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The £4 million refurbishment and extension of Newlyn Art Gallery and
the development of The Exchange, a major new art space for Penzance, is
nearing completion.Penzance residents are starting to get a sneak
preview of the largest single gallery space south of Bristol as the
hoardings around the new Exchange are removed this week.
In Newlyn, work is continuing apace on the extensive refurbishment before both open with exhibitions on July 7.
Over
the past six years, while the £4million building plans have been taking
shape, the curatorial team has been developing their vision to bring
down the best in regional, national and international contemporary art.
The gallery space at The Exchange purposely retains the industrial feel
of the original telephone exchange, contrasting markedly with the
refined classical top-lit gallery at Newlyn - which will operate the
new sister venue.
Located
in Princes St, Penzance, passers-by are now getting the chance to see
the dramatic undulating glass fa??ade which runs the entire length of
the Exchange building.
The new exterior will be further
highlighted with an innovative ever-changing light display, designed by
Penwith based artist Peter Freeman.
Later this summer, people
will get the chance to explore the interior of the building which will
be shaped around a large T-shaped central gallery, a resource area, an
education workshop and a new cafe area.
Newlyn Art Gallery will
boast two refurbished exhibition galleries and a new education room.
The glass pavilion on the seaward side of the gallery will also house a
specialist bookshop and cafe with additional seating in the secluded
gallery garden.
Work is continuing on the new lower gallery and the upper gallery will be refurbished.
The
renowned Victorian lantern that allows natural daylight to flood the
gallery is also undergoing much-needed renovation and with a vast
window offering panoramic views across Mount's Bay, Newlyn's new
education room will provide a designated learning and development space
for first time in its 111-year history.
For the inaugural
exhibitions, Cornwall based organisation ProjectBase is directing
extensive collaborations with seven national and international artists
and artists' collectives.
James Green, director of The Exchange
and Newlyn Art Gallery says: "Now that the hoardings have come down the
drama and scale of the building is very apparent. Still only a handful
of people have seen the building's interior but all have been
overwhelmed by the scale and elegance of the building's exhibition,
education, retail and catering areas."
Sara Black, director of
ProjectBase said: "Working with artists to fill the amazing new space
at The Exchange, and the newly expanded Newlyn Gallery, has been an
exhilarating project, and our exhibitions there plus our further social
systems works at Tate St Ives and in the public realm will provoke new
reactions from our audiences."
article copyright THE CORNISHMAN
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