Council has resolved to establish a skills based Board for the new Hamilton Gallery at the May Ordinary Meeting of Council last week. The Board has been established with a clear purpose of raising the funds required to build the new Hamilton Gallery and also operate the Gallery once opened.
Following a resolution to build a new Hamilton Gallery at Lake Hamilton in 2018, Council determined that alongside contributions from State and Federal Governments, private donations and philanthropic funding would be critical to the projects successful completion. Council resolved in 2019 to create an entity, separate to Council, specifically for this purpose of fundraising and this week’s decision to establish a skills based Board is the latest stage in this process.
Council also resolved to appoint three experienced and influential Directors to head up the Board. Mr Allan Myers AC QC, Ms Merran Kelsall and Mr Gordon Dickinson were put forward because of their fundraising and philanthropic experience and knowledge, as well as their significant contribution to the visual arts sector in Australia.
Southern Grampians Shire Council Mayor Cr Chris Sharples said Council was pleased to see further progress on this important project for the region.
“The establishment of a skills based Board for the new Hamilton Gallery means that we can get on with the big job at hand of raising the funds required to build the Gallery.
“We’re fortunate to have people of the calibre of Allan Myers, Merran Kelsall and Gordon Dickinson who are willing to volunteer their time to work with us to get this very important project off the ground. We look forward to working with them,” Cr Sharples said.
Council and the Board will work together under a Memorandum of Understanding, to achieve a new building for the Gallery, located at Lake Hamilton, to increase the profile and visitor numbers and to promote the arts in the region. Although operated by the Board, the new Gallery will ultimately remain under the control of Council.
The next steps for the project involve a meeting this month of the New Hamilton Gallery Project Reference Group. This group, established in 2019 and charged with managing the initial stages of the project, is comprised of representatives from Council, Community, HRBA, the Friends of the Gallery and the Gallery Trust.
