Ararat Gallery TAMA facts for kids
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| Established | 1968 |
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| Location | 82 Vincent St, Ararat VIC 3377 |
| Type | Art gallery |
Ararat Gallery TAMA is a special art gallery in the city of Ararat, Australia. TAMA stands for Textile Art Museum Australia. It is a public gallery, meaning anyone can visit it.
The gallery is located inside the old and beautiful Ararat Town Hall building. You can find it where Vincent Street meets the Western Highway. This gallery is unique because it mainly collects and shows art made from textiles and fibres. Think of art made with fabric, yarn, or threads!
Contents
History of the Gallery
How the Gallery Started
The idea for the Ararat Gallery began in March 1968. The Mayor of Ararat, Councillor G Marx, held a public meeting. People decided to create an art gallery for the city.
The Ararat Shire Council helped by giving the gallery space in the Old Municipal Offices. These offices were inside the Ararat Town Hall. The Victorian Government also gave the gallery $1000 to help it start. This money was given every year until 1974.
In 1971, the gallery got even more space. Another room, the Old Council Chambers, became part of the gallery. This doubled the area where art could be shown.
Growing and Specializing
In 1973, Pamela Gullifer became the gallery's first full-time director. She helped the gallery grow a lot. By 1974, Ararat Gallery joined other regional galleries in Victoria.
It was under Pamela Gullifer's leadership in the mid-1970s that the gallery decided to focus on textile and fibre art. This made it very special.
The Town Hall Project
In 1978, the Council received a large grant of $1 million from the Victorian Government. This money was used to fix up the Ararat Town Hall. The goal was to turn it into the Ararat Arts Activity Centre.
This big project made the building look new on the outside. Inside, it was changed to include the gallery, a performing arts centre, and a new workshop for arts and crafts. The gallery became bigger and shared the building with the new Ararat Performing Arts Centre.
The Ararat Arts Activity Centre officially opened on April 26, 1979. Many important people attended the opening. The architects who designed the changes, Gunn Hayball Architects, even won an award for their work in 1980.
Exhibitions and Competitions
During the 1980s, the gallery organized many art shows that traveled to other places. They started a special competition called the "biennial." These competitions happened every two years.
The first four biennials (1981, 1983, 1985, 1987) were only for small textile artworks. Artists from Australia and other countries sent their work. The gallery bought many of these artworks for its collection. The last biennial in 1989 focused on more modern fibre art.
Becoming Part of the Council
In 2005, the Ararat Gallery became a part of the Ararat Rural City Council. This meant the Council took over running the gallery.
The gallery has continued to show amazing exhibitions about Australia's history of fibre art. Some notable shows included 'About Time: Australian Studio Tapestry 1975–2005' and 'Kate Just: The Knitted Works'. These exhibitions often traveled to other galleries too.
Modern Upgrades and New Name
A big project to improve the Ararat Arts Precinct was finished in 2018. This project cost over $7.7 million. Money came from the Victorian Government, the Australian Government, and even from community donations.
The architectural firm Williams Boag designed the upgrades. The gallery's existing spaces in the Town Hall were made better and larger. A new entrance and foyer were added, along with an arts workshop and a café.
In August 2018, the gallery got its new name: Ararat Gallery TAMA. This name highlights its focus as the Textile Art Museum Australia.
