Humidity Control system in Art Gallery

Wagga Wagga’s arts and culture community can expect to see a greater variety of nationally acclaimed artworks and collections on show in the city’s galleries in the near future.

Wagga Wagga Art Gallery will operate at national standards with the installation of a new Humidity Control (HC) system alongside the roll out of the new Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system at the Civic Centre.

The new HC system will allow the gallery to borrow and display works from Australian and international museums. It is being funded with a $192,000 grant secured through Clubgrants Category 3 Infrastructure Grants, supported by the NSW Government.

Art Gallery Director Caroline Geraghty said the project will take the quality and diversity of exhibitions in Wagga to a “higher level”.

“The importance of this grant towards a refurbishment of the air conditioning system cannot be understated,” Ms Geraghty said.

“The gallery is now 20 years old so the upgrade to our exhibition spaces and collection storage area means we’ll be operating to the industry standard which can accommodate exhibitions from across the globe.

“We will soon have access to some of the most unique collections which our local communities and visitors to the region can enjoy, right here on their doorstep.

“It’s a fantastic result for the whole community which will benefit it so many ways.

“It will also help protect our permanent collection from damage for the enjoyment of future generations.”

Ms Geraghty said the new systems will provide temperature and relative humidity control to spaces in the Main and Margaret Carnegie Galleries.

“At present our air conditioning units do not provide the conditions required by institutions to loan their artwork - the majority of museums and galleries follow the Bizot Green Protocol,” Ms Geraghty said.

“These changes mean we have the ability to borrow artwork from major institutional collections and completely transform the level of exhibitions and programs we can offer our community and visitors.

“The new units will also provide the best possible climate controls to preserve the gallery’s permanent collection holdings for generations to come.”

Community organisations across the State were awarded a total of $4 million to fund local projects under the Infrastructure Grants program.

Projects that build or upgrade facilities across sport and recreation, arts and culture, disaster readiness and essential community infrastructure received the funding.

Wagga’s art gallery was one of the 32 projects funded.