Griffith City Council has committed to delivering a new Regional Art Gallery to the city in the next five years, following complaints that the existing gallery is insufficient.
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At last night's council meeting, it was decided that council would build a new purpose-built gallery by 2026 and begin working on ways to fund the project.
As part of the commitment, council will set aside funds in the 2022/23 operational budget, create a building fund reserve, put together a community committee, and identify a suitable site for the art gallery.
Council will also put together a master plan for a proposed cultural precinct, which could potentially hold the gallery as well as the library, museum and regional theatre.
The motion to commit to the art gallery was put forward by councillor Mike Neville, who said a new art gallery is both what the community wants and an obvious way to boost the city's economy.
It's the perfect opportunity ... to provide this community with a stimulus, a facility and a dream.
- Councillor Mike Neville
"It's the perfect opportunity for this council, looking forward, to provide this community with a stimulus, a facility and a dream that is supported broadly in the community," Cr Neville said during the meeting.
"Currently we don't have significant space and often we don't have sufficient space to highlight the quality of work on display."
"Our art collection here in Griffith is significant and a purpose-built gallery would allow us to properly display it."
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Cr Neville added that a purpose-built gallery could be open on a full-time basis and would attract visitors from across the country, boosting Griffith as a tourism destination.
"If we build they will come," he said.
Councillors discussed simply agreeing in principal to build the gallery, however it was decided that committing to the works would be a stronger move.
The motion was passed, with six councillors voting in support and two against.
The move to build the gallery comes following a community push for the current gallery to be replaced, with residents saying it is too small and doesn't have adequate climate control.
A group of Griffith's passionate artists gathered last month and called for a new gallery to be built on the patch of land next to the visitor's centre, currently set aside for a $600,000 rose garden.
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