Arts Society To Sell Gallery

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30630, 22 December 1964, Page 18

Arts Society To Sell Gallery

The Canterbury Society of Arts last evening unanimously empowered its council to sell its Durham street art gallery and site at the corner of Durham and Armagh streets. Christchurch, to the Justice Department for not less than £23,300. The department wants the gallery for additional law courts and later for new buildings.

The meeting of about 70, members also empowered the council to buy a site for a new building and suggested several in addition to the Gloucester street property which has been mentioned. The president of the society (Mr S. E. Mair) said the council hoped to complete the sale to the Justice Department early in the New Year with a proviso that the society could stay in the gallery until it took possession of a new building. “The objective,” said Mr Mair, “is to occupy the new gallery early in 1966.” The society recently received a grant of £20,000 from the Golden Kiwi lottery fund. It is estimated that the cost of the new gallery, excluding the site, will be about £50,000.

I| Mr Mair said plans for the • new building would be started immediately and a new ■ site chosen as soon as posi sible. i Bus Hits Pole The driver and a boy pas- ’ senger were not injured when ■ a Christchurch Transport 11 bend near the foot of Dyers Board bus hit a pole on the ' Pass road about 5 p.m. yesterday.

Two homes were without electricity for 30 minutes and the telephones in several homes nearby were out of order until the damage was repaired.