Blue Mountains Cultural Centre

"SUCH pretentious staff, seriously. Maybe owing to the title or the fact they hold an art gallery inside, I am not sure but the last coffee I even ordered here was two years ago with a mate and while I don't care whether the chick serving me is charming or flat, he instantly started telling me while still at the counter how stuck-up the staff are and the coffee, average at best but then coffee is - I find - either drinkable or not, with little grey-area. But go to any other part of the Cultural Center *OR* the Library and you'll find the same kind of attitude: like they're working at the Louvre in Paris, the way they carry themselves. You, the customers? You're all just lowly grubs in the great sea of unwashed nobodies compared to the oh-so-refined salad-tossers and book-sorters and the art gallery staff themselves, wow; they are next level conceited for a slab of building in a town of only 7,000 locals whose only interest in the Cultural Centre, is cutting through it to reach the train station faster. As someone else stated: biggest white elephant in the mountains."

"I visited the Blue Mountains Cultural Centre on a rainy day and I was pleasantly surprised by how much there was to see and do. The art gallery had some amazing exhibitions by local artists, and the interactive exhibition about the history and natural landscape of the Blue Mountains was very informative and engaging. I also enjoyed browsing the library and the gift shop, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The viewing platform offered a stunning view of the valley and the mountains, even in the misty weather. I highly recommend this place to anyone who wants to learn more about the culture and heritage of this beautiful regio"

"The semblance of things: portraits by Nick Stathopoulos; exhibition opened on Friday night 3 Feb 23. This selection of portraits covers a 30 year span of the artist’s work, and is beautifully curated by Rilka Oakley. In addition to the portraits, there are videos of Nick’s painting process, historically significant photographs and sketchbooks showing the artist’s preparatory ideas. It was especially interesting to see some of the subjects of the portraits moving about the exhibition. It added another level of realism to Stathopoulos’ photorealistic style. The evening was ably supported by violin and vocal virtuoso Maizy Coombes, performing in the foyer at the gallery entrance. Maizy uses looping to layer violin and vocal harmonies; in order to create often syncopated polyrhythms and complex tonal structures. A magnificent evening, and the exhibition is a must see. Artist Talk with Nick Stathopoulos Sat 4 Feb 11am-12pm: For a man who purports to shy away from crowds, Nick’s address to an admiring audience was anything but subdued; in fact it was a compelling, highly engaging and regularly amusing oratory. Maybe he was buoyed by an obviously adoring audience; and let’s face it, who doesn’t love to be adored. Stathopoulos guided us on his Archibald journey, from his first portrait of “Mr Squiggle”, through a matrix of subjects (models), seemingly ordered more by serendipity and happenstance, than considered logic. From standing in a queue with David Stratton, to having the man with the red beard gazing in his studio window. Every portrait has its own, most-often complex history. Mr Squiggle was completed in 3 days to meet a deadline, despite a freshly implanted stint. By contrast Deng took 5 months. It appears there’s no formula to creativity. I don’t know if Nick’s talk was recorded; for others to share and appreciate, but I will check."

"Part of the gallery is closed to prepare for new exhibition. There is only 1 exhibit which is the cosmos art in astronomy, which is a pretty intriguing exhibition."

"They don't seem to have a car park. Business sign is hard to notice when driving pass. Nice gallery with community feel. I like black and white photos related to the pandemic. However, lady at desk in gallery room on Thursday doesn't reflect sense of community. No greeting or making eye contact with visitors. Ladies at reception desk are friendly though. Great panorama view at back of building makes our visit worthwhile. Disappointed with food in cafe. Split pea soup is salty. Homemade bread roll is nice though. Hot chocolate is fine. Menu seems to please vegetarians."