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The £2.7 million project to extend Newlyn Art Gallery and create
a new art space in the Old Telephone Exchange in Penzance, is "hanging
in the balance".
Elizabeth Knowles, director of the gallery, said this week that staff
would not know until the end of January 2005 whether all the money was
in place for the project. "It is all hanging in the balance at the
moment as we are still waiting to hear whether we are getting a £1.2
million grant from the Arts Lottery Capital," she said.
"The grant was allocated to us last year, but has not yet been confirmed
and we are all holding on by our nails here at the gallery."
Her comments came as The Foundation for Sport and the Arts this week
announced that they had awarded a grant of £25,000 towards the project.
"We are delighted to have received this money and providing we get
the £1.2 million Lottery grant, only need to find a further £50,000
ourselves," said Ms Knowles.
"We have been told that we will certainly get the Lottery grant,
but I cannot help but be doubtful as we were told that the grant would
be confirmed last summer.
"The delay has resulted in the project being delayed quite considerably.
However, if we receive confirmation by the end of January as indicated,
work on the Newlyn Gallery extension and the conversion of the Old Telephone
Exchange will begin in June or July with a launch date of 2007."
Ms Knowles said that the delayed grant from the Arts Lottery Capital
Fund was administered by the Arts Council.
"Apparently they have a very long drawn out procedure before confirming
whether grants are made or not," she said.
"They have to make sure that the project is sustainable and supported
by the local community. At the moment, as far as I see it, the whole project
hangs in the balance."
The £2.5 million joint project was due to begin this summer and
should have been completed in October 2005.
It includes a gallery extension at Newlyn which has been designed to
provide a link detached pavilion to the original building.
Like the original gallery the proposed top floor of the two storey extension
would have a lantern roof and a large exhibition/education room providing
42.8m sq of open space and offering panoramic views of Mount's Bay.
The ground floor of the extension would provide access lift, service
stairs, shop entrance, hall, reception, cafe and information area.
A basement area containing utility store, dark room and storage area
is also proposed. The extension would increase the footprint of the existing
gallery from 175 metres square to 255 metres square.
The new pavilion would employ natural indigenous materials to match the
original building.
At the Old Telephone Exchange in New Street, Penzance, Ms Knowles wants
to turn the ground floor of the massive building into a new gallery space
and education centre, with gallery shop and office space. It is currently
leased by the gallery to provide local artists with studios.
article copyright © THE CORNISHMAN
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