❓ Mr. Millman asks about the Art Gallery of Western Australia rooftop redevelopment's impact on local jobs and tourism. The Minister responds enthusiastically, highlighting the project's success in creating jobs, showcasing WA artists, and attracting visitors.
AnsweredQoN 733Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
ART GALLERY — REDEVELOPMENT
733. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Culture and the
Arts:
Before
I ask my question, on behalf of the member for Wanneroo, I acknowledge in the
public gallery in Parliament today the leadership team from Wanneroo
Secondary College and Joseph Banks Secondary College.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to diversifying the local economy through its
investment in Western Australia's arts, cultural and hospitality
industries.
(1) Can the minister advise the house how the Art
Gallery of Western Australia rooftop redevelopment project has supported local jobs; and can the minister
outline what it will mean for further employment opportunities in the
hospitality and cultural tourism industries?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how this project will bring more people to the
Art Gallery and the broader cultural centre?
The SPEAKER : I think he
might be able to!
733. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Culture and the
Arts:
Before
I ask my question, on behalf of the member for Wanneroo, I acknowledge in the
public gallery in Parliament today the leadership team from Wanneroo
Secondary College and Joseph Banks Secondary College.
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to diversifying the local economy through its
investment in Western Australia's arts, cultural and hospitality
industries.
(1) Can the minister advise the house how the Art
Gallery of Western Australia rooftop redevelopment project has supported local jobs; and can the minister
outline what it will mean for further employment opportunities in the
hospitality and cultural tourism industries?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house how this project will bring more people to the
Art Gallery and the broader cultural centre?
The SPEAKER : I think he
might be able to!
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) Spectacular. That
is the word—spectacular!
Mr S.A. Millman : You are
talking about the Art Gallery, right?
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN :
Absolutely. On Thursday evening, the Premier and I and a large group of people
gathered on the rooftop of the Art
Gallery of Western Australia for what was not only the delivery of a very
important election commitment, but also the rebirth, the reimagining, of
our Art Gallery. I mean this sincerely, because when the director of the Art
Gallery, Mr Colin Walker, was appointed, he was charged with reimagining and
reinvigorating the Art Gallery of WA to refocus the work of the gallery and
indeed what the gallery delivers to audiences with a Western Australian focus. With the gallery reimagined and the rooftop
activated, we will see a spectacular addition to the cultural precinct.
We will see being welcomed into the gallery a huge number of people across all
ages, all backgrounds and all diversities, because we want to share the stories
of Western Australia. We want to make sure that the Western Australian artists
are front and centre in what the gallery has to offer, and that is one of the
key focuses that Colin Walker and his team at the Art Gallery of Western Australia
have delivered.
The other thing is the activation
of the rooftop, and it is spectacular. It includes a magnificent piece from
Christopher Pease, an Indigenous artist. It covers most of the upper section of
the Art Gallery rooftop. His work Targets is a remarkable piece of
Indigenous art that reflects the history of Western Australia from an
Indigenous through to a colonial perspective.
It captures the imagination of people who visit the gallery and of course at
night, during activation events on the rooftop, it is illuminated. This
is a major change to our Art Gallery. It is now a contemporary gallery,
reflecting Western Australian artistic endeavours.
The member asked about jobs. Very
proudly, dozens and dozens of Western Australian workers were involved in the construction work that was required, including
a number of Indigenous employees who were contracted to deliver this
magnificent and spectacular rooftop re-imagination. The other thing of course
is it now allows some of our art pieces that
have been concealed for some time to be front and centre, including our
sculptures. Madam Speaker, you would be very interested in the number of
sculptures that are now positioned on the rooftop, including The Caller ,
a very famous sculpture—it is worth a lot of money, too, I might say.
I am so pleased that the member
asked this question because it allows us to reflect on how important the
creative industries are to Western Australia, to our economy, to our
diversification and of course to tourism. We know that when it is safe to open
up our cultural institutions to visitors, both international and interstate, we
have a spectacular story to tell. I commend all the artists involved, with
their works exhibited in the gallery at this moment. I commend Colin Walker, his team and the board, headed by
Janet Holmes � Court. I also particularly acknowledge the Premier for his deep interest in the rooftop project. He
is a man of culture! I must say that this is a great addition to the cultural
precinct more broadly. This government opened Boola Bardip, our new museum, and
of course this re-imagined gallery is part of a very important precinct
for Perth and Western Australia going forward. It is something that all Western
Australians should be very proud of.
is the word—spectacular!
Mr S.A. Millman : You are
talking about the Art Gallery, right?
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN :
Absolutely. On Thursday evening, the Premier and I and a large group of people
gathered on the rooftop of the Art
Gallery of Western Australia for what was not only the delivery of a very
important election commitment, but also the rebirth, the reimagining, of
our Art Gallery. I mean this sincerely, because when the director of the Art
Gallery, Mr Colin Walker, was appointed, he was charged with reimagining and
reinvigorating the Art Gallery of WA to refocus the work of the gallery and
indeed what the gallery delivers to audiences with a Western Australian focus. With the gallery reimagined and the rooftop
activated, we will see a spectacular addition to the cultural precinct.
We will see being welcomed into the gallery a huge number of people across all
ages, all backgrounds and all diversities, because we want to share the stories
of Western Australia. We want to make sure that the Western Australian artists
are front and centre in what the gallery has to offer, and that is one of the
key focuses that Colin Walker and his team at the Art Gallery of Western Australia
have delivered.
The other thing is the activation
of the rooftop, and it is spectacular. It includes a magnificent piece from
Christopher Pease, an Indigenous artist. It covers most of the upper section of
the Art Gallery rooftop. His work Targets is a remarkable piece of
Indigenous art that reflects the history of Western Australia from an
Indigenous through to a colonial perspective.
It captures the imagination of people who visit the gallery and of course at
night, during activation events on the rooftop, it is illuminated. This
is a major change to our Art Gallery. It is now a contemporary gallery,
reflecting Western Australian artistic endeavours.
The member asked about jobs. Very
proudly, dozens and dozens of Western Australian workers were involved in the construction work that was required, including
a number of Indigenous employees who were contracted to deliver this
magnificent and spectacular rooftop re-imagination. The other thing of course
is it now allows some of our art pieces that
have been concealed for some time to be front and centre, including our
sculptures. Madam Speaker, you would be very interested in the number of
sculptures that are now positioned on the rooftop, including The Caller ,
a very famous sculpture—it is worth a lot of money, too, I might say.
I am so pleased that the member
asked this question because it allows us to reflect on how important the
creative industries are to Western Australia, to our economy, to our
diversification and of course to tourism. We know that when it is safe to open
up our cultural institutions to visitors, both international and interstate, we
have a spectacular story to tell. I commend all the artists involved, with
their works exhibited in the gallery at this moment. I commend Colin Walker, his team and the board, headed by
Janet Holmes � Court. I also particularly acknowledge the Premier for his deep interest in the rooftop project. He
is a man of culture! I must say that this is a great addition to the cultural
precinct more broadly. This government opened Boola Bardip, our new museum, and
of course this re-imagined gallery is part of a very important precinct
for Perth and Western Australia going forward. It is something that all Western
Australians should be very proud of.
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