Gallery Renovations: What's Happening Behind the Scenes?

YGallery Renovations: What's Happening Behind the Scenes?

You may be wondering what's happening with our Gallery renovations, particularly following the exciting announcement in June that Creative Connections Whitsunday had secured funding from the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) for our verandah renovations and Whitsunday Regional Council (WRC) through the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) for our Gallery mural.

While there has been little visible activity at the Gallery so far, plenty has been happening behind the scenes!

As with most building projects, the planning, paperwork and approval processes often take much longer than the actual construction work. Before we can get started, we need to ensure that all plans meet the necessary building requirements and receive the appropriate approvals.

We would particularly like to acknowledge Elmira, our architectural graduate, who has generously contributed her time and expertise to preparing the building plans. These plans are now with our builder, Tony Di Nardo, and the Building Certifier for review and progression through the certification process.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has contributed their professional skills and time to help us navigate this sometimes tedious but essential process. Much of this work has been generously undertaken on a voluntary basis, and we appreciate that those assisting us are juggling many other commitments.

So, when will the renovations begin?

The good news is that we're ready and eager to get started! As soon as the necessary approvals are in place, work can begin on removing the existing balustrades and enclosing the verandah to create a more functional and welcoming Gallery space.

Unfortunately, the timing of these approvals is largely outside our control, so we can't yet give a definite starting date. Rest assured, we're doing everything we can to keep things moving.

In the meantime, we've continued fundraising to support further Gallery improvements and make the most of the funding we've already received.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed through fundraising, donations, volunteering and professional assistance. Every contribution brings us closer to our vision of creating a vibrant and welcoming community arts space for Proserpine and the wider Whitsunday community.

We look forward to sharing more exciting progress with you as soon as the approvals are in place!