Bett Gallery 40 Year Celebration

For four decades Bett Gallery has built something rarer than a reputation for excellence – a culture of collecting in Tasmania founded on friendship, trust and the long relationship between artist and audience.      S. Kelly, Art Collector Magazine, July 2026

In the early 80’s when we moved back to Tasmania from Sydney the idea of making
a living from your work was a distant dream. All of that changed when the Bett Gallery opened in ‘86 and it took our work to a national, even international audience. From then on it encouraged and promoted innovative, experimental work as it established itself as a dynamic, highly respected and successful Australian gallery.  David Keeling, 2026

In 2026, Bett Gallery marks an extraordinary milestone: 40 years of championing contemporary art in Tasmania and beyond.

Founded in Hobart in 1986 by Dick and Carol Bett, the gallery’s story is part of a much longer family legacy, reaching back to Elva Bett, a pioneer of New Zealand’s commercial gallery scene in the 1960s. Today, Carol and third-generation gallerists Emma and Jack Bett proudly continue that tradition, operating one of Australia’s longest-running family-owned, multi-generational art businesses.

This anniversary exhibition brings together more than 60 works by almost every artist represented by the gallery, with a dedicated space honouring 10 leading artists whose relationship with Bett Gallery spans the full 40 years.

The exhibition celebrates not only the artists whose creativity has defined the gallery over four decades, but also the relationships that have made Bett Gallery what it is today. It is a celebration of the artists, collectors, supporters and community who have been part of this remarkable journey, while looking ahead to an exciting future.