Seaworks in Williamstown will soon be able to add art exhibitions to the list of events and functions it regularly hosts, with a new dedicated gallery space set to open.
Known as The Loft, the gallery will be situated in a 700 square meter mezzanine space inside Seaworks’ main shed.
Seaworks chairman Capt. Warwick Norman said the idea for a permanent gallery space came after the success of the teve McCurry “Icons” exhibition which brought more than 30,000 people to the Williamstown precinct earlier this year.
“We were blown away by the number of people who came to Icons, and it made us realise that there is a significant opportunity to keep offering Seaworks as a host for temporary exhibitions,” Capt. Norman said.
The work of converting the mezzanine area into a permanent location for exhibitions is currently underway and is expected to be finished by the end of this year.
Capt. Norman said once complete, The Loft would prove a great asset for both Seaworks and the local community.
“Not only are we anticipating more world-class exhibitions of the scale of Icons, but with a view to our role as a community organisation, The Loft could also be used by local artists, groups or schools without impacting our regular activities,” he said.
Williamstown Chamber of Commerce president Rosemary Angyasy concurred, saying the Icons exhibition boosted local businesses.
“More of the same will certainly be welcomed by our traders who benefited from the visitors and additional business it brought them,” Ms Angyasy said.
The development of The Loft is not expected to affect the large ground floor of Seaworks’ main shed which will still be available for filming and event hire.
A $6 million refurbishment of the Seaworks precinct, including the repair of Workshops Pier, is expected to begin by the end of 2024.
Cade Lucas.
