Four-storey replacement for Fishmarket gallery should open in September
THE replacement for the Fishmarket art gallery will be open all year round, the artists who will occupy the building have said.
Yesterday, Northamptonshire County Council announced it had agreed to give the Northampton Arts Collective a five-year lease on a four-storey building in Guildhall Road, Northampton, opposite the town’s museum.
The building will replace the Fishmarket gallery in Sheep Street, which is to be demolished to make way for a new bus station.
The chief executive of the arts collective, John Simpson, said the new building would be easier to use than the Fishmarket, which closes in bad weather because it is poorly insulated and has a leaky roof.
He said: “The new building is just what we wanted. It’s right in the town centre and at the heart of the cultural quarter, it couldn’t be better.
“It’s also heated, it doesn’t leak and it’s structurally sound, so we won’t have to worry about there being an environment in the building that can damage the artwork. And the better quality of the building means we’ll be able to open all year long. We won’t have to close because it’s too cold.
“So we hope we’ll be able to open five or six days a week, rather than the three we did at the Fishmarket.”
The currently empty building in Guildhall road is owned by the county council. It had been on the market for a number of years, but no buyer had come forward.
It was last used as the Northampton Countryside Centre and had previously been a hotel.
The new gallery is expected to open in September. It will provide space for events and exhibitions as well as artists’ studios and space for small business.
The county council’s cabinet member for infrastructure, Councillor Andre Gonzales de Savage (Con, East Hunsbury) said: “I think it will be a wonderful move. The place will have a real buzz around it.”
Northampton Borough Council has also agreed to give the arts collective £25,000 a year for the next three years.
Discussing the need for the artists to move out of the Fishmarket, the leader of the authority, Councillor David Mackintosh (Con, Rectory Farm) said: “The bus interchange project is a vital part of the regeneration of Northampton, but it was important to all of us to help the arts collective keep a base in the town.
“I’m glad we’ve been able to achieve that.”
Email to a friend
Print this page- BREAKING NEWS: Tributes paid to Niamh Curry as brave five-year-old loses battle against cancer
- BREAKING NEWS: Pensioner dies after collision at Northampton shopping centre
- Man tied to tree and beaten on Northampton Racecourse
- BREAKING NEWS: Seven-year-old boy dies following house fire in Northamptonshire
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Northampton binmen at ‘breaking point’
- Saints’ stadium plans get support as long as traffic issues solved
- Eastern European pupils helping school standards across Northampton
- Staff strike at Northampton school over academy plans forces closure
- Vow to crack down on anti-social behaviour across Northampton’s eastern district
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northampton
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 21 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 18 comments to this article
Page 1 of 2
a.j.r
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 07:31 PMIt cost to keep a building empty, insurance, heating (to stop pipes bursting) security, etc. If you can get someone to use it you can get them to pay the bills. This could be a cheaper option.
TheCount
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 05:25 PMHamtune - Sadly you are right, the council money men will not stop funding this sort of thing, before it is too late. Their arrogance and lack of empathy for people who are struggling is incredible. I'm not sure how bad the financial collapse and austerity has to get before the people spending the public's money start to listen. I will watch with great interest when the real austerity measures start.
jimorourke
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 12:38 PMIts such a pity that theTory politicians at County Hall and the Tory politicians at Town Hall cannot get together and put funding in for PCSOs. They can only get together to agree to pump council tax funding in to Arts, which says it all about their priorities.
Hamtune
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 12:22 PMTheCount. I am not 'heavily involved in the arts' - in fact I'm not involved at all - nor therefore is it is my 'interests'. I just have the ability to see that some things that are life-enhancing cannot always be self-financing and because I can, I do support them financially - so quite how that helps me is beyond me - it is helping them! Would you have us do without all art and literature from the past? Shakespeare? Mozart? - he died penniless and could not 'self-support'. Thankfully your opinions will not actually carry much weight with the people who make these decisions however much you go on about them. The Arts have (rightly) had to bear their share of the current cutbacks but will continue to be supported by public funding where it is necessary.
jimorourke
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 12:15 PMThis just about says it all about Northamptonshire County Council's spending priorities. I just hope this project doesn't again swallow huge ammounts of public funds at a time of local and national financial cuts to essential services.
TheCount
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:45 AMHamtune - I could easily direct your venomous comments back to you !!1 You should maybe try looking at the world from other peoples perspective !!! At least you have shown your hand, i.e. that you are heavily involved in the arts and this art centergrant is in your interest. I don't think you are best placed to comment on whether or not peoples tax money should be spent this way.
mabbuttjose
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:13 AMIt will be a sad day when the Fish Market is demolished..Generations of people will be sad .i can remember my mother going to the fish market for sea food when i was young and there used to be a lovely warm and cosy little cafe there then that would hold about ten people it was a pleasure to come into Northampton and go to buy your seafood and then go and have a nice cup of tea and maybe a slice of cake.I am now sixtysix years old.
Hamtune
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 10:12 AMTheCount. I am not in the habit of publicising what I do and do not do with my money, but your parsimonious, self-interest will certainly prompt me to inform you that over the past few years I have donated a considerable amount to arts organisations, NAC included. You are perfectly entitled to your views but your strident way of putting them over is unlikely to win you many converts.
cllrclochemerle
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 09:46 AMMinor point - why only a 5 year lease? If this area is to figure as the cultural quarter in the longer term regeneration of Northampton, why not a 20 year lease with rolling renewal options at 5 year stages. This would enable both parties to plan ahead long-term much more effectively.
ForGodsSakeStopBeingSoMiserable
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 09:36 AMCount, do you just copy and paste? Annie412 worked out that this costs us all 12p each. I don't know Hamtune but it sounds like they would be happy to go to the bank and hand over 12p. Annie412 even offered to give you 'your' 12 pence back on the other story. i think you need to talk to someone to work through your issues.
TheCount
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 09:20 AMCollin19899 - If you think it is a small amount of money then ask for it to be withdrawn and you pay it. You would do well to remember the old adage...look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves !!! You go and tell someone who's just lost their jobs how little money this is and see what response you get.
cllrclochemerle
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 09:14 AMThe Fishmarket was (is) single storey so little or no problems for access by people with mobility problems. The suggested new site is reported as being four storeys. Is there an access lift, and if not, who will provide one and at what cost? (originally posted in response to previous story)
Collin19899
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 08:59 AMI agree with Hamtune. It is a small amount of money and i am happy for my taxes to be used that way. Hopefully schools will be able to visit the new art gallery, this will stop them having to go to London and will save parents money on school trips!
TheCount
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 08:52 AMHamtune - the £25 000 from NBC is peanuts...if that is the case, why don't you take the money out of your own bank and give it to them. I for one would applaud you for paying such a small sum to a worthwhile organisation and also saving the hard pressed tax payers some money. Well done, I look forward to seeing the article on here. I for one am forced, under threat of prison, to pay council tax and I do not expect one penny of my money to arts projects when street lights are switched off and people are loosing their jobs.
TheCount
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 08:33 AMHamtune - sorry, it's not what you want to hear, but taxing people to pay for an art center at these difficult times is crass. This is of no benefit to most of the hard pressed tax payers. They should be stopping this nonsense and reduce peoples taxes.
Page 1 of 2
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.