Packing up the past, painting the future: Kawartha Art Gallery on the move

The Kawartha Art Gallery will soon have a new home. Previously located on the second floor of the Lindsay library, the gallery is temporarily closed until late fall when it will re-open in its new location at 19 Cambridge Street South.

While much of the work comes from having to move all the artwork, a lot of it also comes from the massive amount of sorting that needs to be done. “We don’t want to move anything that isn’t current,” said Susan Taylor, executive director of Kawartha Art Gallery.

Files are being sorted through, and a massive amount of shredding and recycling will be done as well. “We have a storage room that probably hasn’t been cleaned out in 30 years,” Taylor said. She’s hoping to be able to do some fundraising with the surplus of leftover art supplies. “We’re hoping at one point in the summer to possibly have a yard sale.”

The new gallery will have three exhibit spaces. One will be a Canadian artist section, which has 150 pieces. Currently, the gallery hasn’t had room to show them all. “In this space, we will be able to have a dedicated permanent collection room that will have all the required temperature controls.”

There will also be an exhibit for established artists to be able to have their work on display and be paid for it, and for those not quite as professional, there will be a space for them as well. They won’t be paid but will instead get “an exhibit experience, they’ll still get all the bells and whistles of a regular exhibit, like a reception and promotion,” Taylor said.

Taylor is also hopeful that once the space opens up, they’ll be able to expand to outdoor, music, and film programming, “all the components that make up culture.”

She is grateful for all the support the gallery has received from the council. “We wouldn’t be realizing this opportunity without the financial support of our municipal government, and that’s due to all those councillors around the table supporting the vision the gallery had.”

The gallery is looking forward to welcoming the community back in the fall. “We’ve been seeing that people are so excited about our move, it’s really heartwarming. We know it’s going to be a lot of work, but it’s worth every bit of sweat.”