Gold Coast’s Home of the Arts (HOTA) institute has officially closed to herald the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the cultural facility opening in 2021.
After welcoming more than 1,240,352 visitors and 700 exhibitions across the past 33 years, the original Gallery at HOTA has been closed to the public for the final time. Once reopened, the $60.5 million, six level, purpose-built space will be the largest gallery outside of a major city in Australia. Gallery Director Tracy Cooper-Lavery said HOTA will continue to support local artists and be a place of visual arts during the construction period. “HOTA Gallery will remain active in the arts community by continuing to offer commissions and programs focused on local, national and international artists. The recently introduced Artists Pass will encourage homegrown artists to visit HOTA and engage with art and other creatives.”
There is plenty for HOTA patrons to see and do too while the new Gallery is under construction. “For visitors of all ages there are a range of programs to engage in, including ArtLab and Life Drawing, plus our foyer display presenting key works from the Gold Coast City Collection,” said Cooper-Lavery. “We’ll also move towards presenting more art in the outdoors and further developing our outdoor curatorial program, where you can expect to see art pop up in unexpected places around the precinct.”
Until 30 June, visitors can enjoy the exhibition, Dean Cogle: Beyond Nostalgia, a retrospective by local artist Dean Cogle that captures the Gold Coast’s retro iconic architecture. The new HOTA Gallery signifies the city’s commitment to the Arts – a striking beacon of design that will form the centrepiece of the 17-hectare HOTA precinct. “We’ll be able to attract ambitious international exhibitions, while also having enough exhibition space to present highlights from the City Collection and showcase local artists like never before. This will put us on the map.”
HOTA CEO Criena Gehrke said the HOTA team had been travelling Australia and the world talking to galleries and private collectors as well as engaging with local artists in preparation. “I’m looking forward to having the kind of Gallery that the Gold Coast deserves. The plans we have are going to blow you away. This is going to be a gallery that’s right at home here,” she said.
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