Gallery to close ahead of library refurbishment

A Sheffield arts venue that has showcased work by Pablo Picasso and Andy Warhol is to close next month ahead of a major refurbishment project.

Graves Gallery, located above Sheffield Central Library, will close at the end of October, with its contents housed at an interim base before going on show at a temporary space in the Heart of the City next year.

It comes under plans to "breathe new life" into the Grade II* listed building, which houses the gallery and library, as well as the city archives.

Sheffield Museums chief Kim Streets said: "It is a farewell not a goodbye... we want to see the (library) building receive investment so it's fit for the next century... we are excited about that."

Graves Gallery is situated on the third floor of Central Library and has been a feature of the city's cultural life since 1934.

Earlier this year, the gallery was forced to close when problems with the heating system saw several artworks being removed for fear of damage.

Streets said there was always a plan to move out when the redevelopment started in earnest, but after Sheffield City Council confirmed the heating system could not be fixed, the move came earlier than expected.

The council said the move would help to speed up the next stage of its plans to redevelop the library.

Streets said the library was an "important part of living in a city, people will miss it... and we will continue to work closely with the library to signpost people and keep it (Graves Gallery) in people's minds".

The temporary location for the collection has yet to be confirmed, but the council said it would have street-level access.

Sheffield Museums said it had been working closely with the council on its 18-month feasibility study which is due to be presented and considered by the council in the coming months.

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