There are no panthers in Penrith, a bustling city a few miles west of Sydney. At least, not officially. Scientists allege that the species inhabits regions in Africa, Asia, and South America, and that no panthers have ever been recorded in Penrith. But popular legends about “The Big Black Cat” abound. Sightings number over 500 and have dramatically increased in recent years. In response, Toby Chapman, the director of Penrith Regional Gallery, decided he museum should explore the myth of the panther. And he even may have seen one himself. “I think it was, probably, let’s call it a feral cat,” Chapman told The Art Newspaper. “It was an oversized creature. It had a way of moving that didn’t register for me as if it was a domestic animal at all.” Works by 18 Australian artists are in the show. Some have seen the black cats, and some haven’t. —Elena Clavarino