By Faith Macale
Community-based gallery Ballan & District Artist Collective is moving to a new space, but before it does, it needs the community’s help.
The collective is closing its Inglis Street doors soon but plans to move to a better location.
Member Miranda Williamson said the building was recently sold, but the collective has found a new place.
“We’re just trying to secure enough funding for it at the moment,” she said.
“We’re still gonna be in Ballan, right in the heart of town. It’s actually a better location.”
The collective is a not-for-profit group with 60 members, and has been raising funds in order to secure the new location and have enough to renovate it too.
“We’ve got an online fundraiser going through mycause, and we’ve had our Hide and Seek Festival in Ballan over the weekend,” Ms Williamson said.
“We did a big indoor installation for that, and we’ve had a lot of people making cash donations over the weekend.
“A lot of our members are making donations, and a few of the businesses around town as well have chucked in some donations.”
So far, the online donation page has raised $320 out of the target of $3200.
Currently, the group is organising its last exhibition of the year, and then will be closed throughout January.
“We’re hoping we can utilise that time [to move] and not interrupt our schedule of exhibitions,” Ms Williamson said.
“I think everyone’s just focusing on the fundraising part of it at the moment.”
The group’s new exhibit, Through The Looking Glass, opened on Friday, November 8 and will be on display until Friday, November 22.
“All of our crafty people will be putting Christmas stock in the shop, decorations and earrings,” Ms Williamson said.
“All sorts of things like that pine cone, Christmas trees, and reindeers.”
Ballan & District Artist Collective will also be holding a celebration on Saturday, December 7 at the Twilight Market, and its Secret garden installation will be open again.
Details: shorturl.at/cPdz5
