Newcastle Art Gallery was officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on Friday 11 March 1977. It was the culmination of decades of work to realise the belief that Newcastle, a city known for industry, could also be famous for having the best art gallery in the country. Newcastle Art Gallery is a pioneer. It was the first purpose-built regional art gallery in Australia. With its sharp geometric shapes and exposed concrete walls, the gallery reflects the Brutalist aesthetic that flourished in the decades after the Second World War. The Gallery has collected over 6000 works since its inception and is considered one of the most significant public collections in the country. Today the gallery hosts a variety of exhibitions drawn both from its own collection and from other institutions via travelling exhibitions. Next to the Art Gallery is the Newcastle War Memorial Cultural Centre, adorning the entrance is Paul Bedle's relief sculpture ' Music, Literature and Art'. His heavily stylised work is designed to fit into tight spaces. The two reliefs show aspects of music, literature, and art. Beadle included a unique self-portrait carving a male bust at the top of the right entry. The works reflect the community’s desire to be a place of creativity and learning. English born Beadle was the head of the Art School at Newcastle Technical College from 1951 until 1957. He taught and exhibited widely in Australia before migrating to New Zealand in 1961.