Arts
That $30m arts pledge
LITTLE has been written about Premier Paul Lennon’s pledge (Feb 22) to invest up to $30 million over the next two years in restoring, preserving and redeveloping the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery’s wonderful complex of historic buildings on the Hobart waterfront.
Lennon also said it was inappropriate that the waterfront was little more than a public car park and promised that the Dunn St carpark, next the the museum, would not be sold to developers.
To date, no-one has come forward with such a bold plan, not even Jim Bacon, who was better known as an arts lover than his successor. TMAG is a dump of a place, but with money, vision and a good architect, it could be a brilliant place and a must-see destination for visitors regardless of its collections.
Whether or not Labor is returned at the March 18 state election, a massive investment pledge into TMAG is great news because it puts the cultural agenda for the state to the forefront, no matter who wins government.
So why so little comment? C’mon! Praise where praise is due …