Gallery closure cut short

Te Manawa’s art gallery will reopen next month after the originally slated 10-month closure provoked a public outcry.

The 40-year-old building shut last month for repairs and improvements to make it safe and improve display areas. The Te Manawa Art Society and other art enthusiasts were unhappy with the length of the closure and since then the Palmerston North City Council and Te Manawa have ‘‘rescoped’’ the work so it can be finished earlier. However, a councillor has warned this means some of the non-essential work planned had been put off.

‘‘Work should all now be completed by the end of September,’’ council community general manager Debbie Duncan said. ‘‘This includes work on the gallery walls, reworking the reception and some minor improvements to the staffroom."

Te Manawa’s chief executive Andy Lowe said the museum hoped reducing the scope of the planned work to the gallery building dealt with the concerns of those unhappy at the 10-month closure.

Cr Rachel Bowen said the concerns were are at the forefront of the decision to reopen sooner.

‘‘There certainly was an element of making the most of having the building closed and doing other jobs during that time . . . They are now focusing on what needs to be done, not just what could be done,’’ she said.

The council has not yet responded to a request for what work will now have to be deferred.