Thursday, August 24, 2023

Issue:

Mackay and Whitsunday Life

20 Years Of Artspace Mackay

Artspace Mackay is turning 20 this year, a huge milestone for the regional gallery.

For the last two decades, Artspace Mackay has been illuminating the best of exhibitions, artist talks, and workshops.

“I hear it time and time again from artists who come to exhibit here – we have one of the best regional galleries in all of Australia,” Mayor Greg Williamson said.

Since opening in 2003, Artspace Mackay has seen an estimated 600,000 visitors for across the world and Australia, hosted 343 exhibitions, and have collected 1200 works of arts.

Julie Boyd, Mayor from 1997 to 2008, was a strong backer of the project.

“We did a lot of surveying, across all demographics, before we built the gallery, and we asked people what they did when they went visiting new areas and almost every person said they visited museums and galleries,” Ms Boyd said.

“So, when you put the argument together, this space is about bringing people into our community as well as showcasing art to our local community.

“You can’t get some of the amazing travelling exhibitions that we get now without a proper gallery space.

Artspace Mackay director Tracey Heathwood said, “I am so blessed to work with an incredible team – they are all so passionate about what they do and we literally couldn’t open the doors without them.”

“I’d like to say a huge, heartfelt thank you to all of them.”

A big milestone for Artspace Mackay

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