Wolverhampton Art Gallery renovations to continue in June

Once completed, councillors say the historic building in Lichfield Street will be a major attraction capable of hosting large-scale conferences and weddings as well as national exhibitions.

This latest stage of the work, which was halted in March, will involve relocating the cafe from the top floor to a larger ground floor location, and also improving the entrance in St Peter’s Gardens to improve accessibility.

Phase two is costing £1,526,000 in total, with additional costs of £450,000 being met by an Arts Council England grant of almost £160,000, plus borrowing paid for by income generated from the refurbished gallery.

At a meeting of the council’s cabinet resources panel, Councillor Stephen Simkins, cabinet member for city economy, said: “This scheme is improving a Grade II* listed building and also fits into our leisure economy.

“It sits within the quarter of the city where we can see other regeneration projects taking place, such as the train station, tram and transport hub, alongside the Grand Theatre and Civic Halls.

“It is really important that we get these schemes up and running with regard to Covid-19 regulations and the bleak times that we’re in.

“At the moment we are in negotiations with the British Art Show, proving that there’s already ongoing interest in the art gallery.

“For me, what’s key is that it’s another part of our regeneration phase, another part of relighting our city."

'Important'

Phase one of the development saw the Sensing Sculpture room on the first floor transformed into an exhibition space that has enabled the gallery to host large touring exhibitions.

The Georgian Room has also been fully refurbished and the PA system and Wi-Fi connectivity improved.

Councillor John Reynolds said: “This scheme is a really important one for the art gallery. The first part of it was to extend the display spaces upstairs and, as Councillor Simkins says, that means we’ll be able to attract things like the British Art Show.

“We’ve already had the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition which was really great. And this phase involving moving the cafe downstairs is absolutely the right thing to do.

“It’s a nice little cafe upstairs, but the problem is that most of the seating is in the attic and people don’t realise that there’s plenty of space upstairs.

“Having the cafe next to the main entrance where visitors can see it as they come in and out will help attract extra income.

“And I’m confident the gallery will be great for large-scale events like weddings and conferences when we can do them."

The art gallery, which first opened in 1884, will remain open during the works. The total cost for phase one and two stands at £1,829,000.