Local museums were the big winners in the recently announced Arts NSW Regional Capital Grant Program. In total $474,656 was provided towards eight regional capital projects throughout NSW.

Five of these (totalling $325,000) relate to museum projects and include the construction of a new exhibition space at the Berrima District Museum and redevelopment work at the Greens Gunyah Museum.

To supplement the Arts NSW grant, Gunyah has raised funds totalling $375,000 from all three levels of government and several community organisations to construct a purpose-built storage and display area. 

The Museum has suffered two floods in the last 18 months from the Brookong Creek and while the existing heritage-listed museum building will remain on the site, a state of the art new building will be built on the northern side of the block. It will house the highly acclaimed Doris Golder Collection – a unique set of woollen artworks which attracts a significant audience of craft practitioners and designers, according to museum volunteer, Mary O’Connell. The archive and other significant objects will be secured in the new building protecting them from flood and preserving them for the future.

The Lockhart Shire Council is particularly supportive of the project, managing the design and tender process while fully recognising the contribution made to the town by the museum facility, its volunteers and the unique collection. The Museum has been a recent participant of the M&G NSW Standards Program, working with Kim Biggs to ensure museum processes and procedures are in accordance with Australian standards.

Congratulations to all!

To see a complete list of successful 2014 applicants go to www.arts.nsw.gov.au