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Arts and culture in Tassie: where to go and what to do

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Tasmania's landscape is reason enough to take a locum tenens assignment here. But there's more to this island state – much, much more. Find a physician opportunity in Australia then come back to be filled in on some great cultural hotspots in Tassie.

Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) – Hobart

It's an edifying experience to be immersed in local art and culture. And Hobart is sufficiently stocked with lovely places to do that very thing. The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery – Australia's second oldest museum – is where you should go for such a deep enlightenment. It showcases wonderful, mostly Tassie-centric exhibitions, both transient and permanent. Like ningina tunapri, an exhibit where the aim is on education – specifically exploring "the journey of Tasmanian Aboriginal people." Here's a complete listing of current and upcoming exhibitions.

Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery (QVMAG) – Launceston

Actually located in two different spots, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery is a unique blast from the past. You'll find the museum at Inveresk and the art gallery on Wellington Street.

What's the difference? Well, the museum at Inveresk hosts a lot of exhibitions purely aimed at enlightening you with Tasmania's past. Discover preserved railway workshops, plus installations examining all the social and natural science of Tassie over the years. There are dinosaurs, death masks and shipwrecks, even a planetarium. Consider this site one for the whole family.

At the art gallery on Wellington Street you'll come across both contemporary and historical art. One of QVMAG's proudest displays is their colonial art collection, which features famous Tasmanian artists like John Glover and Hugh Ramsay. As far as more contemporary artists are concerned you'll want to track down Bea Maddock's work at the gallery. She invokes the spirit of Tasmania's landscape through printmaking, encaustic painting and installation art. If you'd like a guided tour to ensure an insightful experience, there are free tours every Sunday at 12 noon and 2pm.