Recently I had the pleasure of opening an exhibition at the magnificent Tweed Regional Gallery (TRG), a community facility in Murwillumbah in the Northern Rivers region of NSW.
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With ravishing views over the stunning landscape, the TRG is a vibrant cultural hub, hosting exhibitions of excellence from around the region, the nation and beyond. Equally, TRG is a much-loved and welcoming community meeting place, with a terrific cafe, gift shop featuring local artisans, a centre of learning for students of all ages, a major resource for local professional artists, digitally connecting them to the public and TRG's broad national network of galleries. Importantly, it is a must-see regional destination, welcoming over 70,000 locals, visitors and tourists from all over the world each year.
Reflecting on my impressions of the TRG in the weeks since, I am absolutely certain our region needs, deserves - and must develop a bold plan for - a Bega Valley Regional Gallery that properly reflects and celebrates the extraordinary place we live in, and fulfils the growing cultural ambitions of our community. I imagine a building of architectural scope and stature positioned within the magnificent South Coast landscape, a welcoming meeting place for our community and an exemplar of excellence and regional creativity for visitors and tourists.
Now is the moment. In current director Iain Dawson our community has a capable, smart, experienced and dynamic cultural leader, to guide the gallery's transition to a more expansive, encompassing vision, comparable with the TRG but very much our own identity. Even working in a space that everyone acknowledges is too small at best, and dispiriting at worst, Iain has already gained national acclaim with the BVRG's recent programs. Imagine what might be possible with a progressive vision for a well-designed gallery building and a strong, community-endorsed business plan!
From so many perspectives - tourism, enrichment to community life, creative industries, cultural identity, education, business - upscaling the Bega Valley Regional Gallery from a plucky, can-do B-grade gallery to an appropriately recognised and resourced A-grade gallery is a bold statement of confidence in the future and identity of our region. It is a commitment to regional excellence, an assertion of our place in the national landscape and a symbolic arrowhead for the Bega Valley's broader community ambitions.
Lindy Hume, former chairwoman of South East Arts and Regional Arts NSW
