Chromatic Luminosity at Manly Art Gallery and Museum: Nine Artists, Open 4 December 2026 to 21 February 2027, Four Events From 4 December, Two Free (Manly, NSW)

Chromatic Luminosity opens at Manly Art Gallery & Museum on Friday 4 December 2026 and runs until Sunday 21 February 2027. Nine artists show contemporary abstract paintings, and four related events are listed from 4 to 10 December. Sydney is on daylight saving time, so all times are local AEDT.

This guide uses the council’s pages for the exhibition and for its events, read on 31 October 2026. The exhibition page does not give admission details, and the guide says so below.

What is Chromatic Luminosity about?

The gallery describes luminosity in painting as the illusion of light glowing from within a work, a skill long celebrated in the history of painting. It names Vermeer, Rembrandt, Turner, Titian and Georgia O’Keeffe as artists who used it. The exhibition then asks how contemporary abstract painting can reclaim the experience of colour, light and presence at a time when people spend much of the day looking at backlit screens.

According to the page, the works invite visitors to slow down and notice texture, materiality and the glow inside each piece. It describes the experience as a quiet, intimate conversation between the viewer and the image that screens have not yet replicated.

Who are the artists?

The exhibiting artists are Angela Brennan, Tony Curran, Susie Dureau, Ollie Lucas, Nick Modrzewski, Michael Staniak, Justine Varga, Kate Vassallo and John Young. The page shows details of three works: Tony Curran’s Still processing (2026, acrylic on linen), Kate Vassallo’s Five Colours (2026, coloured pencil on paper) and Michael Staniak’s FBX_044 (2026, casting compound and acrylic on aluminium honeycomb panel with a steel frame).

A second show, a collection response exhibition called Chromatic Collection, runs in the gallery’s Cove Gallery. The exhibition page names John Coburn, Salvatore Gerardi, Frank Hinder, Arthur Murch, Jenny Sages, Charlie Sheard and Helicopter Tjungurrayi. The launch and preview event pages name a different list: Patrick Carroll, Ian Howard, Carmen Ky, Jenny Sages, Nigel Thomson and Helicopter Tjungurrayi. Both say “artists including”, so the final hang may include more than either list, and the gallery has not said which list is correct. Only Jenny Sages and Helicopter Tjungurrayi appear on both.

What are the four events, and which are free?

Date	Time	Event	How to attend
Fri 4 Dec	10am to 11am	Members’ and volunteers’ preview, with a first look and curatorial walk-through	No price shown; register on the council page
Fri 4 Dec	6pm to 8pm	Exhibition launch	Free; register on the council page
Sat 5 Dec	11am to 12pm	Artists in conversation with curator Ben Rak	Free; register on the council page
Thu 10 Dec	6pm to 7:30pm	Seriously Amateur #1: Colour with Dr David Briggs	$15.00 general, $13.50 MAG&M; book on the council page

The council’s page for the launch lists admission as free, and so does the page for the artists in conversation. The page for the members’ and volunteers’ preview describes it as the first look and curatorial walk-through, and the exhibition page lists it among the “Talks and Events”. The Seriously Amateur page lists $15.00 general and $13.50 MAG&M, with a “Book now” button; the preview page shows no price.

What is Seriously Amateur?

The gallery describes Seriously Amateur as a new series of casual talks and creative get-togethers for anyone who loves art. The first one, on Thursday 10 December, is led by art and colour educator Dr David Briggs. It uses colour theory as a starting point for a relaxed conversation about how colour, light and perception shape the way people experience painting. The page says to bring your questions and observations, and that there is no right way to see it.

What happens at the artists in conversation?

Some of the exhibiting artists talk with the gallery’s curator, Ben Rak, about the ideas, experiences and techniques behind the works and the links between their practices. The page lists Angela Brennan, Tony Curran, Susie Dureau, Ollie Lucas, Nick Modrzewski, Michael Staniak, Justine Varga, Kate Vassallo and John Young as “featuring”, without saying which of them will be there on the day.

How could I plan the opening weekend?

Day	Time	What is listed
Fri 4 Dec	10am	Exhibition opens to the public (exhibition page lists 10am on 4 December)
Fri 4 Dec	10am to 11am	Members’ and volunteers’ preview
Fri 4 Dec	6pm to 8pm	Exhibition launch
Sat 5 Dec	11am to 12pm	Artists in conversation
Thu 10 Dec	6pm to 7:30pm	Seriously Amateur: Colour

The 10am start on 4 December is the first time listed on the exhibition page, which is also where the preview for members and volunteers sits. The pages do not say whether the general public can enter the gallery during that preview hour, so a visitor who is not a member or volunteer may prefer the launch that evening or the Saturday conversation. The exhibition itself continues until 5pm on Sunday 21 February 2027, so the weekend events are not your only chance to see the works over the summer.

Where is the gallery, and how do I contact it?

The gallery is at 1a West Esplanade, Manly, postcode 2095. The council lists reception on 9976 1421 and the email address artgallery@northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au. The exhibition page does not list opening hours or an entry fee, so ask reception or check the gallery’s own page before you travel.

The page does not give transport or parking advice. Use the Transport for NSW Trip Planner for your own trip. If you drive, the council’s Manly parking page lists four paid council parking stations in Manly, with up to 2 hours free per day, as read on 26 October 2026.

What else is on in Manly on opening day?

Friday 4 December has other council-listed events nearby. The Christmas Choral Concert at Manly Oval is the evening before, on Thursday 3 December, with gates at 5pm. Our Manly Oval carols guide covers its rules and food trucks. On the morning of 4 December, a walk against domestic and family violence starts at 7:30am at Queenscliff Lagoon and finishes at 9am.

What is not confirmed yet?

• The gallery’s opening hours and entry fee for the exhibition.
• Which list of artists is correct for the Cove Gallery show.
• Whether the members’ and volunteers’ preview has a price.
• Which artists attend the conversation on 5 December.

Sources

• Northern Beaches Council: Chromatic Luminosity, read 31 October 2026
• Exhibition launch, members’ and volunteers’ preview, artists in conversation, Seriously Amateur: Colour, read 31 October 2026
• Northern Beaches Council: event calendar, read 31 October 2026

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Manly Art Gallery & Museum or Northern Beaches Council.

Featured image: Manly Art Gallery and Museum (photo: Dicklyon / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)