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Gallery upgrade to boost cultural tourism

The tranformation of the Latrobe Regional Gallery into a thriving arts and cultural centre to boost tourism to Latrobe City

By Portal Admin - 9th January 2017 - Back to News

Funding of $770,000 from the State Government and a contribution from Latrobe City Council of $310,000 will see the Latrobe Regional Gallery transformed into a thriving arts and cultural centre capable of attracting international exhibitions and boosting tourism to Latrobe City. The major renovations will begin early in the new year, with the partial closure of the Gallery from 23 January 2017. The new-look centre will open in July 2017.

Latrobe City Council’s mayor, Councillor Kellie O’Callaghan, said the upgrade would provide a regional facility, not just for locals but for visitors from around the nation.

"An art gallery that is designed to host major international exhibitions could potentially attract tens of thousands of visitors to Latrobe City. The economic flow-on effect for our region would be significant as would the positive shift in perception for our image.

Latrobe Regional Gallery would be positioned as the major cultural centre for the east of the state. Latrobe City will be seen as the progressive, cultural leader for Gippsland and beyond.

"The refurbishment will provide professional signage for visitor orientation, gallery layout, toilet facilities, café, cloakroom, public gathering points and a gallery reception area. The upgraded gallery will also ensure that the collections can be stored safely, protecting their value and integrity for future generations.

"The renovations will begin in January and will mean the closure of the top floor from 23 January and of the ground floor from 6 February. The café will also close for some weeks, with the exact dates to be confirmed nearer the time. The gallery will remain closed until mid-July.

"During this time, Gallery staff will be relocating the collections and archiving them to safeguard from dust and other building-related impacts. They will be planning and preparing for large scale exhibitions starting mid next year and working with tourism sectors and other stakeholders to garner support for incoming and future international shows," Cr O’Callaghan said.

"The Gallery will continue to run professional development programs for local artists, students and teachers and our popular schools education program, off-site." Latrobe Regional Gallery director Mark Themann said it would be an exciting time for the Gallery over the next 12 months, with the gallery upgrades and two major international exhibitions expected.

"The new design will preserve and enhance the integrity of the building, while stripping off the unnecessary additions. Architect NAAU Studio’s approach has been to work with LRG and enhance its needs. The two exhibitions in the pipeline are both major international shows and will be a huge attraction for the region," Dr Themann said.

The concept designs for the Gallery will be on display until 8 January 2017.

Media Enquiries:

Cr Kellie O’Callaghan, Latrobe City Mayor

Telephone: 0400 696 324

Cr Graeme Middlemiss, Latrobe City Deputy Mayor

Telephone: 0417 379 059

Media Relations Office

Telephone: 5128 5458

For general enquiries, contact Latrobe City Council on 1300 367 700.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: support@gippsland.com



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