Royalty on Show in Canberra's Golden Summer of Arts and Culture

The king of rock 'n' roll will headline a season of exceptional exhibitions hosted by Canberra's premier arts and culture attractions.

Exclusively showing in Canberra at the National Portrait Gallery from December is a photographic exhibition of Elvis Presley as a newly-signed recording artist.

Elvis at 21, Photographs by Alfred Wertheimer

(7 December 2013 to 10 March 2014) showcases a collection of images taken by photojournalist Alfred Wertheimer who was hired by Elvis' new label RCA Victor in 1956 to shoot promotional images of the then relatively unknown artist.

Wertheimer's instincts to 'tag along' with the artist after the assignment and the resulting images he took provide a candid look at Elvis before he exploded onto the international music scene and became one of the most exciting performers of his time.

The Gallery's associate registrar, Maria Ramsden, said Wertheimer got unprecedented access to the singer resulting in very intimate and emotive imagery.

'(Elvis) was so caught up in the moment of whatever he was doing Wertheimer could get within four feet of him and get incredibly photographs and very natural photographs,' Ms Ramsden said. 'You get an incredible glimpse of the real Elvis Presley before the legend was born.'

The National Portrait Gallery is currently the only institution outside of the United States to be granted access to the ticketed exhibition, which was developed collaboratively by the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, the Smithsonian Institution Travelling Exhibition Service and the Govinda Gallery.

Director of Australian Capital Tourism, Ian Hill, said as well as experiencing the charms of Elvis visitors to Canberra can also immerse themselves in a rich and varied summer exhibitions program.

'The quality of blockbuster exhibitions that will be on show in the national capital add to the already thriving arts and culture scene Canberra is renowned for,' Mr Hill said.

Canberra will host the first exhibition of Peruvian art ever staged in Australia over summer. Gold and the Incas: Lost worlds of Peru (6 December 2013 to 21 April 2014) opens exclusively at the National Gallery of Australia and reveals the splendour of ancient pre-Hispanic cultures of Peru, with more than 200 objects that will transport visitors back in time into the world of the famous Incan empire and their predecessors. The exhibition is a ticketed event.

 

Mapping our world: Terra incognita to Australia 

(7 November 2013 to 10 March 2014) draws on the world's great map collections to bring together spectacular maps, atlases, globes and scientific instruments for a once-in-a-lifetime exhibition as part of Canberra's Centenary celebrations.

A celebration of some of the world's most significant discoveries, Mapping Our World is also a re-evaluation of Australia's mapping past, with unique works by the most eminent names in the history of cartography including James Cook and Matthew Flinders. The exhibition is free but tickets timed entry passes will apply.

At the National Museum of Australia you can see the cultural attraction's first ever exhibition of bark paintings, Old Masters: Australia's great bark artists (6 December 2013 to 20 July 2014). Drawn exclusively from the Museum's bark collection, which is the largest of its kind in the world, the exhibition celebrates the genius of Australia's great bark painters.

It explores the artistic achievements of Aboriginal master artists who established the signature styles of their communities and regions in Arnhem Land. The works typify an Australian 'high art' that is intimately connected to history, environment and culture. Techniques passed from generation to generation mirrors the European tradition of master teaching student. This is a ticketed event.