Public Art Trail : New Annual '25

It's time for an art adventure! Gather your family and friends, get your walking shoes on, and follow the self-guided art trail along the Newcastle foreshore. Fun for the whole family, and completely free! Start at The Station for a round of colourful mini putt-putt, then take in the immersive art in shipping containers at Camp Shortland. From there, move onto Newcastle Ocean Baths to take in the outdoor photography exhibition. Continue onto the City Centre, stopping at The Lock-Up, Watt Space Gallery, Newcastle Museum and Wheeler Place. 

DOWNLOAD THE ART TRAIL MAP 

1) Mini Putt Putt : Rosie Deacon x Jen Denzin
THE STATION 
In this mini putt-putt course with 6 holes, you can test your skills against yourself and your family. Immerse yourself in a world of colour and magic, from underwater coral flora to kitsch koalas. Check out the workshops running at the same time to design your own ball or brag tag afterwards, completely free! Learn more

2) Listen to a Starfish : Diana Chester & Damien Ricketson
CAMP SHORTLAND 
Sit down, close your eyes, and listen to a starfish. With benches that move alongside the audio, lay down and immerse yourself with responsive projections lighting up the walls. Using real sound recordings from Newcastle's shore, this sensory sound installation is guaranteed to surprise and mesmerise. Learn more

3) Argo Escargot : Jen Denzin
CAMP SHORTLAND 
With two opportunities to enjoy Jen Denzin’s art, Argo Escargot invites you into her shipping containers. Join her for stories of history long forgotten by many, and a healthy dose of the absurb. Argo Escargot pays homage to a place shaped by storms, shipwrecks and spectral echoes of the past. This sensory experience conveys moving lights, enigmatic projection works, velvety soundscapes and subliminal, subversive installations. Learn more

4) Anchor : Heidi Axelsen & Hugo Moline 
CAMP SHORTLAND 
In a world constantly moving and evolving, Heidi and Hugo invite you to view the textures, reflections and sounds from surrounding landscapes in the form of a shipping container. Consisting of a dark room, where magic is made through a simple hole in the wall, immerse yourself in the sounds and views around you. Take the time to exist purely in the moment, forget your responsibilities, and view the world around you in an entirely different way. Learn more

5) Meet Me at the Baths : Whale Chorus & Ang Collins
Take a seat of the Newcastle Ocean Baths' beloved aquamarine bleachers, done a pair of headphones, and become immersed in stranger-than-fiction stories inspired by real Novocastrians. Live theatre at its best! Be sure to time your art trail visit for 11am or 2pm to catch this brand-new outdoor theatre show! Book now

SOAK: Live At The Baths
NEWCASTLE OCEAN BATHS - 5:30pm - 6:30pm. 27-28 Sep, 2-4 Oct. 
Stop by the The Newcastle Ocean Baths to enjoy a variety of free music over 5 sunset sessions. Featuring international superstars and the next gen in Aussie music talent, including Dust, Limo, Tom Thum, DOBBY, Freyja Garbett, Joel Sunny, Finbar, A.Girl, Dean Brady, BOY SODA, DJ Jayteehazard and DJ GNGR.
Check out more info on SOAK: Live at the Baths. 

6) The Bathers : Lee Illfield & Edwina Richards 
In this outdoor photography exhibition, discover the rich history of the Newcastle Ocean Baths and the people who make it such a special place. Lee Illfield and Edwina Richards explore tales of mermaids and moon bows, skinny dips and first kisses. The Bathers explores magical memory and pays collective homage to this iconic spot loved by locals and visitors. Closed on 1 Oct for pool cleaning. Learn more

7) Locked On: Karla Dickens
Karla Dicken’s Locked On is an urgent and powerful exhibit addressing the climate crisis and ecofeminism, linking Indigenous histories of dispossession and invasion through her experience and provocative visual language. Check opening times and learn more. 

Bonus ⭐️ Watt Space Gallery
An exhibition you don’t want to skip, Watt Space Gallery invites you to a cultivation of found sounds and everyday materials, taking forms rarely seen before. 7 artists come together to reflect on our relationship with the environment as they challenge the ordinary perceptions of landscape, space, ethics and entropy. Travel through four distinct environments, from the tattoo parlour to epic wilderness. Learn more

DOWNLOAD THE ART TRAIL MAP - print or screenshot! 

We'll see you on the trail! Make sure to snap some pics and tag us across socials @NewAnnual