Golden Thread Gallery Re-Opens In Newly Refurbished Premises

The award-winning Golden Thread Gallery is set to reopen to the public on Saturday 10 August 2024, in its newly renovated and bespoke premises on Queen Street.

The gallery will be relocating to 23-29 Queen Street, Belfast, formerly the Gas Corporation Showroom and Craftworld building, with support from Belfast City Council’s Vacant to Vibrant funding.

The new venue, spread across two floors, features spacious galleries, a projection room, a Community Participation and Engagement Hub and Northern Ireland's first visual art library and archive.

Belfast Lord Mayor, Councillor Micky Murray stated: "It’s wonderful to see the Golden Thread Gallery open these beautiful, accessible new city centre premises during our biggest ever city-wide celebration of creativity, Belfast 2024. The gallery been made possible partly thanks to our Vacant to Vibrant investment in this previously derelict building, originally designed in 1871 by architect William Hastings. It’s so encouraging to see how our Vacant to Vibrant scheme is helping to revitalise our city centre, already helping to bring 20 city centre properties back into use; supporting 80 direct employment opportunities and returning £3.87 in rates income for every £1 invested by council.

"All over the world, city centres are changing rapidly. To thrive, they need to offer a distinctive, authentic experience that includes not only retail, but also welcoming and engaging spaces and opportunities for leisure, culture, living, studying, working, visiting, and socialising.

"That’s exactly what we’re seeking to do in partnership with a wide range of agencies and organisations in Belfast – including Golden Thread Gallery. I’d like to congratulate the building owner Daren Millar, LEJA Properties and Sarah McAvera, Peter Richards and the Golden Thread Gallery team on their vision, and dedication to making it a reality. I wish them every success with their programme of events, research facility and community and artist resources."

Daren Millar, of LEJA Properties, the owner of the building, said he is: "delighted that this much-loved Belfast building, now restored to reveal many of its original Art Deco features, will house a modern gallery which promises to bring joy to many. Belfast is thriving and it has been an amazing experience to facilitate the renovation of a derelict building to its former glory at the very centre of the City’s ever evolving landscape." Architect John FitzGerald of Dickson FitzGerald Architects added: "I’m delighted to have been involved in this deceptively complicated project. Working closely with the Gallery Directors and under instruction from the building Owner Mrs Daren Millar, we strove to create a modern bespoke Gallery that is fully compliant with current regulations whilst, where possible, retaining and exposing elements of the old building. The facade has been sympathetically restored to reflect the original Art Deco Elevation and will take its place with pride on Queen Street once again."

Queen Street has a rich history of being a hub for art and design. In the 1800s, it was home to notable printers and stationers like John Dickinson & Sons and Robert Carswell & Sons. The street continued its creative legacy with Craftworld and Bradbury Graphics in the 1970s and 80s, and later with Platform Arts Studios and Queen Street Studios in the 1990s.

Co-Directors Peter Richards and Sarah McAvera and the GTG team are looking forward to welcoming visitors back to the gallery. Peter Richards said: "We're excited to collaborate with you to actively cultivate the rich histories of art in Belfast, fostering its power to inspire and empower our communities for generations to come."

Co-Director Sarah McAvera added: "We're delighted that the gallery is now in the heart of Belfast city centre, in a location where we can not only welcome back our existing audiences but be more easily discovered by new visitors. We’ve always been passionate about the power of art as a place to dream, to think outside of yourself, to be creative and to have fun. We work with communities across the city, and our new venue truly has something for everyone."

Two new exhibitions will launch on August 10: The End of Art is Peace by acclaimed artist Graham Fagen in the Upper Gallery, and Charlotte, Rob, Robin & You by Northern Ireland based artists Charlotte Bosanquet, Rob Hilken, and Robin Price in the Lower Gallery.

The new Community Participation & Engagement Hub is a welcoming and creative space open to everyone. It will host free workshops, events, artist talks and community group activities. The Hub features a Free Library, a play area and a Junior Gallery. Its creation has been made possible with funding from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and Art Fund.

The NI Visual Art Library & Archive, Northern Ireland’s first dedicated visual art research library, will be open to the public. Thanks to support from the Ampersand Foundation, it will provide access to hundreds of rare art books, reference materials, and exhibition catalogues for researchers, students and visitors.

The new gallery is fully accessible, with step-free street access, a lift to the first floor, a wheelchair-accessible ground-floor bathroom, a sensory guide to exhibitions and large-print versions of all gallery texts. The library and archive room on the ground floor features wheelchair-accessible workspaces, adjustable seating, magnification aids for those with vision impairments and reading aids for individuals with dyslexia.