19 February 2009 Eastbourne Borough Council is delighted to announce its state of the art gallery, Towner, will open its doors at 10am on Saturday, 4 April 2009.
The Worshipful the Mayor of Eastbourne Councillor Greg Szanto will officially open the £8.58 million bespoke building, marking the start of Towner’s life in its new home at DevonshirePark.
Councillor Margaret Bannister, cabinet spokesperson for housing, health and community services, said: "We will be delighted to open the doors of Towner to Eastbourne residents and visitors on April 4. This is a momentous occasion for the town and one we all deserve to enjoy. This building will become an icon for the South East and an important addition to our cultural offering."
The gallery’s bright future and strong history of public engagement will be celebrated with four outstanding inaugural exhibitions. Towner’s ability to attract international artists is proven with the exhibition Nowhere Man. Chilean sculptor Iván Navarro works with fluorescent and incandescent light and has been commissioned to produce a series of eleven new works. This exhibition will be his first solo show in a UK public gallery and precedes him representing Chile at the Venice Biennale of international art this Summer.
The importance of input from people in Eastbourne, East Sussex and Towner followers from all over the world is celebrated with three exhibitions: results of the interactive People’s Choice Collection display vote and work from outreach and education projects Lost Horizons and Collection Connections.
Towner’s impressive 2,600m2 space includes temporary exhibition galleries of international standard, fully accessible Towner Collection display, storage and research facilities, a suite of rooms for workshops, events and meetings, large-scale exhibition halls, to be used for both conference and art exhibitions, a top floor café and terrace with views of the South Downs and a well stocked shop. Free entry and a café open to all will make it a great place to meet and mingle.
Towner will be a leading visual arts centre for the South East. Its new location in the heart of the cultural quarter repositions its renowned Towner Collection, education and outreach programmes and its temporary exhibitions where they can be enjoyed by all. The gallery was designed by award-winning Rick Mather Architects and funded by The Arts Council's capital programme, The Heritage Lottery Fund, South East England Development Agency and Eastbourne Borough Council.
Towner began as the TownerArtGallery in OldTown, Eastbourne, in 1923 thanks to a bequest from Alderman John Chisholm Towner. It’s new home is perfectly equipped to protectively house and effectively display the artwork in the renowned Towner Collection, and visiting works.
