A brand new look for Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum

After months of hard work, Arthur Steen Horne Adamson Ltd (ASHA) have developed three concepts for the brand and will put forward their recommendation for Cabinet to consider and decide upon on 17 September. If approved, the new brand will be showcased at the unveiling of the new building on Saturday 5 October.

The design work by ASHA is based on the outcome of a ‘perceptions audit’, which consulted with key internal and external stakeholders. It recommended that the refurbishment, and subsequent reopening of the building, provided a major opportunity for the Art Gallery and Museum to be rebranded.

The council was keen that ASHA developed proposals that would reflect the vast range of cultural activities and opportunities that Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum provides to the community, and which importantly, reflect the heritage and history of the building and its collections.

Cabinet member for Sport and Culture, Rowena Hay, says, “Commercial organisations understand how important branding is to the public and it is no less important for us with this really exciting opportunity for Cheltenham. The art gallery and museum has always been a popular attraction in the town and now we have the chance to develop a brand that will promote this centre on both the national and international scene.”

To have your say on the rebranding project, please visit www.cheltenham.gov.uk/cheltenhamart, or use #cheltenhamart on Twitter and Facebook.

ENDS

For press enquiries contact: Laura Carter, communications officer, telephone 01242 264154 or email [email protected]

Notes:

Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum is currently undergoing a major redevelopment, Building for a New Future, with the design and build of a new extension and the refurbishment of some existing galleries and public spaces.   

The scheme will transform Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum, allowing for improved access and enhanced opportunities for the display of its locally, regionally, nationally and internationally important art and heritage collections. It will also enable the Art Gallery & Museum to become a major venue for national and international touring exhibitions.

The new building will provide:

• A 139 sq. m. dedicated (for the first time) picture gallery for the Art Gallery & Museum’s extensive collections – many of which are currently in store
• A dedicated space for schools and other learning projects
• 297 sq. m. of flexible temporary exhibition galleries over two floors for displays from the collections, touring exhibitions and other collaborative shows
• Public archive and other study facilities open to visitors, researchers and historians, showing displays and providing access to computers, stored collections and archives
• 239 sq. m. of centralised storage and workshop areas – providing the highest standard of environmental control
• Improved facilities for outreach, informal learning and arts development work – including public areas for exhibitions / displays and a dedicated informal space for young people to use
• The creation of a ‘new gateway’ to Cheltenham’s oldest building, medieval St. Mary’s Church – enhancing the surrounding conservation area, as well as preserving the adjacent listed buildings.

The development will become the new home for the town’s tourism services and the re-location of Cheltenham Tourist Information Centre – with the aim of creating a ‘first stop for visitors / tourists’ to Cheltenham and the wider Cotswolds / Gloucestershire area.

A learning / crafts hub will also be formed through two key partnerships with the University of Gloucestershire and the Gloucestershire Guild of Craftsmen. The partnership with the University will create opportunities for shared exhibitions and learning resources. Whilst the Guild will be re-locating from their current shop / gallery (in Painswick), to open a new shop from the ground floor retail unit in the development – and known as The Guild at 51.

The re-development is supported, with thanks, by the following key partners:

• Cheltenham Borough Council
• Heritage Lottery Fund
• The Summerfield Trust
• The Monument Trust
• The Foyle Foundation
• Garfield Weston
• Wolfson Foundation
• Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum Development Trust
• Friends of Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum
• The University of Gloucestershire

For more details, visit www.cheltenhammuseum.org.uk and for tourist information, visit www.visitcheltenham.com