What happens when a world-class cultural experience arrives in Adelaide?
More than 45,000 tickets sold in its opening month. Fifty-seven works from one of the United States’ most significant art collections. An audience already extending well beyond South Australia.
Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition exhibiting at the Art Gallery of South Australia (AGSA) demonstrates how a major cultural programming can strengthen Adelaide’s appeal as a destination, connecting international audiences with the city’s broader cultural and visitor experiences.
Presented in partnership with the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, the exhibition brings 57 works from its collection to Australia, with nearly all making their Australian debut.
Running until 8 November, Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition is the inaugural exhibition in AGSA’s Winter Art Series, which will bring major international exhibitions exclusively to Adelaide during winter between 2026 and 2029.
But the significance an exhibition of this scale can extend beyond the gallery itself.
An audience extending beyond South Australia
AGSA audience data shows that 77.9 per cent of Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition ticket buyers are from South Australia, while 21.1 per cent are interstate visitors and 1 per cent are international visitors.
New South Wales accounts for the largest interstate audience at 8.35 per cent, followed by Victoria at 6.13 per cent and Queensland at 3.03 per cent. With more than one in five ticket buyers coming from outside South Australia, the exhibition demonstrates the reach major cultural programming can achieve beyond its immediate local audience.
For Adelaide’s visitor economy, these experiences can provide an additional reason to visit the city and explore what it has to offer.
A gallery visit can form part of a broader itinerary encompassing dining, retail, accommodation, gardens, events and other cultural attractions. Connecting these experiences creates opportunities for visitors to spend more time in the city and for expenditure to flow across a wider network of local businesses.
Monet to Matisse has also extended beyond the traditional gallery experience. Its program has included live music, after-hours events and outdoor painting experiences. The winter season of Friday Nights sold out ahead of the launch of a new spring program.
The Adelaide Economic Development Agency (AEDA) and City of Adelaide support Monet to Matisse Friday Nights through the Events and Festivals Sponsorship Program, recognising the role complementary experiences can play in bringing people into the city and contributing to its vibrancy.
Behind the exhibition: A conversation with Erin Corrales-Diaz
Bringing an exhibition of this scale to Adelaide is the result of years of international collaboration. The Adelaide Economic Development Agency spoke with Erin Corrales-Diaz, Curator of American Art at the Toledo Museum of Art, regarding the significance of this exhibition and the partnership behind it.
What makes a partnership like this possible, and why is it significant for both institutions?
“Collaborations like this are built on years of trust, shared goals and the expertise of many people working behind the scenes. This exhibition is the result of a monumental effort on behalf of both institutions and reflects a shared belief that great works of art should be experienced by audiences across the world. It highlights not only the strength of our collections, but also the value of international partnerships in fostering cultural exchange.”
What does it mean to see these works presented together in Adelaide?
“Seeing these works together in Adelaide is tremendously rewarding, particularly because they are reaching audiences who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience them in person. What has been especially exciting is seeing how AGSA has enriched the exhibition through the addition of works on paper from its own collection, creating new dialogues across the galleries and revealing fresh connections that we might not have seen in Toledo alone.”
How do international cultural partnerships benefit museums, audiences and the cities they represent?
“International partnerships like this allow museums to share their collections and expertise in ways that broaden perspectives and create meaningful cultural exchange. As a result, this is the first time 57 works from Toledo have traveled to Adelaide!”
What international cultural connections mean for Adelaide
International cultural partnerships can strengthen Adelaide’s cultural offering while building relationships between the city and institutions around the world. They can also give people new reasons to experience Adelaide, whether through a dedicated visit or as part of a broader stay.
During her first visit to the city, Corrales-Diaz said she was struck by how “animated and culturally engaged” Adelaide felt, pointing to Illuminate Adelaide, Rundle Street, public art and the crowds experiencing the city as examples of arts and culture being part of daily life.
That connection between major cultural attractions and the wider city experience is important to Adelaide’s visitor economy. When exhibitions, events, hospitality, retail and other city experiences complement one another, they create more opportunities for visitors to discover the city and engage with its businesses and cultural life.
Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition brings globally significant art to Adelaide while demonstrating how international cultural exchange can contribute to the city’s appeal as a destination. Its reach extends beyond the gallery, connecting audiences with the experiences, businesses and cultural activity that make Adelaide distinctive.
Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition is showing at AGSA until 8 November 2026.
Sources
Erin Corrales-Diaz, Curator of American Art, Toledo Museum of Art: AEDA Q&A.
Art Gallery of South Australia: Monet to Matisse audience data supplied to AEDA, October 2026.