The Art House, a £3m centre for visual artists in Wakefield, Yorkshire, will be formally opened by culture secretary Andy Burnham on Monday 7 July.
The centre's aim is to support the artists from across the UK by offering them studios, technical support, workspaces and accommodation for short-term residencies.
Liz Whitehouse, Director of The Art House, says: “It has taken 14 years of dedicated hard work to make this centre a reality.
We are delighted that Andy Burnham will open our new building, where we already have a community of artists – both disabled and non-disabled – working side by side. The accessible accommodation provided within the building means that artists from across the UK and the world can use this unique facility.”
The Art House forms a major part of Wakefield’s cultural regeneration. Work has begun on The Hepworth Wakefield, a landmark waterfront gallery designed by Stirling Prize winner David Chipperfield, which will celebrate the birthplace of modern sculpture.
The new landmarks will join Yorkshire Sculpture Park, whose major Andy Goldsworthy exhibition won the Visual Arts Award in the prestigious South Bank Show Awards 2008.
Funding for The Art House came from the lottery through Arts Council England, as well as European Regional Development Fund, Yorkshire Forward and Wakefield Council.
Andy Carver, executive director of Arts Council England, Yorkshire, said: “The Art House will offer access and support to visual artists and will also enhance Wakefield’s growing reputation as a centre for the visual arts.
