Geelong Gallery waiting on funding for expansion which could attract 350,000 visitors by 2035

Geelong Gallery’s director and CEO Jason Smith says he remains “upbeat” about the gallery’s proposed expansion, despite a lack of government funding.

An architect’s impression of an expanded Geelong Gallery used in Geelong Gallery’s expansion business case. Picture: John Wardle Architects.

Geelong Gallery’s director and chief executive officer Jason Smith says he remains “upbeat” about the gallery’s proposed $115m expansion despite a lack of government funding.

In December 2021, Geelong Gallery released a business case to expand the gallery, including into City Hall and the adjoining conference centre.

The gallery has been trying to secure investment of $115m from federal, state and local governments, as well as from philanthropic sources.

But almost two years on, it is yet to receive any funding commitments from the state or federal governments.

The Liberal Party delivered a last-minute election pledge of $40m for the gallery’s expansion in last year’s state election, but Labor was re-elected.

Geelong Gallery director and CEO Jason Smith says he remains “upbeat” about the proposed expansion, despite a lack of funding commitments from the government. Picture: David Smith.

But Mr Smith said he remained “upbeat” about the expansion, despite being “realistic about the government’s funding imperatives” in the current economy.

“We are very glass half full about it,” said Mr Smith.

He said he had been in discussions with state and federal governments.

“There has been an enormous sense of goodwill from all government stakeholders,” he said.

Mr Smith said the gallery’s first goal was to access regional development funding of about $5m, which would enable the gallery to proceed to the detailed design and development stage.

After the state government cancelled the Commonwealth Games in July, the gallery released an updated business case which predicted that an expansion would attract 350,000 yearly visitors by 2035, generate $113m in additional operating revenue over 30 years and provide $73.924m in net induced direct tourism spend over 30 years.

In a July opinion piece for the Geelong Advertiser, Mr Smith wrote that constrained infrastructure hindered the gallery from developing and attracting more ambitiously scaled, commercially viable exhibitions, including projects that were being offered to the gallery by international museums.

“We have an outstanding, important art collection with works of national significance yet do not have the space to display more than two per cent of our 6000-item permanent collection,” he wrote.

“Expansion would enable eight per cent to be shown.”

Geelong Gallery was established in 1896 and is one of Australia’s leading and oldest regional art galleries.

Mr Smith said the gallery had been proposing a redevelopment for 22 years.

Last week, Geelong’s peak tourism body released its Sustainable Destination Master Plan which set a target of $2.1bn yearly spend by visitors to Geelong and the Bellarine within 10 years and named the gallery’s expansion as a top priority project.

The expansion is part of the state government and City of Greater Geelong’s Arts and Cultural Precinct Masterplan to redevelop the Little Malop St area.

The Geelong Performing Arts Centre was completed as part of the project this year.

The gallery is seeking funding as soon as possible, with an aim to open the expanded gallery within the next five years.

Originally published as Geelong Gallery waiting on funding for expansion which could attract 350,000 visitors by 2035