The Eight Best Destinations for Arts and Culture in the Heart of Sydney

The concierge team at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney recommends the best destinations for arts and culture in the city and further afield.

At Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

1. Executive Club Lounge 32

Beginning in spring 2024, guests of the Hotel’s Executive Club Lounge 32 are invited to elevate their stay with an exclusive Artist in Residence showcase. Guests can discover and acquire vibrant artworks from both renowned and emerging local Australian artists, perfectly capturing a memento of their Sydney visit. The first artist, emerging creative Australian-born Rayan Sandhu, uses art as a means of self-expression and cathartic healing after struggling with learning difficulties throughout his formative years.

A specialist in abstract, multimedia works, Rayan has showcased his original works locally in Australia and abroad in Taiwan, with his latest series - a suite of acrylic, charcoal and oil pastel on canvas, including pieces entitled Blue Resonance, Terrain and Triumph representing his need to evoke his passions and emotions via artistic expression to combat his feelings of isolation and disassociation in his young life.

2. Gallery Got

Frederic Got Contemporary Art Galleries first opened in Barbizon, France in 1991, now boasting more than eight locations worldwide, including spaces in Paris, Courchevel, Venice and most recently Sydney.  This unique space, set alongside Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, is home to several leading international artists specialising in modern works of painting, large-scale sculpture and photography, one not to miss when exploring on foot from the Hotel.

The Rocks District

3. Ken Done Gallery

Ken Done is arguably one of Australia’s most famous artists, his painting works, original and thought-provoking, identifiable by their bold use of bright and vivid colours, loose brushstrokes and a simplified design. His gallery, opened in 1994 in the historic Rocks District, is set into a heritage building that was once the Australian Steam Navigation Building. The displays are constantly changing and a unique collection of art and design pieces, limited edition books, homewares and accessories are available for purchase.  

4. MCA - Museum of Contemporary Art Sydney

Located at Circular Quay, overlooking Sydney Harbour, the MCA is Sydney’s top destination for contemporary arts, showcasing bold and experimental works from both local Australian and international artists including a mix of modern visual arts, video installations and new media. The MCA is also home to two dining outlets including a relaxed café for takeaway or dine-in, and more formal dining room, perfect for a long lunch overlooking Sydney’s most famous waterway.

5. Shahzia Imran Gallery

Known for her emotive and expressive pieces, Shazia Imran takes inspiration from her many international travels, and seeks to explore the infinite expressiveness of each subject via watercolours, acrylics and mixed media. Her Gallery resides in the former Old Coroner’s Court, an iconic heritage Australian building in the heart of The Rocks. Nearby to the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, the space is divided into many distinct areas for different art-types and boasts a variety of artworks, prints and memorabilia for purchase.

From December 2025, a collection of Shazia’s works will also be on display and available for purchase at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney as she takes her place as the second Artist in Residence in Executive Club Lounge 32.

Further Afield

6. Art Gallery of New South Wales

Sydney’s must-visit art museum, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, has stood for more than 150 years and is accessible via a scenic stroll through the lush greenery of The Domain - the largest open space in Sydney’s Central Business District. New South Wales’ leading visual arts institution, the expansive gallery covers two large heritage buildings and offers a permanent collection of art dating from ancient times through to modern media plus a regularly rotating series of exhibits, tours and experiences. Visitors can also enhance their visit with several award-winning dining offerings including a seated semi-formal restaurant, takeaway cafés and after-hours pop-up bar.

7. White Rabbit Gallery

Located in the trendy inner-city suburb of Chippendale, the White Rabbit Gallery opened in 2009 and is now home to one of the world’s most significant collections of contemporary Chinese art. The multi-layered building nearby to Central Train Station has been extensively converted into a gallery space from a former Rolls Royce service depot in the 1940s, and the collection now includes more than 3,000 pieces from some 750 individual artists. All pieces are hand-selected by the gallery’s private owner, Judith Neilson, who makes regular trips to China and Taiwan, ever searching for more creative and technically pristine pieces.

8. Art Leven

Formerly the Cooee Art Gallery, this space in Redfern, established in 1981, is Australia’s oldest exhibiting First Nations-focused fine art gallery, which works directly with First Nations creatives, curators, and art centres to support the industry in an ethical and sustainable fashion. Offering a diverse collection of more than 3,000 paintings, sculptures, fine art prints and artisanal creations from some 150 individual artists, and with a regular program of artist talks and gallery tours, this space is an immersive cultural experience into traditional and modern First Nations from various regions of Australia.