Salamanca Arts Centre — Attraction in Hobart

Salamanca Arts Centre is the custodian of seven heritage buildings that are home to studio artists in residence, numerous arts organisations working across the visual and performing arts, festivals & events, literature, writing & film, and to designers, makers, retailers of, and commercial galleries for contemporary art and craft.

SAC also manages a suite of arts venues including the Peacock Theatre, Long Gallery, Founders Room, Sidespace Gallery, Kelly’s Garden, Courtyard, Top Gallery, Studio Gallery and Lightbox. Our venues showcase SAC’s curated and programmed events as well as our Access Program’s community and independent performances, exhibitions and other arts events and projects.

Operating parallel to the management of the buildings and venues, SAC works with local, interstate and international artists, working across all art forms, to conceive and develop new works, and to present those works to local and visiting audiences.

The staff at Salamanca Arts Centre are a team of dedicated, passionate and committed arts administrators, whose collective skills, qualifications and experience are invested into supporting artists to realise their creative endeavours, and to generate a livelihood from their art practice.

SAC’s arts program is supported by Arts Tasmania, City of Hobart, the Australia Council for the Arts, the Government of Australia and philanthropic trusts, donors and sponsors.

An estimated 250,000+ people pass through SAC’s doors every year, visiting galleries, exhibitions, performances and community events.

Salamanca Arts Centre (SAC) is a not-for-profit Arts Centre formed in 1975 as an incorporated association and established in 1976 in buildings owned by the Government of Tasmania and leased to SAC at ‘peppercorn’ rental.

Approximately 200 people are now directly employed by the 60 arts organisations based at SAC. These organisations, resident artists, retail galleries and their activities collectively contribute an estimated $50M annually to the Tasmanian economy.

An estimated 6000+ artists are represented across a year through the combined activities of all SAC’s resident organisations, venues, events, exhibitions, projects, residencies and memberships.

SAC is now a company limited by guarantee managed by a Board of elected, appointed, and co-opted...

The Salamanca Arts Centre is where stone and soul intertwine—an oasis of creativity nestled within Hobart’s historic heart. Beneath the weathered sandstone walls, time seems to soften, giving way to whispers of paintbrushes, music, and movement. It is not merely a gallery, but a living tapestry of art and spirit.

Each corridor invites quiet wonder; each gallery door opens to a world of imagination. Local artists breathe life into canvas and clay, while visiting exhibitions stir thought and emotion. You don’t just see art here—you feel it, layered in textures, tones, and tales.

Studios hum with the rhythm of creation, their windows flickering with dreams in progress. The resident artists and makers, grounded yet visionary, make this place feel like a pulse in the city’s chest. On weekends, music drifts through the air, mingling with the laughter of markets and the hush of reverent footsteps.

The Centre holds space for all—wanderers, seekers, and lovers of the arts. Workshops, performances, and community gatherings enrich its ever-evolving narrative. The staff, warm and deeply knowledgeable, act as quiet stewards of this sanctuary.

To walk through the Salamanca Arts Centre is to walk through stories made visible. It is a place where creativity finds home—and invites you to linger a...

A very good experience. We spent an entire morning here spending time in each shop, stopping to look at and appreciate the amazing skills and artistic abilities of so many talented Tasmanian artists. There was jewellery made with glass, silver, semi precious stones, wood, leather. Superb wooden items such as carved wooden boards which would look just as good on display in your home as they would to present a cheese platter to your guests. The old and used Book Shop is certainly worth spending some time browsing. Several shops display and sell a selection of books, including children's books. Many leather bags, beautifully crafted, made it difficult to choose my favourite one. I may not have included everything but it is a beautiful way to spend a morning. The area is fairly flat so accessible for those with mobility issues and also parents and carers with strollers and prams. Lastly, you will find several cafes where you could sit and admire your purchases after a worthwhile visit...