New lease on life for Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery

21 January 2021

The canvas of Stanthorpe’s thriving art scene has received an exciting new layer with the Southern Downs Regional Council voting at yesterday’s Special Meeting in favour of expanding the art gallery’s current site at Weerona Park to create a new hub to showcase art on the Granite Belt.

After a decade of discussions and investigations, Council reviewed a number of options and elected to significantly expand the gallery at an expected cost of approximately $4m to address storage, space and safety issues.

After an initial proposal was presented to Council in 2014, concept designs have evolved through consultation with gallery staff and key stakeholders, and yesterday’s deliberations considered the options of a minimal $250,000 upgrade, a modest $1.5m upgrade, a $4m upgrade or building a new gallery on new site, costing $12m or $18m depending on the extent of the new building.

In making the decision, Southern Downs Mayor Vic Pennisi said that Council weighed up which projects were the right ones to support across the region.

“We have a systematic approach to making decisions that best meet the needs of the community and region,” Mayor Pennisi said.

“The Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery has strong links in the community and the question surrounding how the facility would grow alongside the vibrant local art scene has been bubbling away for some time.

“A number of options at various costing levels have been considered over the years and the recommended expansion option presents the right balance for the art gallery to accommodate future needs of the community.”

Councillor Jo McNally also supported the decision and said it hailed an exciting future for the arts on the Southern Downs and Granit Belt.

“Art galleries have evolved since the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery was built and exhibitions now include a variety of different mediums such as videos, audio and music,” Councillor McNally said.

“This new creative vision for the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery will meet the needs of the community and the rich and creative art scene on the Southern Downs and Granite Belt.”

The Stanthorpe Library will also benefit from the decision, with the proposed expansion allocating more space to the local facility.

In realising the proposed expansion of the gallery and library, Council will consult with the Stanthorpe Regional Art Gallery Committee and apply for funding under the Building Better Regions Fund Round 5.

The proposed expansion calls for a significant build out on the northern and eastern sides of the existing gallery and the eastern side of the existing library and could include additional space for education and workshops.