Seaworks Foundation will soon open a new gallery space for travelling and temporary exhibitions. The gallery will be located in the mezzanine area of the main shed at Seaworks, known as The Loft. The proposal has eventuated following the very successful Steve McCurry “Icons” exhibition earlier this year.
According to Seaworks chairman Capt. Warwick Norman, hosting Icons for three months earlier this year brought more than 30,000 people to Williamstown. “We were blown away by the number of people who came to Icons, and it made us realise that there is significant opportunity to keep offering Seaworks as a host for temporary exhibitions,” Capt. Norman said.
Converting the 700 square metre mezzanine area to a permanent location for exhibitions means the large ground floor of Seaworks’ main shed will remain available for filming and event hire.
“It’s a great opportunity for both Seaworks and the wider 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,” Capt. Norman said.
The conversion of The Loft is also expected to produce a ripple effect for the Williamstown community if the experience from Icons is anything to go by.
President of Williamstown Chamber of Commerce president Rosemary Angyasy agrees. “It was great to have such a vibrant and well-known exhibition as Icons in Williamstown. 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 transformation of The Loft into an exhibition space has commenced and is expected to be completed before the end of the year. “This space will enhance Seaworks value to both the local community and Victorian tourism. It’s a great complement to our existing facilities, which include Victoria’s pre-eminent
maritime museum, the Pirates Tavern, our event space and our existing tenants,” Capt. Norman said.
Other development plans under way at Seaworks include the repair of Workshops Pier which will be funded by a $6 million State Government grant, and ambitions for further site activation enabled by an extended lease from Seaworks’ landlord, Parks Victoria.
