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of Hong Kong or the New Territories in the same way as we did the old Blake Pier cover.
MR. KENNETH Lo (in English): Can Mr. FORSGATE tell this Council whether according to the present design of the Cultural Complex, the large auditorium is intended to be built on the land now occupied by the railway station building?
MR. FORSGATE (in English): The answer is yes, Mr. Chairman.
CHAIRMAN (in English): I think this question has been fully discussed. Those members who have not yet put supplementary questions, if they wish to do so, please ask for the floor now. Thank you very much, Mr. FORSGATE. I will now ask Mr. CHEONG-LEEN to take item 5 on the agenda.
STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE MUSEUMS SELECT COMMITTEE
MR. CHEONG-LEEN (in English): Mr. Chairman, perhaps the most significant step towards the development of museum services in Hong Kong in recent months was the obtaining of Government's approval for the accommodation of the new museum block in the projected Cultural Complex at Tsim Sha Tsui.
The new Museum of Art will have an overall exhibition area of 30,000 sq. ft. and will include 14 exhibition galleries, a storage area and space for ancillary services. Although the new Museum of Art will not be ready before 1982, it is not too early to start a phased development programme for the expansion of new Museum services, including an increase in our acquisitions. Naturally such expansion cannot proceed without an increase in man-power, and a 5-year expansion plan to recruit sufficient professional staff is being drawn up. It is hoped to recruit young, talented local graduates who can be trained by senior museum staff locally in addition to receiving overseas training so that by the time the new museum becomes operational, we will have the necessary expertise to manage and operate a larger and more sophisticated museum complex.
The Museum of Art made significant purchases of acquisitions last year both locally and from overseas and plans to continue the acquisition of worthwhile items are well in hand. During the past 12 months the Museum of Art organized 12 special exhibitions. 5 exhibition catalogues were published and in particular the catalogue on "Monochrome Ceramics of the Ming & Ching Dynasties" has successfully transmitted the message of Urban Council museum activities to many parts of the world. In addition to the frequent static exhibition programmes maintained by the Museum of Art, arrangements are being made to convert suitable museum exhibitions into portable forms, with a view to loaning these exhibitions to schools and institutions for public display. The first of these "travelling exhibitions", entitled "Hong Kong Children's Art", has already moved throughout Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. These exhibitions extend the boundaries of a static museum display and efforts are being made to prepare more on a variety of subjects for free loan.
The
For the promotion of local contemporary art, the Museum of Art is now planning for the important biennial event, Contemporary Hong Kong Art, commencing in October, 1977. In the same exhibition, the Urban Council Art Awards will be presented. Steps are also being taken to organize more one-man shows for local artists of merit and to bring Hong Kong art to other parts of the world through a circulating exhibition.
The active programme of the Museum of Art has been receiving generous support from the Hong Kong public. In the past two years, there have been many generous loans made available by local collectors of valuable and rare works of art for our museum exhibitions. The Museum of Art has received since April, 1976, 15 different donations, which include Chinese ceramics and painting scrolls, modern oil paintings and sculpture, jade carvings, costumes and embroidery of high artistic merit. It is most gratifying to receive these donations, as it highlights the fact that the Council's concern to extend the services of the Museum of Art to the people of Hong Kong is shared by quite a number of local well-wishers and lovers of the arts.
MOTIONS
(1) THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL moved the following motion (in English):
"RESOLVED that the Urban Council Annual Report for the year 1976/77 be approved."
He said: There is always the need for the Council to do better in every direction. Still, however much the trend may seem to change with new interests and novel activities, and it is tempting to play them
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85
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of Hong Kong or the New Territories in the same way as we did the old Blake Pier cover.
MR. KENNETH Lo (in English): Can Mr. FORSGATE tell this Council whether according to the present design of the Cultural Complex, the large auditorium is intended to be built on the land now occupied by the railway station building?
MR. FORSGATE (in English):-The answer is yes, Mr. Chairman. CHAIRMAN (in English):-I think this question has been fully discussed. Those members who have not yet put supplementary ques- tions, if they wish to do so, please ask for the floor now. Thank you very much, Mr. FORSGATE. I will now ask Mr. CHEONG-LEEN to take item 5 on the agenda.
STATEMENT BY THE HONOURABLE HILTON CHEONG-LEEN, CHAIRMAN OF THE MUSEUMS SELECT COMMITTEE
MR. CHEONG-LEEN (in English):-Mr. Chairman, perhaps the most significant step towards the development of museum services in Hong Kong in recent months was the obtaining of Government's approval for the accommodation of the new museum block in the projected Cultural Complex at Tsim Sha Tsui.
The new Museum of Art will have an overall exhibition area of 30,000 sq. ft. and will include 14 exhibition galleries, a storage area and space for ancillary services. Although the new Museum of Art will not be ready before 1982, it is not too early to start a phased development programme for the expansion of new Museum services, including an increase in our acquisitions. Naturally such expansion cannot proceed without an increase in man-power, and a 5-year expansion plan to recruit sufficient professional staff is being drawn up. It is hoped to recruit young, talented local graduates who can be trained by senior museum staff locally in addition to receiving overseas training so that by the time the new museum becomes operational, we will have the necessary expertise to manage and operate a larger and more sophis- ticated museum complex.
The Museum of Art made significant purchases of acquisitions last year both locally and from overseas and plans to continue the acquisition of worthwhile items are well in hand. During the past 12 months the Museum of Art organized 12 special exhibitions. 5 exhibition catalogues
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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85
were published and in particular the catalogue on "Monochrome Ceramics of the Ming & Ching Dynasties" has successfully transmitted the message of Urban Council museum activities to many parts of the world. In addition to the frequent static exhibition programmes main- tained by the Museum of Art, arrangements are being made to convert suitable museum exhibitions into protable forms, with a view to loaning these exhibitions to schools and institutions for public display. first of these "traveling exhibitions", entitled "Hong Kong Children's Art", has already moved throughout Hong Kong, Kowloon and the New Territories. These exhibitions extend the boundaries of a static museum display and efforts are being made to prepare more on a variety of subjects for free loan.
The
For the promotion of local contemporary art, the Museum of Art is now planning for the important biennial event, Contemporary Hong Kong Art, commencing in October, 1977. In the same exhibition, the Urban Council Art Awards will be presented. Steps are also being taken to organize more one-man shows for local artists of merit and to bring Hong Kong art to other parts of the world through a circulating exhibition.
The active programme of the Museum of Art has been receiving generous support from the Hong Kong public. In the past two years, there have been many generous loans made available by local collectors of valuable and rare works of art for our museum exhibitions. The Museum of Art has received since April, 1976, 15 different donations, which include Chinese ceramics and painting scrolls, modern oil paint- ings and sculpture, jade carvings, costumes and embroidery of high artistic merit. It is most gratifying to receive these donations, as it highlights the fact that the Council's concern to extend the services of the Museum of Art to the people of Hong Kong is shared by quite a number of local well-wishers and lovers of the arts.
MOTIONS
(1) THE CHAIRMAN, URBAN COUNCIL moved the following motion (in English):-
"RESOLVED that the Urban Council Annual Report for the
year 1976/77 be approved."
He said: There is always the need for the Council to do better in every direction. Still, however much the trend may seem to change with new interests and novel activities, and it is tempting to play them
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