As flood waters devastate south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, a number of galleries, museums and cultural hubs are currently closed. As flood levels peak in northern New South Wales, galleries such as Lismore Regional Gallery is inundated with water, while nearby spaces like Arts Northern Rivers and The Northern Rivers Conservatorium have been severely flooded.
Meanwhile in south-east Queensland, which received a month’s worth of rainfall in a couple of days, galleries like QAGOMA, placed along the Brisbane River, have closed. And a number of other galleries have temporarily closed doors due to the extreme weather.
Our thoughts are with those affected, especially as these recent floods compound the previous 2017 floods, the 2019 fires, and of course the pandemic. Below we have a rolling update of closures, alongside ways those in need can be supported at this time.
Queensland
Queensland Arts Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)
Queensland Theatre
State Library of Queensland
Institute of Modern Art
Jan Manton Gallery
Metro Arts
QUT Art Museum
Griffith University Art Museum
New South Wales
Lismore Regional Gallery
Arts Northern Rivers
Spaghetti Circus
The Northern Rivers Conservatorium
Lismore City Hall (NORPA)
M-Arts (Murwillumbah)
Support
While various fundraising plans from galleries and arts bodies are set to be announced in the coming weeks, here’s some ways you can support those affected now.
Donate to the Red Cross QLD and NSW Floods Appeal
The Queensland Government is offering one-off support assistance payments
Donate via a third-party platform like Good2Give
Support animal shelters for displaced animals through the RSPCA
And The Conversation has this very handy advice: Want to help people affected by floods? Here’s what to do – and what not to
If you live in a flood-affected area in NSW or QLD, contact the SES on 132 500 for emergency assistance. Call 000 for life threatening emergencies.
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