A new arts centre will open on Sunday at Dhoby Ghaut Green – a 11,000 sq m park which includes an amphitheatre and open lawn spaces just above the MRT station.
The Visual Arts Centre, comprising a 161 sq m gallery for exhibitions and an 84 sq m studio for classes and workshops, has been developed in the glass building formerly occupied by a restaurant.
It aims to ease the crunch for affordable exhibition space in town and strengthen the arts theme of the seven-year-old park.
The National Parks Board (NParks), which leased the building to art gallery owner Iola Liu after a public tender last year, hopes it will allow park visitors to enjoy more arts-related recreational activities.
“Arts recreational activities are known to be therapeutic and these leisure activities can help to enhance the well-being of park users,” said NParks’ Lifestyle Business Division director Tan Lai Kheng.
RENTALS OF OTHER GALLERY SPACES
Singapore Management University: The de Suantio Gallery (180 sq m):
$900 per day
Nanyang Academy ofFine Arts: Ngee Ann Kongsi Gallery 1 (258 sq m) andGallery 2 (271 sq m):
$900 per day
Singapore Chinese Chamberof Commerce and Industry Building Exhibition Hall (approximately 200 sq m):
$1,000 (weekends) and $850 per day
The Substation: Ground FloorGallery (113 sq m):
$730 per day
The Art House : ExhibitionGallery (approximately 200 sq m):
$750 per day for commercial galleries
ION Art Gallery(approximately 500 sq m):
$575 per day for practising artists only
She explained that the site was chosen as it blends well with the surrounding arts-related buildings, such as the School of the Arts, Cathay Building and the National Museum Singapore.
Ms Liu, 25, the new centre’s director and Gallery Asia Art Collective owner, said she spent the past three months and nearly $200,000 turning the former restaurant into a gallery and art studio. She has already lined up a series of foundation art courses such as those in oil painting, drawing and sketching to begin by the end of next month.
Workshops and talks by both local and visiting artists from overseas are also being planned.
Its exhibition space will be available to rent.
“There is a shortage of exhibition space, especially in the town area, and with our rate at only $650 a day with no extra charges, it is probably the most attractive,” said Ms Liu.
She said rental rates of exhibition space nearby range from as high as $900 a day at the Singapore Management University, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Building to between $575 and $750 a day at other venues such as ION Art Gallery, the Substation and The Art House at the Old Parliament Building.
“Their prices do not include extras like GST, administration and other charges, though some of their premises may be slightly bigger than ours.” she added.
Ms Liu has already had many inquiries to book the venue. First to rent the centre’s space is the Federation of Art Societies Singapore, an umbrella body for 31 local art groups. It is holding a two-week exhibition jointly with art societies from Malaysia and China to showcase the works of artists from the three countries from Sunday at 2.30 pm.
Federation president Stephen Leong, 65, said: “We are happy to be using the centre’s gallery for the show. The opening of the centre is indeed timely as our members have been complaining of the shortage of affordable rental space to show their works.”
China-born Singapore artist Fan Shaohua, 53, who is among the seven Singapore artists taking part in the show, said: “The centre’s location is excellent and I am happy to be among the first to show my works there.”
Ms Liu said: “We will be encouraging more Singapore artists to hold their shows at our centre. Later, talks and tours on the exhibitions will also be organised to benefit those who want to know more.”
The Visual Arts Centre will be open daily from 10am to 10pm.
Visual Arts Centre is an exhibition gallery and art studio at Dhoby Ghaut Green supported by the National Parks Board and the National Arts Council.
Since its initiation on 31 January 2016, the Visual Arts Centre Exhibition Gallery has hosted over two hundred international and local art and design exhibitions, boasting a diverse range of art styles and programmes.
Email:
info@visualartscentre.sg
Phone:
+65 6255 0711
+65 6733 2155
In the Batik Introduction Handkerchief Painting workshop, participants will learn the traditional art of batik, a wax-resist dyeing technique originating from Indonesia. The workshop begins with a brief history and overview of batik, highlighting its cultural significance and various techniques. Participants will then observe a demonstration of applying wax with tjanting tools and dyeing the fabric. Following the demonstration, each participant will design and create their own batik handkerchief, applying wax to create patterns and then dyeing their fabric. The workshop concludes with a group discussion, allowing participants to share their creations and reflect on their learning experience.