to any digital media platform, including social media, you consent to the commercial exploitation, throughout the world, of that user-generated content by any means (including, without limitation, by re-sharing or re-posting such content) by the Art Gallery and our commercial and other partners without compensation on a perpetual, irrevocable and worldwide basis.

Personal information

Where you provide your personal information to the Art Gallery (including your image on CCTV), it is collected in accordance with our privacy statement. Our members organisation, the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales, has a separate privacy policy.

Visitor queries or concerns

Visitors with queries or concerns can email artmail@ag.nsw.gov.au, call 02 9225 1700 or, if on the premises, ask to speak to a Gallery services team leader.

See also