On Friday, the gallery had its last major opening event for the year as it launched five new exhibitions.

At the end of our second year of living with the COVID-19 pandemic (as the region takes tentative steps towards treating COVID-19 as endemic), the mood at this final gallery opening for New England's favourite art museum was joyous and optimistic.

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People were genuinely pleased to be out and about, chatting and enjoying the collection of art before them - most of which was inspired by the grandeur of nature and our tenuous relationship with it.

The exhibitions feature a variety of local, First Nations, and Australian artists, providing audiences with a diverse range of artworks to explore.

"It has been another challenging year for our community and the museum," said NERAM director Rachael Parsons.

"However, NERAM is open, and we are concluding our 2021 exhibition program with outstanding artworks from our collections, as well as from a range of NSW artists.

"It's a celebration of our region's culture, talent, and even our landscape."

Gorge Country is an exhibition of new work from Stuart Boggs, Ross Laurie, Angus Nivison. These three leading artists from the New England region immersed themselves in the breathtaking environment of the gorges that surround them.

Juncture: First Nations Art at NERAM. This significant exhibition spotlights the Aboriginal art in the New England Regional Art Museum's collections.

LOCUS is a group exhibition featuring the work of four different printmaking collectives (Black Gully Printmakers, Newcastle Printmakers Workshop, Print Circle, and Southern Highlands Printmakers). All located in New South Wales members were invited to create one work each based on the theme of place.

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Quietude is an exhibition by Armidale local Elouise Roberts, who has created incredibly detailed paintings that capture the quiet peace and beauty found in the landscape.

Joan Ross: The Claiming of Things. Joan Ross' digital animations explore aspects of colonisation from the perspective of Aboriginal Australia.

"After the disruptions of another Covid-affected year, it is wonderful to be able to celebrate the launch of five exciting new exhibitions," said NERAM's exhibitions & curatorial manager Belinda Hungerford. "It was an opportunity to come together and enjoy the inspiring art and creativity on display, as well as a chance to look optimistically towards a more normal 2022."

The five exhibitions will be on display until the end of January 2022.

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