South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA)

South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA) is located in the South East corner of New South Wales, half way between Australia’s two largest cities, Sydney and Melbourne and three hours’ drive from the nation’s capital, Canberra. Idyllically situated within the Bega Valley Shire on the land of the traditional custodians, a landscape of pristine wilderness, rich pastures, unspoilt coastline and boutique villages, SECCA is the regions only publicly funded gallery and an outpost for contemporary visual culture. Holding up to eight important exhibitions annually, the gallery also boasts one of the country’s richest and most loved portrait awards, a $50,000 non-acquisitive prize for realistic portraiture. The gallery hosts touring exhibitions of national significance along with its own exclusively curated artistic program as part of its cultural tourism plan that is designed to engage tens of thousands of visitors annually. The gallery is an important resource for its artistically rich and diverse community and works collegiately with fellow professional arts organisations: fLiNG Physical Theatre, Four Winds Festival and South East Arts who collectively deliver engaging, challenging and innovative programs of both artistic and educational excellence. Other cultural/community service providers are encouraged to use the SECCA gallery site as a location for cultural initiatives. (Please contact SECCA to discuss further.) SECCA brings communities together, to build and share their identity, history, creativity and culture, through consultation and engagement with the arts. It stimulates, develops and enhances the diverse visual culture of the region through viable, accessible, dynamic and relevant exhibition, education and collection programs. A growing number of national and state arts institutions are partnering with SECCA to deliver valuable and vibrant visual arts programming to the South East, these include the Art Gallery of NSW, The National Maritime Museum, The Australian War Memorial, Museums & Galleries NSW, Murray Art Museum Albury (MAMA), Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art and University of New South Wales Art & Design to name a few.

Volunteering at the Gallery

SECCA has a dedicated and much cherished team of Ambassadors who volunteer in varying capacities and levels of commitment that suit their availability. A knowledge or training in the Arts isn’t necessary, we have Ambassadors from all walks of life! Volunteering can take many forms, from installation of exhibitions to being a smiling welcome face during our shows. Helping at our social functions and many public programs is also an option.