NT government seeks fundraising ‘specialist’ to help get National Aboriginal Art Gallery off the ground
The NT government is planning to open the National Aboriginal Art Gallery more than a decade after it was first announced – with the help of fundraised dollars.
Northern Territory
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The Territory government is seeking fundraised dollars to help get its National Aboriginal Art Gallery off the ground.
A tender opened on Monday in pursuit of a specialist consultant to give the Alice Springs gallery “financial sustainability” into the future.
The project was first announced in 2017 and has been marred by controversy, particularly surrounding its Anzac Oval location.
The new tender reveals the government has set an opening date of 2028, more than a decade after it was first announced.
“The National Aboriginal Art Gallery is expected to open to the public in early 2028,” the tender document reads.
“Work will commence shortly to investigate and make recommendations on the most appropriate governance structure for this new entity.”
The document said the consultant would work with a newly-established fundraising committee to “ensure financial sustainability into the future through a comprehensive approach to fundraising, including leveraging public and private philanthropic avenues of support.”
“This advice will assist in the creation of a fundraising strategy and associated action plan … needed to support fundraising activities both prior to and post the opening of the gallery,” it reads.
The gallery’s senior director Tracy Puklowski said a fundraising strategy was “common practice” for such cultural entities.
“(It) is a responsible means of diversifying income streams (and) will advise on the best approach to attract potential supporters, apprpriate staffing structures and the development of related collateral,” she said.
The government recently acquired Anzac Oval, handing the Alice Springs Town Council more than $3.2m to do so.
The location, once owned by the local council, was first opposed by Arrente Elder Doris Stuart Kngwarreye because of its spiritual significance to Mparntwe custodians.
The Territory government then referred Alice Springs Town Council’s objection to the compulsory land acquisition to the NT Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
In 2021, NTCAT ruled the government’s consultation with Mparntwe custodians over the acquisition for the Gallery was not adequate.
But in January last year, the council abandoned attempts to prevent the gallery being built on Anzac Oval.
The project has received $80m and $69.3m commitments from the federal and Territory governments respectively, with the latter increasing its pledge by $19.3m in the new budget.
The gallery’s design is expected to be complete by late this year before construction starts in 2024 – four years after initially planned.
It is slated to be part of a larger precinct including a new visitor information centre.
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