New Museum and Art Gallery plans
Three headline-grabbing exhibitions of national importance will be held every year at the new St Albans Museum and Art Gallery.
There will also be a permanent display featuring the history of St Albans called The City That Went Up The Hill.
It will tell the story of the City’s development from before the Roman era through the centuries to modern times.
St Albans on Demand is another permanent exhibition which will feature historical objects and stories that have been suggested by local people.
The Town Hall in St Peter’s Street is being transformed into a £7.75 million museum and art gallery by St Albans City and District Council.
Work is scheduled to be completed in the summer with the museum team planning a dynamic programme of events to celebrate its opening.
An update on how the building will be used was given to a meeting of the Council’s Community, Environment and Sport Scrutiny Committee on Thursday 18 January.
The museum will be spread over three floors with the Vault Gallery in the basement used to host the most significant exhibitions.
Two touring exhibitions from two of London’s world-renowned cultural institutions have been arranged to get the museum off to a dramatic start later this year.
An exhibition featuring artworks curated by the Hayward Gallery will be followed by an exhibition of cultural treasures from the Victoria and Albert Museum.
There will also be a series of smaller exhibitions during this phase, including one on the history of squatting. One on the City’s 600-year-old Charter Market is also planned.
Members of the Committee were told that a Learning and Activity Programme is in development.
It is planned to have an educational programme for schools, family events, a series of debates and courses for adults.
The catering contract has been won by a company called Leafi which has experience of working with similar operations.
They will run a café and also be able to provide catering for private functions in the evenings.
There will be a shop in the front hall run in partnership with the British Museum to sell items related to the exhibitions as well as local produce.
It is intended that private hirings will be one of the museum’s main sources of income
Among the events that can be staged are weddings, civic functions, corporate networking events and entertainment shows.
Councillor Anthony Rowlands, the Committee’s Chair, said: “The new Museum and Art Gallery is one of the biggest projects the Council has ever undertaken and we must get it right.
“It is intended that it will become a major visitor attraction with 200,000 visitors a year making it financially viable and boosting the local economy
“To achieve those ambitious goals, it is clear that the facilities, exhibitions and activity programmes have to be imaginative and of the highest quality.
“The Committee was impressed by the plans for the exciting opening months. However, this is a long-term commitment and we will be monitoring progress to ensure that the museum remains on track to deliver something very special to St Albans.”
Councillor contact:
Anthony Rowlands, Chair of the Community, Environment and Sport Scrutiny Committee of St Albans City and District Council.
Tel: 07761-232064 Email: anthonyrowlands@hotmail.com
Contact for the media:
John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, St Albans City and District Council
Tel: 01727 296130, E-mail: john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk