A BELOVED Colchester art gallery will reopen this autumn with the charity which owns the building revealing “exciting” plans to transform the cultural asset.
The Victor Batte Lay Foundation hoped to reopen the Grade II listed Minories, in East Hill, next month and launched a fundraising campaign to try to raise £30,000.
However, delays to works which need to be done before Colchester Institute terminates its lease mean this has been pushed back.
Read more >>> The Minories gallery in Colchester could reopen in September
The charity has used the time to finalise its plans for the gallery, which will have art exhibitions, studio space, a café run by the charity and space for community groups.
Feering artist Ben Coode-Adams, who is also a trustee of the Victor Batte Lay Foundation, said: “Unfortunately we definitely won’t be opening in September. Colchester Institute is doing redecoration repairs at the moment on site.
"We have put in lots of funding bids to raise cash and we have had around £10,000 in donations from the public, which is amazing.
“We are hoping we will get back control of the building some time in October but we may not be ready to open straight away as it will need a deep clean to meet Covid guidelines.
“We will be open before the end of November but I hope it will be sooner. It is an exciting time for us at the moment compared to where we were in June.”
The galleries at the front of the premises will remain whilst the area at the bottom of the stairs will become a café area.
Lunch will be served in the existing garden café area where space will also be offered to community groups.
Mr Coode-Adams said: “The café came out when we were talking to people as the top thing they wanted to see and it ties in nicely with the social functions we will have going on. All the money raised will go towards keeping The Minories going.
“Lots of clubs and groups are looking for somewhere Covid secure to run their meet ups and social events so we are keen to help them out.
“The art will remain an important part and we are not losing sight of that but the town needs somewhere for these events to take place.
“We have four exhibitions already planned, the first of which will feature works from four Colchester Institute graduates.” Deborah Lander, Kayleigh Reed, Heidi Sharp and Shane Wimbledon. We want to keep the connection with art students and young emerging artists going.”
The gallery was closed in June as Colchester Institute and Wilkin and Sons said they could not afford to run it.
Read more >>> Minories gallery shuts after being hit by financial hardship
It was feared the gallery would remain closed until 2023 but a wave of support for the gallery has seen it re-open far quicker.
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