Bendigo Art Gallery

Bendigo Art Gallery is one of the largest regional galleries in the country. As well as a significant permanent collection, including oil paintings and sketches dating to the gold rush ear (1850 – 1900), early 20th Australian art and a strong indigenous representation, it has a knack for attracting big-name exhibitions.

Mary Quant: Fashion Revolutionary runs until July 11, 2021 (so be quick). It tells the story of one the 20th century’s most influential fashion designers, Londoner Mary Quant. Quant’s daring designs revolutionised women’s fashion in the 1950s and 1960s, and were entwined with the feminist movement. Her clothes shop, Bazaar, opened on Chelsea’s King’s Road in 1955, and from there her boutique store grew into a fashion empire. She popularised (some say invented) the mini-skirt, and brought the jersey dress into the mainstream. She also championed tights, trousers, patterned sweaters and PVC raincoats.

The exhibition has over 100 garments from 1955 – 1975, and the fun and atmosphere of the swinging ‘60s in London is brought to life through historic videos and projections. On display also is Quant’s “Daisy” fashion doll, a rival to Barbie. A savvy businesswoman, the exhibition also explores how Quant built an empire, mass-producing her clothes and breaking into far-flung markets such as Australia.

Brett Whiteley: Drawing is Everything opens on July 31, 2021 and explores critical role drawing played in the creative process for the master abstract painter. Then a new exhibition from contemporary female Islamic artists, SOUL fury, opens on August 7 and explores the nature of female agency showcasing works from leading sculptors, photographers, painters, videographers and textile artists.