New gallery facility to bring art and visitors DownTown
23 January 2019
Driving creative and economic development in heart of Murwillumbah
There’s now more of the Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre to enjoy, following the recent opening of the Gallery DownTown in Murwillumbah’s CBD.
The Gallery DownTown is the annexe of one of the State’s most recognised regional galleries, Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre (TRGMOAC). Located just 1.5km from the Tweed Regional Gallery, the Gallery DownTown is on the first floor of the M-Arts Precinct (corner of Brisbane Street and Proudfoots Lane).
An initiative of Council, the Gallery DownTown aims to act as a driver of creative and economic development in the heart of Murwillumbah’s CBD.
The Gallery DownTown’s recently appointed Curator, Ruth Della, has a background in both the arts and business. She was the Creative Director of the highly successful SWELL Sculpture Festival on the Gold Coast for 11 years however started her career somewhere very different - a stockbroking firm.
“I’m very excited about this opportunity to work for such a well-known and much-loved gallery and this role is ideal as I can draw on my experience in business and my passion for the arts,” Ms Della said.
“Tweed Regional Gallery is a destination, whereas the Gallery DownTown is accessible right in the heart of town – easily accessed from the street visitors can indulge in quality artworks and the beautifully designed space.”
In the first 12 months of operation since opening in March 2014, the Margaret Olley Art Centre contributed $7.38M to the Tweed economy. The Gallery DownTown aims to build on this success and further Council’s work to support the establishment of the M-Arts precinct and stimulate the local economy.
“TRGMOAC visitors will be drawn to the town centre to explore the array of cultural facilities, private art studios and local businesses in the Murwillumbah CBD. It’s also just a short walk to another wonderful Council cultural facility, the Tweed Regional Museum in Queensland Road,” Ms Della said.
The inaugural exhibition, Tetralogy: profiling the four collection areas, features works across four areas: Australian portraits; artworks of regional relevance; Australian artists’ prints and the life and work of Margaret Olley.
The Gallery DownTown is open Monday to Wednesday and Friday from 10am to 3pm (NSW time) and Saturday 10am to 2pm. It is closed Thursday and Sunday.
The M-Arts Precinct has become a focal point of creative activity in the region, presenting commercial exhibitions fostering the work of artists of the area and supporting creative development through workshops and tutorials.
M-Arts founder Stephen Webb said the addition of the Gallery DownTown to the precinct would add to the quality of the arts scene and bring more visitors into town.
“We're hoping to be the catalyst for many more initiatives along these lines - to bring the art out in the open and the people to art - for Murwillumbah to become known for its impressive art scene,” Mr Webb said.
For more information visit https://artgallery.tweed.nsw.gov.au/GalleryDownTown
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Photo 1(JPG, 106KB)
Caption: Curator of the new Gallery DownTown is Ruth Della.
Photo 2(JPG, 124KB)
Caption: Gallery DownTown Curator, Ruth Della, with M-Arts founder Stephen Webb and Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre Director, Susi Muddiman.