Art Gallery re-opens

Beverley Art Gallery, located in the Treasure House, has officially reopened after a complete refurbishment. The new-look gallery now offers greatly improved space for temporary exhibitions, as well as a vastly enhanced environment for its permanent exhibits.

The refurbishment was funded by a grant of £76,000 from Arts Council England, topped up by £260,000 from the council, and the work has now provided an art gallery which can boast the highest security rankings, allowing it to bid to host top national and international touring exhibitions.

Councillor Richard Burton, portfolio holder for civic wellbeing and culture, said : "I am delighted to see the completion of this exciting project, which has really placed Beverley on the map for top-class touring exhibitions – the potential now is huge.

“I would like to thank Arts Council England for their contribution, and the team at the Art Gallery for their efforts and enthusiasm to make the most of this refurbishment. I am delighted that the prudent financial management at this authority has allowed us to make this investment in the Art Gallery here in Beverley.  It will once again allow the town to compete for world class exhibitions, bringing more tourists to Beverley, and boosting the local economy.”

Curator Gerardine Mulcahy-Parker said : “We have removed all the ‘clutter’, such as wires and boxed-in cables from various locations in the gallery, to create brighter, more open spaces to house the exhibits. Our room for touring displays is now a huge white space, allowing all the exhibitions to be seen to maximum effect, whilst retaining the superb Edwardian features of this magnificent building. For instance, we have period lighting – replicas with an Edwardian ‘feel’ -   but have also added modern LED lighting, and the redecoration of the entire gallery is superb.”

“Our other gallery  is now in a Venetian red, to show off the paintings beautifully. We have cleaned and restored many of our permanent exhibits, which have now taken on a whole new lease of life. We have also repainted the stairwell in Vermeer yellow. We look forward to welcoming visitors once again – if you haven’t been for a while, come and experience the difference.”

The first exhibition in the Art Gallery is ‘Drawing stone from the Landscape’, an exhibition of sculpture by Daniel Fraser Jones, which runs until 20 September. Admission is free to the Art Gallery, as part of a visit to the Treasure House. The Gallery is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9.30am to 5pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9.30am to 8pm, and on Saturdays from 9am to 4pm.