The project would see a gallery on Meninya St become the “front door” to an eight-hectare riverine forest site featuring installations and sculptures experienced from a raised walkway leading to the Murray River.
A small committee has been working on the project since 2012, when the land next to the new Echuca-Moama bridge was donated by Barry Donchi for the precinct.
The gala, held at Moama Bowling Club, was held to promote the project to the local community and raise funds to progress towards the first step; building the $6.9 million gallery.
About $35,000 was raised on the night, including about $10,000 from an entertaining live auction of local art, skilfully led by auctioneers Gary Wood and John Moyle.
“We’ve got a clear pathway forward – the key step now is building the gallery and in that process, broadening community awareness of the whole project and its value to the community,” Bridge Art Project chair and Murray River Shire mayor Chris Bilkey said.
“We need to continue to seek funding options from the Federal and state governments, philanthropic organisations and major sponsorship.
“We’d like to create a case that government understands for the value of art in the community and the potential for that investment to deliver economic and community benefits.”
Cr Bilkey said the aim was for architectural plans to be drawn up for the gallery in the “near future” once a fundraising target of about $250,000 was reached.
All the Rivers Run star Sigrid Thornton and her husband Tom Burstall were special guests at the gala.
She said she was humbled and proud to be part of the celebration of the project and said Moama was the “perfect location”.
“I see a future where I can come back to Echuca-Moama in a few years and see the first stage of the gallery complete,” she said.
“I know this project’s going to have its challenges but that is the nature of creative work, it challenges us all to think about our lives in different ways.
“Above all I believe this project has the scope to be an inviting and warm space for people of all ages, races and creeds to come together from Australia and internationally.”
In 2019, a masterplan and business and economic analysis was completed and the committee bought 74 Meninya St as the site for the gallery.
The committee plans to have a strong focus on the stories of Australia’s First Nations people, culture and art and has a partnership with the Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation, with opportunities for employment and training of local community members as part of the project.
The Bridge Art Project is a not-for profit organisation and is a registered charity.
To find out more about the project or to donate, visit bridgeartproject.com.au
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