The Shark Bay World Heritage Discovery & Visitor Centre’s Rose de Freycinet Gallery offers visitors an ever-changing range of local and travelling exhibitions in a large, dramatically lit exhibition space.
In addition to exhibitions, the Rose de Freycinet Gallery actively develops collections and partnership projects to enable broader engagement with the local community and visitors to the region.
By the Bay 2026
Do you create, paint, photograph, sculpt, carve, weave, or make things inspired by Shark Bay? ~ You might not call yourself an artist, but we do and we’d love to hear from you.
By the Bay 2026 is a creative development program for Shark Bay’s visual artists living in or with close connection to Shark Bay. From dabblers to professionals, across all mediums we invite you to express your interest to be part of the By the Bay 2026 exhibition ~ celebrating creativity inspired by our remarkable region.
Supported by professional artists’ fees, skill-building and mentoring opportunities, this program can help you grow your craft and share your work. Creatives of all levels of experience are encouraged to apply.
Gathaagudu/Shark Bay Artist in Residence Program
The Shire of Shark Bay and ART ON THE MOVE are pleased to partner on a new Artist in Residence program in 2024. This residency offers artists the opportunity to live and work in Gathaagudu/Shark Bay and immerse themselves in a creative project over a period of six weeks. The program aims to foster connection between artists and the natural world, encouraging innovative interpretations that showcase the unique wonders of Gathaagudu/Shark Bay.
In July 2024, the following artists were announced as the recipients of the Gathaagudu/Shark Bay 2024-25 Artist in Residence Program:
Rebecca McCauley and Aaron Claringbold’s residency focuses on imaging Gathaagudu/Shark Bay through collaboration with Traditional Owners and community, creating an interdependent portrait of the place and its people. They aim to produce new work that highlights the profound and intricate connections between people and their environments. Rebecca and Aaron want to work with local community to create photographic portraits showcasing the world they nurture, including animals, plants, land/seascapes, and weather. They are interested in photographing how people shape the world and how their world shapes them.
Tania Spencer will travel to Gathaagudu/Shark Bay to undergo an investigation into shell craft, beginning with a shell collection bequeathed by her nanna. Many of these shells were collected during her nanna’s yearly trips to the Shark Bay area. During the residency, Tania will reflect on her childhood, where they spent time together making shell ornaments from these shells. Tania aims to explore the Museum’s collection for historical stories and cultural significance of shell crafts in Shark Bay, including examining Indigenous links with colonial practices. Her residency will include community outreach to uncover and share stories and connections related to this cultural heritage.