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Maitland Regional Art Gallery
| Type: | Built | ||
| Group: | Community Facilities | ||
| Category: | Art gallery/museum | ||
| Town/City: | Maitland | ||
| Local Govt Area: | Maitland City | ||
| Street Address: | 230 High Street Maitland |
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| Postcode: | 2320 | ||
| Description: | |||
| The site has frontage along High Street. The main building, which largely occupies the western end of the site, consists of three complementary parts. There is the front building designed under the supervision of the government architect, Walter Liberty Vernon, for use as the Maitland Technical College and opened in 1910. The building was originally designed as a much bigger complex but, due to budgetary constraints, only the front section was built. The intention was to add the second stage. This is evidenced by the nature of the brickwork and finishes on the back wall of the building. At the back of the site is the much more modest building, also designed by the government architect, and opened in 1912. This was the compromise building to provide the needed extra accommodation for the workshops and classrooms not provided in the front building. Joining these two early 20th century buildings, are the new gallery spaces and facilities designed by Paul Berkemeier and opened in mid-2009. The brief was to respect and acknowledge the older, heritage buildings while also designing a 21st century gallery. The remainder of the site consists of a car park, open grassed areas, and a garden. |
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| History: | |||
| The site of Maitland Regional Art Gallery incorporates buildings and land acquired for the Maitland Technical College (q.v.). Maitland City Council acquired the site in 2002 as a new home for the Maitland City Art Gallery which, since 1975, had been housed in Brough House (q.v.). The former technical college building was suitably and sensitively adapted with the downstairs main front room converted into a gallery space, and its mirrored upstairs room into storage. The City Gallery relocated to the site in 2003. Council’s intention was to develop the site further. In 2004 Joe Eisenberg, formerly the director of the New England Regional Art Museum in Armidale, was appointed to oversee the development of the new gallery. The new Maitland Regional Art Gallery opened in July 2009. The combined buildings offer 11 exhibition spaces, a cafe, shop, storage room, offices and workshops. |
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| Significance: | |||
| The site is significant for its: - association with the early commercial development of Maitland, - role in technical education in Maitland from 1910 to 1987, - association with W L Vernon, NSW government architect 1890 to 1911, - representativeness as an example of Vernon’s later architectural style including his incorporation of elements of the arts and crafts movement into the design and features of his buildings, - past and ongoing association with the cultural, educational, economic and social life of the city, - association with the work of architect Paul Berkemeier, - sympathetic and adaptive re-use of a heritage building, and - association with Maitland City Council and as an example of an innovative local government initiative in relation to the arts and cultural life of the city. The Technical College building is listed on the regional and local environmental plans (NSW Heritage Register). The new gallery and its architect, Paul Berkemeier, are the recipients of the Australian Institute of Architects Premier’s Prize 2010. The new complex gained a Local Government Cultural Award in 2010 for Cultural Infrastructure for a community of more than 60,000. |
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Related Records
Collections: |
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| Maitland Regional Art Gallery (MRAG) | Maitland | |
Sites: |
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| Brough and Grossmann Houses | Maitland | Maitland City |
| Maitland Technical College (former) | Maitland | Maitland City |
Themes: |
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| Creative endeavour | ||
Publications, Reports, Theses: |
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Collections Maitland, Maitland City Council Davies, Fiona, Intangible Collection, Maitland Regional Art Gallery, 15 August - 22 November 2009 Kay, Hanna, Undertow, Maitland Regional Art Gallery Travelling Exhibition 2009 Maitland Regional Art Gallery, BTB Architecture Studio (accessed Feb 2026) |
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© Views of Maitland
- Views of Maitland Record No.
- S1
- Created
- 04/01/2007
- By
- Janis Wilton
- Modified
- 24/09/2014
- By
- Janis Wilton