The Liberal Government is a strong supporter of the arts in Tasmania.
The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) is one of the hubs of the arts in this state and is an institution which Tasmanians are justifiably proud of.
The Board of Trustees and museum management has informed me of their decision to align with other museums around Australia and the world by closing for one day per week.
The museum has recorded significant budget overruns of an average of $1 million per year over the past five years.
To continue in this manner would put at risk the ongoing viability of TMAG and the excellent position they have achieved as a premier visitor attraction and cultural hub.
I support the decision of the Trustees, which will allow TMAG to operate sustainably into the future.
The previous Labor-Green government completely failed to address this over a number of years. They failed to plan for the operational budget of TMAG after the redevelopment and as a result the significant budget overruns have continued.
The idea of closing for one day per week has been proposed previously – opening seven days per week is a challenge and something many major museums do not attempt.
Major museums and art galleries across the globe, including The Guggenheim Museum in New York, The Palazzo Grassi in Venice, the Centre Pompidou, the Louvre in Paris, and our own Museum of Old and New Art all close for one day per week. This provides an opportunity for the essential ‘back of house’ work required by institutions to showcase their significant collections and important public buildings to take place with minimal disruption to visitors .
Monday has been selected as the best day to close after a study commissioned by TMAG showed visitor numbers are significantly lower on Mondays. Closing Monday also ensures that it does not coincide with MONA’s closure on Tuesdays.
This decision will allow TMAG to continue as one of Tasmania’s top visitor attractions and the home of our state collection.
