Welcome to our list of arts and cultural events happening in the NSW Central West gathered from artists, event producers, great local venues and groups across the region. Use the contact or ticketing details listed with each event.

It’s free to submit your local events

For maps and details of museums, galleries, artist studios, historic sites, Aboriginal experiences and sites, craft shops, handmade retail outlets or public art go to the Culture Maps Central NSW menu.

RANSW – Click series

Online

The “Click Series” is an exciting initiative that aims to empower regional artists by enhancing their marketing and business skills. It will consist of a series of 10 workshops spread over three months (July, August, October 2023). Each session will be conducted live on Zoom, on Wednesdays

Landscapes and a couple of abstracts

The Peisley St Gallery, Orange 54 Peisley St Gallery, Orange, NSW, Australia

Larissa Blake. The favourite elements of colour and gesture capture the studio view throughout the seasons. Deconstructed imagery and expressive application pare back the landscape, and the process emerges as the vital element in the work. The result is what happens when one engages with the now and finds bliss in the materials and a return to the sheer fun of painting.

Photography Exhibition and Historical display

Lake Cargelligo Memorial Hall Foster Street, Lake Cargelligo, NSW, Australia

FESTIVAL OF THE LAKES 2023 The John O'Reilly Memorial Photographic Exhibition + Competition. Along side our festivities around town a donation was made under the name of the Late John O’Reilly to hold a photography exhibition/competition. This will be held in the Memorial Hall Lake Cargelligo over the October Long Weekend.

What’s That Skip? at Kandos Projects

Kandos Projects Windows - 24 hour access 18 Angus Ave, Kandos, NSW, Australia

Satirical, absurdist, serious and thought provoking, “What’s That Skip?” is an exhibition that draws on the popular television series ‘Skippy the Bush Kangaroo’ and collectively celebrates this globally recognized fauna.

Free

Spring Drawing Marathon

Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Hill End Hill End, NSW, Australia

Hill End Arts Council Inc invites you to participate in our upcoming Drawing Marathon with Fran O'Neill.

The scale of the work will range from moderate to very large as we examine the interaction of the picture plane, along with strategies to explore further pictorial elements of drawing, such as, but not limited to composition, constructing an image, fluidity of image, all working from perception.

Event Series Slow Stitching

Slow Stitching

Perthville Community Hall 20 Rockley Street, Perthville, NSW, Australia

Slow Stitching
The art of combining textiles and threads.
Learning to slow down our over-active minds and bodies.
To find enjoyment in doing something pleasurable.

$15

‘There Is No Lead Mine Here’ by The Lawson Creek Arts Fellowship

WAYOUT ArtSpace, Kandos 71 Angus St, Kandos, NSW, Australia

19 artists from Central Western NSW have banded together to present There is No Lead Mine Here, an exhibition at WAYOUT Artspace in Kandos (7 Oct - 9 Nov) exploring the anxieties, impacts and consequences of having a large scale open cut silver mine approved within kilometres of your community. Inspired by the recent approval of Bowens Silver Mine, just 2k from the village of Lue and within 20k of the townships of Mudgee, Kandos, Rylstone and Gulgong, the artists have been asked to make work that speaks to the costs that our society incurs as we exploit and extract the resources necessary to our prosperity: costs which are often unfairly shouldered by the communities that exist where these extractions take place.

Event Series Bathurst Arts Trail

Bathurst Arts Trail

Bathurst Bathurst, NSW, Australia

The Bathurst Arts Trail is a collective of artists throughout the Bathurst region who open their galleries and studios to visitors on the first weekend of each month.

Free

Sculptures in the Garden

Rosby Wines, Gallery & Sculpture Garden, Mudgee 122 Strikes Ln, Eurunderee, NSW, Australia

Sculptures in the Garden is an exciting event that combines garden design, large scale Australian sculpture and traditional art mediums in beautiful rural surroundings within a private garden and vineyard in Mudgee.

$5

Book Launch: The Galloping Parson

Condobolin Community Centre Cnr of Bathurst St & Dennison st, Condobolin, NSW, Australia

Memoirs of a parson who lived in Condobolin. Hosted by Lachlan Arts Council.

FREE

2024 Festival Preview | Orange Chamber Music Festival

Orange Regional Gallery 149 Byng Street, Orange, NSW, Australia

Enjoy a pleasant afternoon surrounded by Art and Music. The Festival Preview invites the community to learn more about the features, artists and ensembles of the 2024 Orange Chamber Music Festival (March 7-10, 2024). This event will feature a short performance/screening of Maurice Ravel's Suite Ma mère L'Oye (Mother Goose)in a fascinating arrangement for Saxophone Quartet with animations by Tom Scott.

$20

acoustic sunday: John PRINE

Millthorpe Bowling Club (Club Millthorpe) 24 - 26 Elliott Street, Millthorpe, NSW, Australia

John Prine was an influential American songwriter whose career spanned many decades and inspired countless songwriters all over the world. His stories hit you right in the heart. He could make you laugh, make you cry, and most importantly, make you think.

$15

“Look at Me!” and art exhibition by the students at Canowindra Public School

Perennialle Plants Nursery, Canowindra 29 Gaskill St, Canowindra, NSW, Australia

Canowindra Public School P&C present their 2023 fundraising event ‘Look at Me!’ an art exhibition by the students at Canowindra Public School.
Students have been busily creating sculptures, paintings and drawings that will be on sale over the weekend of Friday 20th – Sunday 22nd October at the exhibition.

$10

Out West Piano Fest

Blackdown Farm, Bathurst 90 Eleven Mile Drive, Eglinton, NSW, Australia

After a sell-out launch in 2022, Out West Piano Fest is back in October 2023.

The extensive gardens in full spring bloom will once again provide a stunning backdrop to sumptuous food and wine events. The providores of the central west will feature in a suite of gastronomic experiences over the weekend – an inspirational weekend celebrating the piano and four superb pianists, who will move and excite, educate and entertain you. 

Alice in Wonderland

Condobolin Community Centre Cnr of Bathurst St & Dennison st, Condobolin, NSW, Australia

An exhibition of new works by the pottery group of young women in Condobolin. Guided by Pol Cruz. Supported by Lachlan Arts Council.

FREE

The Peel Jam

Old Peel Schoolhouse Dempsey St, Peel, NSW, Australia

The Peel Jam Festival is a wonderful afternoon of live music and art held on the grounds of the Former Peel School House in the village of Peel, with all funds raised going to the maintenance of this historic site.

$10.00 – $20.00

Ideal States And Sacred Places

GANG GANG Gallery, Lithgow 206 Main Street, Lithgow, NSW, Australia

Prepare to be mesmerised by the stunning beauty and boundless creativity captured within the artwork and book "Ideal States and Sacred Places". The eagerly anticipated exhibition and book, featuring an exquisite collection of artwork from the artist Pennie Steel, is poised to become a visual masterpiece that will leave art enthusiasts, collectors, and connoisseurs in awe

Free

Rockley Gardens and Art Festival

Rockley School of Arts Hill Street, Rockley, NSW, Australia

Local gardens will open their gates to enthral visitors with beautiful cool climates gardens, stalls, workshops and demonstrations.
Artists from the village will be exhibiting in the School of Arts Building and invited artists from across the Central West will show on the theme of Gates and Entrances.

$15

 

The What’s On calendar covers arts and heritage events happening across the NSW Central West in the local government areas of Bathurst Region, Blayney, Cabonne, Cowra, Forbes, Lachlan, Lithgow, Mid-Western Region, Oberon, Orange, Parkes and Weddin.

Event listings are sourced or supplied from local venues and arts organisations. Many events listed here have been originally shared by the organisers on social media. Whilst all care is taken – and accuracy is our priority – we can take no responsibility for date changes or the content of contributed information. Contact the event organisers listed for more details or to book tickets.

The best way to include your event is to use our SUBMIT HERE form (under the What’s On menu at the top of each page). These listings will be manually approved by the Arts OutWest team before publication.  Please allow a couple of days for listings to be published. If you have submitted an event and want to make changes just email us at artsoutwest@csu.edu.au

Featured events‘ are those submitted directly online by presenters.

Event promotors are asked to only include their own original images / images that they have permission to use / copyright free stock images. For more information see our fact sheet on Using Images For Promoting Events (if you can’t see this link look under ‘Opportunities’ then ‘Resources’).