Wagga Wagga Art Gallery’s workshops and artist residency programs are facing a funding crisis, following a restructure to Create NSW and an announcement of funding cutbacks. Photo: Wagga Wagga Art Gallery.
First Nations workshops and artist residency programs offered at the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery have come under threat following the State Government’s announcement of cutbacks to its cultural funding program.
This comes after the State Government announced a major restructure to its arts and cultural driver, Create NSW, which would see a 25 per cent reduction in the agency’s 91 staff.
Wagga Wagga, Orange, Armidale, Broken Hill and Tamworth are among 18 regional centres in NSW with major public art galleries that will no longer receive four-year funding, worth between about $70,000 and $200,000 a year.
Wagga Wagga Art Gallery Director Lee-Ann Hall said this would have “considerable” and far-reaching impacts on the creative industries in the wider Riverina region.
“The loss of funding from Create NSW’s multi-year funding for the Wagga Wagga Art Gallery and the National Art Glass Gallery will mean considerable impacts to the creative industry here in Wagga Wagga and the wider Riverina region,” Ms Hall said.
“The funding from Create NSW, which in previous years has amounted to between $65,000 and $100,000, supported gallery programs, including artist fees and projects, and helped foster regional artist development and First Nations creatives.
“Whilst our Wagga Wagga Art Gallery doors will be open as per usual, the loss of this funding means a reduction in offerings, tours, artist commissions, and new artist development, which will be felt across the board in terms of equity and access for artists, students, and our community.”
This decision has been criticised by the Coalition, the Greens and the peak bodies representing visual arts over its impacts on the delivery of grants sustaining the sector.
Arts Minister John Graham said the arts and culture sector was grappling with “extraordinary pressures post COVID” and “enormously increased costs, pressures from shifting audience trends and a changing media market”.
“We’re refocusing Create NSW. It will be focused on supporting the people in the arts, culture and creative industries – the people creating great work and working with the sector to develop new audiences,” he said in a statement.
“The former government made some great investments in infrastructure. Our focus is now filling those great buildings – that is why our investment focuses on people – the artists and audiences – to make the most of the great infrastructure.
“Any money saved in the restructure will be put directly back into the sector.”
