2000–2009
In 2003 an Art After Hours program was initiated with the Gallery opening hours extended every Wednesday.
The inaugural Australian Photographic Portrait Prize was won by Greg Weight.
The Art Gallery Society of New South Wales celebrated its 50th anniversary in the same year and the Rudy Komon Gallery exhibition space was opened, followed by the new Asian gallery.

A 2004 exhibition of Man Ray's work set an attendance record for photography exhibitions, with over 52,000 visitors.
The same year a legal challenge was mounted against the award of the Archibald Prize to Craig Ruddy for his David Gulpilil, two worlds; and the Anne Landa Award was established, Australia's first award for moving image and new media.
The Nelson Meers Foundation Nolan Room was opened, also in 2004, with a display of five major Sidney Nolan paintings gifted to the Gallery by the Foundation over the past five years.

myVirtualGallery was launched on the Gallery's website in 2005 and the former boardroom was reopened for display of paintings, sculptures and works on paper by Australian artists.

In 2005 Justice Hamilton ruled in favour of the Gallery over the disputed 2004 award of the Archibald Prize to Craig Ruddy.
The same year, James Gleeson and his partner Frank O’Keefe pledged A$16 million through the Gleeson O’Keefe Foundation to acquire works for the Gallery's collection.

On 10 June 2007, a 17th-century work by Frans van Mieris, entitled A Cavalier (Self-Portrait), was stolen from the gallery.
The painting had been donated by John Fairfax and was valued at over A$1 million.
The theft raised questions about need for increased security at the gallery.
In the same year the Belgiorno-Nettis family donated A$4 million over four years to the Gallery to support contemporary art.

In 2008 the Gallery purchased Paul Cézanne's painting Bords de la Marne ca.
1888 for A$16.2 million – the highest amount paid by the Gallery for a work of art.
In the same year the NSW Government announced a grant of A$25.7 million to construct an offsite storage facility and a gift from the John Kaldor Family Collection to the Gallery was announced.
Valued at over A$35 million, it comprised some 260 works representing the history of international contemporary art.
The refurbishment of the 19th-century Grand Courts was celebrated in the Gallery’s inaugural 'Open Weekend' in 2009.

2010–present
A new contemporary gallery was created in 2010 by removing storage racks from the lowest level of the Captain Cook wing, and artworks were relocated to an off site storage.
The new purpose-built off-site collection storage facility began operations.
The same year, the award of the Wynne Prize to Sam Leach for Proposal for landscaped cosmos caused controversy due to the painting's resemblance to a 17th-century Dutch landscape; and the Gallery announced Mollie Gowing's bequest of 142 artworks plus A$5 million to establish two endowment funds for acquisitions: one for Indigenous art and a larger one for general acquisitions.

The 2011 exhibition The First Emperor: China’s entombed warriors attracted more than 305,000 people and in the same year new contemporary galleries were opened, including the John Kaldor Family Gallery, plus a dedicated photography gallery and a refurbished works-on-paper study room.
In August 2011 Edmund Capon announced his retirement after 33 years as director.

Dr Michael Brand assumed the role of director in mid 2012.
Picasso: masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris attracted almost 365,000 visitors – the largest number ever to an exhibition at the Gallery, also in 2012 and Michael Zavros won the inaugural Bulgari Art Award with The new Round Room.
In the same year Kenneth Reed announced his intention to bequeath his entire private collection of 200 pieces of rare and valuable 18th-century European porcelain valued at A$5.4 million.

In 2013 the Gallery unveiled a strategic vision and masterplan, under the working title Sydney Modern: a proposal for major expansion and renewed focus on serving a global audience.
The stated aim was to complete the p
2000–2009
In 2003 an Art After Hours program was initiated with the Gallery opening hours extended every Wednesday. The inaugural Australian Photographic Portrait Prize was won by Greg Weight. The Art Gallery Society of New South Wales celebrated its 50th anniversary in the same year and the Rudy Komon Gallery exhibition space was opened, followed by the new Asian gallery.
A 2004 exhibition of Man Ray's work set an attendance record for photography exhibitions, with over 52,000 visitors. The same year a legal challenge was mounted against the award of the Archibald Prize to Craig Ruddy for his David Gulpilil, two worlds; and the Anne Landa Award was established, Australia's first award for moving image and new media. The Nelson Meers Foundation Nolan Room was opened, also in 2004, with a display of five major Sidney Nolan paintings gifted to the Gallery by the Foundation over the past five years.
myVirtualGallery was launched on the Gallery's website in 2005 and the former boardroom was reopened for display of paintings, sculptures and works on paper by Australian artists.
In 2005 Justice Hamilton ruled in favour of the Gallery over the disputed 2004 award of the Archibald Prize to Craig Ruddy. The same year, James Gleeson and his partner Frank O’Keefe pledged A$16 million through the Gleeson O’Keefe Foundation to acquire works for the Gallery's collection.
On 10 June 2007, a 17th-century work by Frans van Mieris, entitled A Cavalier (Self-Portrait), was stolen from the gallery. The painting had been donated by John Fairfax and was valued at over A$1 million. The theft raised questions about need for increased security at the gallery. In the same year the Belgiorno-Nettis family donated A$4 million over four years to the Gallery to support contemporary art.
In 2008 the Gallery purchased Paul Cézanne's painting Bords de la Marne ca. 1888 for A$16.2 million – the highest amount paid by the Gallery for a work of art. In the same year the NSW Government announced a grant of A$25.7 million to construct an offsite storage facility and a gift from the John Kaldor Family Collection to the Gallery was announced. Valued at over A$35 million, it comprised some 260 works representing the history of international contemporary art. The refurbishment of the 19th-century Grand Courts was celebrated in the Gallery’s inaugural 'Open Weekend' in 2009.
2010–present
A new contemporary gallery was created in 2010 by removing storage racks from the lowest level of the Captain Cook wing, and artworks were relocated to an off site storage. The new purpose-built off-site collection storage facility began operations. The same year, the award of the Wynne Prize to Sam Leach for Proposal for landscaped cosmos caused controversy due to the painting's resemblance to a 17th-century Dutch landscape; and the Gallery announced Mollie Gowing's bequest of 142 artworks plus A$5 million to establish two endowment funds for acquisitions: one for Indigenous art and a larger one for general acquisitions.
The 2011 exhibition The First Emperor: China’s entombed warriors attracted more than 305,000 people and in the same year new contemporary galleries were opened, including the John Kaldor Family Gallery, plus a dedicated photography gallery and a refurbished works-on-paper study room. In August 2011 Edmund Capon announced his retirement after 33 years as director.
Dr Michael Brand assumed the role of director in mid 2012. Picasso: masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris attracted almost 365,000 visitors – the largest number ever to an exhibition at the Gallery, also in 2012 and Michael Zavros won the inaugural Bulgari Art Award with The new Round Room. In the same year Kenneth Reed announced his intention to bequeath his entire private collection of 200 pieces of rare and valuable 18th-century European porcelain valued at A$5.4 million.
In 2013 the Gallery unveiled a strategic vision and masterplan, under the working title Sydney Modern: a proposal for major expansion and renewed focus on serving a global audience. The stated aim was to complete the p
Art Gallery of New South Wales