INVESTMENT OVERDUE

THE plan to expand Geelong Gallery into neighbouring City Hall has been around for more than a decade. Before the impressive library dome was built and before the Geelong Arts Centre’s redevelopment was even conceived, stakeholders had identified that the popular gallery was running out of space and needed to expand.

All these years later, and while its cultural precinct neighbours continue to grow and develop, the gallery is forced to keep much of its permanent collection in storage.

The gallery estimates that only about 3 per cent of the 6000-plus pieces of art in its permanent collection are able to be on display at any one time in its century old building.

A business case for the long-overdue expansion of the gallery has identified that a redevelopment to cater to its needs now and into the future will require between $110m$120m of government investment over the next five years.

It is not a small number. But when you consider that the ask is less than what the state government has committed for stage 5 alone of the Kardinia Park stadium redevelopment – and a fraction of what the several stages of the stadium’s development have cost all levels of government over the past decade – it is not a fanciful request.

The gallery has shown in recent years its strength and potential as a major tourist drawcard.

The Archibald Prize exhibitions drew visitors from across the state, injecting much-needed funds into our tourism economy.

Expanding the gallery will provide the space to not only house more special exhibitions of this ilk, but also show off the hidden gems of the permanent collection that have spent too many years stuck in storage.