Moree Plains Art Gallery curator Hannah Williamson, left, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, Gallery Education Officer Janelle Boyd and Gallery Director Vivien Clyne inspect the verandah area and discuss grant funding to put a new insulated steel roof in its place.
Tuesday, 31 January 2017
A GRANT worth just over $21,500 will help the Moree Plains Gallery double its outdoor education area allowing for more workshops and art and cultural programs, according to Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall.
The gallery’s management committee says the $21,583 grant announced by Mr Marshall will allow it to build a new roof over the outside workshop area.
The gallery director Vivien Clyne has described the funding as exciting and the latest project in an ongoing gallery plan to deliver more vibrant and interesting programs.
“We’re thrilled about this funding; it will allow us to construct an insulated steel roof over the verandah area,” Mrs Clyne said.
“We currently only have shade cloth and a new roof will make it a lot more comfortable, and make the space more usable and practical.”
Mr Marshall said the grant from the Community Building Partnership program from the State Government would allow the Moree Cultural Art Foundation to replace the old timber pergola and replace the beams which dated back to the 1980s and in some places were rotting.
“The outdoor workshop is used over 15 times a week for separate groups, many of them tactile workshops where kids can get arty and messy with their creations with their painting and drawing projects.
“But because it’s not covered or protected from the sun or the rain it’s restricted by weather conditions.
“The covered area will let the gallery achieve even greater aims and successes, particularly with school vacation and after-school activities and for programs for children on the autism spectrum and others recovering from mental illness.”
The latest grant follows a $59,000 funding boost announced by Mr Marshall late last year under a regional arts capital investment program which will be used to update its bathroom facilities.
Mrs Clyne said the two grants were integral to a gallery strategic plan to upgrade the building over the next few years.
The works to provide disabled facilities as well as update and renovate the antiquated and old bathrooms at the gallery is expected to be done later this year, but the gallery hopes to do the roof extension and upgrade before July.
“The gallery operates six days a week and they have a wide and varied program of workshops and activities that are engaging more and more people across the community so this funding really meets a need,” Mr Marshall said.
“The Moree Plains Art Gallery is moving forward with cultural events and it’s more than just a gallery now; it is a true cultural centre offering workshops for adults and children that function as art therapy.”