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Onwards and upwards

The sudden closure of the Southland Museum and Art Gallery is a real shocker. However, as Mayor Shadbolt pointed out in his Southland Times column (April 14), opportunities will arise from this crisis. Particularly as the issue of rejuvenation of the Invercargill CBD is a hot topic right now.

There’s potential to build upon the heritage values of the centre city by housing the permanent and temporary exhibits of the now closed museum in some of Invercargill’s unused heritage buildings, at least as a temporary measure.

‘‘Pop Up’’ shopfront heritage displays could also be a great and cost effective way to liven up some of the empty spaces in Invercargill’s CBD, and increase public exposure to local art and history. Installing some of the treasures from the Southland Museum and Art Gallery in the centre of town would build upon the benefits that Motorcycle Mecca brings to the city’s central business district. It will increase the centre city’s desirability as a destination for locals and tourists alike.

I hope that city leaders will manage to rack up substantial cultural and economic wins for Invercargill out of this. The closure of the much loved old museum building could actually be ‘‘onwards and upwards’’ for Invercargill. Duncan Eddy Purakaunui

What madness is this?

As a frequent visitor to New Zealand and one with family in Invercargill, I have spent a lot of time there. One of the few joys remaining in that dying city is (was) the museum but now I learn of its closure.

What ill advised madness is this? As I understand it, the reason given for the closure of this cultural icon is that the museum is ‘‘prone’’ to earthquake damage.

Singling out this one building seems rather draconian to me ... what of all of the other buildings that are also ‘‘prone’’ to earthquake damage? After all, New Zealand as a country is ‘‘prone’’ to earthquake damage.

I have also learned that a whole city block on Esk Street (Invercargill’s equivalent to Queen Street in Auckland ) is to be razed to the ground, including important heritage buildings, to make room for a new retail and entertainment centre. Why? What thought has been given to the business owners who have struggled against the odds to keep at least some of Invercargill alive and functioning? Who in their right mind can honestly believe that this wholly unnecessary undertaking is going to serve Southland in any meaningful way, or lure new life to your beleaguered city?

Destroying heritage buildings should be a crime - one of the lures to Invercargill has been those very buildings that are about to go under the wrecking ball. Linda Peacock Pennsylvania United States Abridged - Editor

Gore’s example

Congratulations to Jim Geddes and his team for preserving the classical Eastern Southland Gallery by bracing walls, parapets and cornices, re-doing some masonry and carrying out some other structural strengthening in their historic brick building built in 1909. ( Southland Times, April 18). No question of closing down and laying off skilled and dedicated staff such as Invercargill City Council and museum trust board are doing.

Our ancestors would be horrified at what has been foisted on Invercargill with the indefinite closure of both our Anderson Park Art Gallery and now, suddenly, the Southland museum.

The museum trust board obviously has to defer to Invercargill City Council and this is too important a decision to be shouldered by the trust board alone. Surely ICC, as territorial authority, has a responsibility to retain the museum to strengthen and repair it like Gore is with its beautiful gallery.

Please would Community Trust of Southland reinstate the $5 million originally promised, so it can be used immediately on strengthening the parts of the building under spec. Sports have had more than their fair share of funding from the community trust and we have a deadline to meet now.

Another art gallery won’t do as a substitute - patronage of the current one in Don Street is pathetic and our museum is so much more than just an art gallery.

Also, Anderson Park - with its stately architecture and magnificent gardens - should be reinstated as an art gallery again too. We do not require a costly new art gallery.

What exactly is the ulterior motive of the current hasty shutdown? Liz and Peter Cruickshank Invercargill