A white gallery space with kimonos on display.
Photograph: Mitch Fong
Photograph: Mitch Fong

The best art and exhibitions in Melbourne this month

Discover the city's best art, exhibitions and cultural events happening in July

Leah Glynn
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July 2025: If you thought winter was a quiet time in Melbourne's art world, think again. The NGV Winter Masterpieces has just opened, and it provides a dazzling deep dive into the world of French Impressionism, with exclusive works by Monet, Degas, Van Gogh and Renoir direct from the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Also at the NGV is Kimono, a beautiful exhibition that showcases the extraordinary range of the once-humble Japanese outfit. And the Potter Museum of Art has reopened after a major transformation with 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art. It features more than 400 artworks from the likes of Destiny Deacon, Yhonnie Scarce, Albert Namatjira and Emily Kam Kngwarray, including rare cultural works.

There's always something to see in this all-embracing city of ours, so don't let the month pass you by without getting your fix of the best art, culture and exhibitions in Melbourne this May.

When in doubt, you can also always rely on our catch-all lists of Melbourne's best bars, restaurants, museums, parks and galleries, or consult our bucket list of 100 things to do in Melbourne before you die

Keen to add some art to your home? These are the best places to buy art in Melbourne.

Melbourne's best art and exhibitions this month

  • Art
  • Paintings
  • Southbank
  • Recommended

French Impressionism is host to arguably some of the most famous (and most loved) artists of all time. Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and Degas are just some of the artists who achieved such acclaim that they remain household names even a century after their deaths. And this winter, you can see some of the artist's most beautiful and well-known works right here in Melbourne at the NGV's new exhibition, French Impressionism: From the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Until October 5, the NGV will host more than 100 works by artists like Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edouard Manet, Camille Pissarro, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne and Mary Cassatt – including pieces never before seen in Australia.

  • Art
  • Carlton

The Potter Museum of Art has reopened to the public with a spectacular new exhibition recognising the great wealth of culture in this place: 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian ArtCelebrating the remarkable diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander creativity, the exhibition showcases more than 400 artworks from the likes of Destiny Deacon, Yhonnie Scarce, Albert Namatjira and Emily Kam Kngwarray, including rare cultural works. Curated by Professor Marcia Langton AO, senior curator Judith Ryan and associate curator Shanysa McConville in consultation with Elders, 65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art directly addresses the scars of colonial invasion. 

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  • Art
  • Southbank

If your budget can’t quite stretch as far as a trip to Japan right now, then the next best thing is winding your way towards St Kilda Road’s NGV International instead. Dazzling exhibition Kimono, on display until October 5, showcases the extraordinary range of the once-humble outfit. There are 70 beautiful examples on show, including seven newly acquired silk and ramie kimono, once belonging to samurai and merchant families, that date back to the Edo period (1603-1867). You’ll be able to learn about the layers of meaning stitched into recurring motifs like the eternal crane, who flocks amongst the gods, as well as weeping wisteria and gently falling snow detailed in the shibori tie-die technique. 

  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Carlton

Lego Star Wars: the Exhibition at Melbourne Museum comes from revered Lego genius Ryan 'Brickman' McNaught, who's back with his latest mind-boggling project of massive Star Wars brick creations – some standing at a whopping four metres tall. There'll be Lego replicas of many of the iconic characters, fan favourite scenes, spacecraft and more, from both the classic films and newer releases. Plus, the exhibition will include interactive brick-based activities inclusive of all ages. 

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  • Things to do
  • Exhibitions
  • Carlton

Melbourne Museum will open its doors after closing time for Nocturnal: Museum After Dark, a series of exclusive adults-only evenings held on the second Thursday of each month. Explore the museum's feature exhibitions as well as the permanent ones, and be enlightened by tours, curator talks and trivia. Once you've satisfied your curiosity, enjoy a bev, play drag bingo and have a boogie with some local DJ favourites soundtracking the night. Each monthly event has a different theme and activities, so there's always something new to discover. 

  • Art
  • Melbourne

Do you have golden retriever energy, or are you more of a black cat kind of person? Felines and canines form an important part of the everyday lives, pop culture and mythology of humans, and the latest exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria celebrates the role of these animals. Cats and Dogs is now showing at the NGV’s Ian Potter Centre until July 2025. The exhibition will feature more than 250 works of art, design and fashion spanning diverse periods and media, all drawn from the NGV’s own collection. 

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  • Art
  • Installation
  • Carlton

Traversing time and space, Wurrdha Marra is an ongoing exhibition celebrating the diversity of First Nations art and design. Since late 2023, the ground floor and foyer of the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia has become home to a dynamic and ever-changing exhibition space that displays masterpieces and never-before-shown works from the NGV’s First Nations collection.

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  • Art
  • Digital and interactive
  • Melbourne

Joy features seven brand new commissioned installations from leading Victorian-based creatives, each expressing the artists’ own personal joy. You can expect an emotive adventure where colour and storytelling combine, and big happy moments that sit alongside more reflective ones. 

  • Museums
  • History
  • Elsternwick

Melbourne Holocaust Museum’s Hidden: Seven Children Saved exhibition is focused on educating Melburnians on the Holocaust experiences of seven (now-local) children, to inspire greater understanding of these vital lessons. Interactive displays show visitors what it would have been like for a child to hide in such a volatile time, and how acts of kindness from the community made all the difference. Replica rooms, mini towns, soundscapes, moving images and projections make it an interesting and educational display for families (with kids ten years plus) to visit during the school holidays.

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