When the Island to Inland exhibition – the artworks of ten Kangaroo Island artists – set off to be shown at regional art galleries across South Australia in 2018 and 2019, there was one place it couldn’t be shown for lack of a suitable venue: Kangaroo Island.
That was when our group of island artists decided that if the island, with its strong visual arts community, couldn’t accommodate a home grown exhibition of excellence, then we would have to build somewhere that could.
We – Ria Byass, Janine Mackintosh, Deb Sleeman and Kathie Stove – didn’t know what we were letting ourselves in for but we were going to give it a red hot go. And we have.
And now we are at the point where we have come to an understanding of what the Art Museum could be and what it could do for island artists and for the island community and economy.
Our group has always thought visionary and different: something that’s nowhere else in South Australia, something that would attract discerning visitors from near and far, something that will show off Kangaroo Island art to the world (and boost sales in the community and retail galleries). And now, even more so, something that will help our island community restore itself.
After an extensive search, we’ve found the piece of land we think will be just right for the Art Museum – convenient and spectacular. It’s the land to the north of the Kingscote helipad that overlooks the Bay of Shoals.
Great idea? We think so but want to ensure that the community thinks so too. The month of August will be dedicated to finding out what island and other people think about the idea of the Art Museum and about having it built at Captain Morgan Park. And they are asking for other ideas on what should be included in the plans.
Please have your say, after all this is a gallery for the Kangaroo Island and wider South Australian community. Please visit the website, have a good look around, participate in a webinar and complete the survey. And and, if you are on the island, pop into the pop-ups and open day on the site. Please email us with any questions.