YARRILA ARTS AND MUSEUM

Located on Gumbaynggirr Country along the mid-north coast of NSW, Yarrila Arts and Museum (YAM) – formerly the Coffs Harbour Regional Gallery – proudly opened its doors in September 2023.

YAM is at the heart of Yarrila Place, a new contemporary cultural hub, designed by Coffs’ own Matthew Blair of BVN Architecture and built around a 150-year-old Hill’s Weeping Fig (ficus hillii) in the Coffs Harbour CBD.

The name Yarrila, pronounced, YA-re-la, is a Gumbaynggirr word that means “illuminate / brighten / light up / illustrate”. This encapsulates YAM’s vision of illuminating knowledge, arts, heritage, and community creativity.

A testament to decades of dedication, YAM’s journey traces back to the opening of the first museum in 1980 and Council’s acquisition of its first artwork in 1974. This commitment has seen the collection grow to include more than 18,000 objects, artefacts and archives as well as more than 600 artworks.

YAM boasts five exhibition spaces. The centerpiece is Yaamanga Around here, a permanent exhibition that showcases the museum and gallery collections. The other four exhibition spaces come alive with dynamic rotating exhibitions, many of which proudly feature YAM’s own collections.