The Model Arts and Niland Gallery are delighted to announce details of a €600,000 contribution from the Sligo Borough Council toward the ambitious Future Model development programme. The decision was reached at last night’s Borough Council Meeting at Sligo Town Hall and is a significant contribution to the refurbishment and extension project that is underway on the Mall.
The redevelopment of the Model Niland will allow it to build on its significant reputation as one of Ireland’s leading centres for contemporary culture and fully realise it’s potential as a flagship cultural centre in Ireland. The Future Model will be a world-class cultural centre with an unparalleled visitor experience marking Sligo on the international cultural map. Major changes include a new purpose built performance space, a new main entrance, a new gallery to complete the gallery circuit on the first floor, a new education space for workshops and projects, 9 new artist’s studios and a new destination restaurant.
The estimated cost of this ambitious project is in the region of €6 million euros. Grants of €3.5 million have already been awarded from Central Government via the Department of Arts Sports and Tourism’s Access grants and this matching funding comes at a crucial time for the development, with the second phase of building works due to commence in the coming weeks.
The award from the Borough Council demonstrates confident in the project and in the dynamic development of Sligo, leading Councillor Declan Bree, who proposed the motion, to comment on how essential it is that this flagship centre progresses.
During their temporary closure on the Mall the Model are programming a busy “offsite” season of exhibitions, music and education events. Offsite ’09 leads with an exciting announcement that the Model Niland will soon occupy a temporary home in Castle House on Castle Street in Sligo, while the works continue on the Mall.
There are two large-scale exhibitions planned for Spring/Summer 2009 at Castle House; Signals in the Dark: Art in the Shadow of War and Medium Religion. Both exhibitions form a series of artist projects, film screenings, discussions, tours and forums that centre on representations of contemporary ideological and socio-political realities. While the first project takes a hard look at the profane world of war, the second enters sideways into a provocative discussion on the sacred world of religions. Alongside these exhibitions are a range of Education Programming, Artist Commissions, and Music Programming. Full details of the Model Niland’s redevelopment and their offsite programme can be found on www.modelart.ie