Gallery wins award for 'transforming' the CBD

IMAGINE Awards recognise inspiring exhibition design, innovative programming and deep audience engagement.

The Lismore Regional Gallery has won an IMAGine Award. Picture: Katie Holmes

THE new Lismore Regional Gallery and Quadrangle has won a 2018 IMAGinE award.

The awards were presented by Museums & Galleries of NSW last Friday night, with the gallery and quad winning the Capacity Building, Capital and Sustainability Programs category.

This award recognised the development of the new $5.8 million gallery building and the creation of Lismore's CBD-focused gathering space, the Lismore Quadrangle.

The new gallery and quad development has increased visitation at the site and inspired a new program of ongoing events and activities as well as providing a space for lively discussions, performances, art installations and experimental theatre, performance and dance.

Museums & Galleries of NSW Chair Jennifer Barrett with Gallery Director Brett Adlington and Gallery Administrator Sarah Harvey. Picture: Tim da-Rin photography

"We are really thrilled to be recognised for this new space - it has transformed the centre of the city and given Lismore a dedicated space to engage with and celebrate art, culture, music and community performance," Gallery Director Brett Adlington said.

"The new space has allowed the presentation of significant work by international artists such as Anish Kapoor, Jim Lambie, Daniel Buren, Picasso, Miro and Rembrandt alongside high quality locally developed exhibitions and performances. It has been embraced by the Lismore community and we are only just getting started! We are so humbled to win this award and we are so excited to see where we can take the gallery and the quad into the future."

The annual IMAGinE awards honour best-practice education programs, outreach projects, exhibitions, collection management projects and achievements of individuals.

This year saw 96 nominations, the largest number in the history of the awards, representing the best of regional and metropolitan NSW visual arts and cultural heritage experiences.

Museums & Galleries of NSW CEO Michael Rolfe commended all recipients.

"The judging panel was highly impressed by the quality and breadth of this years' IMAGinE Awards nominations," he said.

"Among the nominations we saw many examples of inspiring exhibition design, innovative programming and deep audience engagement... it was fantastic to see not only familiar nominees who continue to excel each year but also new organisations and fresh faces."