Council says charges at Victoria Art Gallery would only be for exhibitions

“The Victoria Art Gallery is a popular place for residents to drop into on their way round Bath. It has been able to put on some outstanding shows in recent years, some of which one normally wouldn't be able to see outside London. However, councils generally are having to think very carefully about their budgets and Bath and NE Somerset council is no different. The proposal to start charging for previously free exhibitions has not been taken lightly I am sure.

The Art Gallery has brought pleasure to many of us over the years to the extent we have probably taken it for granted. It would be a real shame if this popular and exciting gallery were to be lost to the city by poor choices.We have an amazing resource on our doorsteps and I really don't want to see it dwindle into mediocrity or even close.

Here's to hoping that a way can be found to keep this special place open and available to the city, as was intended when the public-spirited Victorian ladies of the city raised the money to build it.”

“The Victoria Art Gallery is to lose £50,000 per year for the next three years. Obviously someone somewhere wants to put an end to the best exhibition space and best schedule of exhibitions in the south west.
The idea that charging an entry fee will replace this huge cut is a joke. The gallery tried charging once before and an exhibition of Rembrandt etchings went unseen.
Bath's only business these days is tourism. 100,000 visitors a year visit the gallery, local and international. They all spend money in Bath.
Bath needs attractions to maintain the flow of tourist pounds.”

“Not man enough to apologise obviously ludwig old man, just carries on arguing! By the way love the St Bernard films!”

“So the tea and coffee is upstairs and the shop sells books - woohoo! That'll pull the punters in! Put the coffee shop somewhere on the ground floor with a decent shop selling varied items that people actually might want to buy and it might be a start. Trouble is there isn't a business brain around when it comes to the Council!”

“It already has a shop with books etc on the history of this city as well as the current exhibitions.”

“Tea and coffee is already available upstairs.

I can't think it's worth it for £50,000 pa but, at present, It is only a proposal.

.”

“Oh dear, DaveF.... so busy worring about that "o" that you failed to read the content properly. I too dislike the extension to the HOLBURNE and would certainly never describe it as "discreet". The actual suggestion, if you read it properly instead of nitpicking, was that the Art Gallery should create a discreet tearoom and shop within the attraction. I await your apology.”

“As I've nothing better to do ludwigvan, I'll point out that the museum is spelt Holburne. See also Walcot (one t) & Pulteney for other commonly misspelt place names, although there are maps of the proposed Bathwick estate with it spelt Pultney.

The absolute last adjective I'd use to describe its café/extension is 'discreet'. Words like 'sticks out' & 'like a sore thumb' come more readily to mind.

The £50 K needs more detail. Is it based on the current footfall or does it take into account for the inevitable reduction in numbers? Has the income from the donation box been incorporated into the figure?”

“They never learn do they? They won't get the same number of visitors as before if they charge, and there will be a perception by people who don't read signs (the ones that went through the bus gate ;) ) that the whole thing is charged. As the other poster says, is it really beyond their abilities to find another way to increase revenue. Oh yes, the answer to that has always been a firm "Yes it is!".”

“of course before the usual suspects with nothing better to do jump in that should read "....more of an attraction one would choose to visit.....".”