Highlights in the next six months will include BRAGS 50 Years: The Art of Giving, an exhibition which focuses on the contribution the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery Society Inc. has made to the cultural life of Bathurst.

Over five decades, BRAGS Inc. has raised more than $250,000 and assisted with the purchase of 150 works for the permanent collection.

The Hill End Artists in Residence Program (Hill End AIR) also celebrates a milestone in 2019, marking 20 years since the program was officially launched. From February to July, BRAG will present two solo exhibitions by artists who have recently participated in the program: Fabrice Cazenave, the inaugural French Artist in Residence (FAR) in Hill End in 2018, and Wendy Murray.

BRAG continues to bring high quality touring exhibitions to the region.

Seeing Voices will tour to Bathurst from Monash University Museum of Art in February. It explores how the voice is visualised in contemporary art, and will be accompanied by a performance work by Wiradjuri artist Hannah Donnelly.

In June, BRAG is the exclusive NSW venue for Starstruck: Australian Movie Portraits, a major touring exhibition from the National Portrait Gallery and National Film and Sound Archive which celebrates Australian cinema through portraiture, costume and memorabilia.

Education is a major focus for BRAG in 2019, with a range of programs aimed at engaging pre-schoolers, primary and secondary students.

ARTEXPRESS returns in April, showcasing the talents of visual arts students from across the state.

BRAG will also host HOME, a major education program aimed at connecting primary school students with significant Aboriginal artists and educators, culminating in an exhibition of student works at BRAG in October.

A range of innovative public programs including live performance, film screenings, workshops and talks will accompany BRAG’s exhibition program, along with a dedicated program of public art projects aimed at facilitating the development and display of new works in public spaces across the Bathurst region.

For more information about BRAG exhibitions and events, visit www.bathurstart.com. Entry to BRAG is free.