The popular arts and tourism facility that attracted over 50,000 visitors last year, recently secured a £3.5m investment from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund, as one of ten successful projects announced for Northern Ireland. The project is supported by an additional £397,000 investment by council.
The F.E. McWilliam Gallery opened in 2008 and is dedicated to the memory of sculptor Frederick Edward McWilliam, one of Ireland’s most influential and successful artists, who was born in Banbridge in 1909. It features a permanent display of McWilliam’s work, temporary exhibitions of Irish and international art, a popular craft shop and Quail’s award-winning café, and attracts a wide range of local, national and international visitors.
The proposed expansion will see the Gallery transformed by adding a new dedicated space to exhibit F.E. McWilliam’s work along with education and community rooms, which will enable more people to engage in arts and cultural programmes and events. The development will also provide increased Tourist Information provision for the Borough and improvements to the shop and café, increasing visitor capacity throughout the facility.
You can follow the progress of the project here starting with the designs for the expansion.
