LEEDS Art Gallery is to close for a year for essential repairs to its original roof.
The Victorian building will close on January 10, when the current exhibition, British Art Show 8 ends, and is scheduled to re-open in spring 2017.
“It’s time for us to look to the future and focus on how we can ensure visitors can continue to enjoy Leeds Art Gallery’s magnificent collection in the years to come – and part of that will mean carrying out essential work on the gallery’s original Victorian roof which is in need of major repairs,” said Cllr Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council.
“Last year alone, the gallery attracted more than 430,000 visitors and, as we bid to be named European Capital of Culture 2023, this investment in repairing the roof is a demonstration of our commitment to a building that is clearly part of the bedrock of Leeds’s artistic heritage.”
During the year, the gallery will send more than 150 paintings and sculptures from its collections out on loan to over 70 venues, including The Hepworth Wakefield, Beverley Art Gallery, Tate Britain and the Guggenheim Bilbao.
Learning and engagement activity will carry on off-site, whilst The Picture Library will continue to be available to the public, and a number of collection research projects will be conducted throughout the year.
