IT\u2019S been a firm fixture on the east side of Lydiard Street North since mid-1890 and become the cultural heart of the city.<\/p>\n
Now the Art Galley of Ballarat has marked 130 years since opening its main building with a small acknowledgment last Saturday.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were looking forward to inviting Ballarat join us to celebrate this amazing old building, which has really been the beating heart of Ballarat\u2019s cultural life for 130 years, and that had to be put on hold,\u201d said Louise Tegart, director of the Art Galley of Ballarat.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are very excited that this anniversary comes at a time when we are about to re-open to the public on 1 July, and we will be able to reach out to the people of Ballarat once again.\u201d<\/p>\n
The icon, designed by Ballarat architect William Tappin, first opened to the public on 13 June 1890 as just the main building and the upstairs exhibition space, now known as the Oddie Gallery.<\/p>\n
Until that time the art collection had been on display in Her Majesty\u2019s Theatre, but the Gallery Association took on the job of funding and creating a purpose built home for the artworks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe building is important to the Association because it was the Association that secured the land and built the building, and established the Gallery\u2019s collection,\u201d said Pamela Foulkes, vice-president of the Association.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a space that enhances one\u2019s life. You can come in to the Gallery escape from what\u2019s happening outside and really enjoy experiencing works of beauty and skill, which was the intention of the original Association committee.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since 1890 the Gallery has expanded its overall footprint five times to include multiple exhibition spaces and retail outlets.<\/p>\n
Ms Tegart said the building\u2019s importance went well beyond Ballarat.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the oldest, purpose-built gallery in regional Australia, and we\u2019re still the largest,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s really important in the network of galleries across the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe spaces are all very different and they\u2019ve all been designed for different types of art.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Association ran the Gallery until the late 1970s, before handing it over to the City of Ballarat.<\/p>\n
However, the group still has a strong involvement with the space.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the key things about this Gallery is that it came out of people\u2019s wish and desire for a space. It wasn\u2019t a government initiative,\u201d Ms Tegart said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd that\u2019s what\u2019s so fantastic about our association, it\u2019s the largest friends of a regional gallery group in the country. It\u2019s that passion of people believing in the power of art to transform people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Foulkes said the Association\u2019s involvement with the Gallery was a strong and as meaningful today as it was over 130 years ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got just over 2000 members and in lots of ways there are the lifeblood of the Gallery,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n