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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Dr. Hsio-yen SHIH was appointed by Government as consultant to advise on the scope of the Museum. The consultant's proposed schedule of accommodation of 12,450 sq.m. was approved by the Public Works Vetting Committee in June 1982. Although the consultant's terms of reference did not cover specifically the direction of promoting Hong Kong contemporary art, the Museum in Tsim Sha Tsui provided suitable facilities for such purpose, including a permanent gallery on Hong Kong art, storage, conservation, exhibition, educational and extension services facilities. The way forward for the promotion of contemporary art in Hong Kong is a matter of policy for the Council to decide.
Concerning the annual attendance of the Museum since 1977, the figures have been given to Mr. WU in writing and are tabled for Members' easy information and reference. (Annex 3)
Concerning other UC venues used for the promotion of visual art and whether activities in these venues are planned and organized by the Museum of Art, apart from Hong Kong Visual Art Centre and the Flagstaff House Museum of Teaware which are managed by the Museum of Art, the Council currently provides exhibition venues at the City Hall, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and three Civic Centres at Ngau Chi Wan, Sheung Wan and Sai Wan Ho. Activities held in these other venues are planned and organized by the respective management of the venues and are not co-ordinated by the Museum of Art. However, the Museum sometimes makes use of the exhibition galleries in these venues to organize exhibitions on special occasions. For example, the 18 solo exhibitions of the Hong Kong Artist Series at the three Civic Centres and the 11th Asian Watercolour Confederation Annual Exhibition to be held in October 1996 at the City Hall Exhibition Hall.
The fourth part concerns joint presentations, hirers' events and the type of activities organized in non-museum venues. Details of the readily available figures on the mix of Council events and hirers' activities have been given to Mr. Wu and are tabled for Members' easy reference (Annex 4). A more detailed analysis of the activities by types is being compiled by the Department for the review of Council's policy on the promotion of Hong Kong art in drawing up the Five Year Plan. Details will be reported to Council in June 1996.
Concerning the last part of the question on expenditure incurred by the Public Information Unit of the Department on advertising and promoting the activities of the Museum of Art in the last three years, the expenditure was $190,301 in 1993/94, $144,307 in 1994/95 and $379,771 in 1995/96. In addition, the Museum regularly publicises the Museum of Art activities in its quarterly newsletter, as well as in the Council's monthly magazine, City News, which has a readership approaching half a million, and in the Megavision at the Hong Kong Coliseum, and the video screen of the City Hall and the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.
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