If you feel like a two-hour or so drive from Sydney, then this is a place to seriously consider. The new Bundanon Art Museum and Bridge for Creative Learning has just opened. Established in 1993, Bundanon was gifted to the Australian people by Arthur and Yvonne Boyd.
Accessibility across Bundanon’s new build was of paramount significance and carefully considered, from car parking, pathways and ramps to accessible accommodation suites and single-level dining on the Bridge, Bundanon CEO Rachel Kent said.
“Our new Art Museum spans one level with no steps and incorporates family changing facilities and accessible bathrooms. Bundanon’s ethos is one of welcome and care and we value our broad and diverse visitor community and want to ensure the best possible experience for everyone,” she told F2L. “We offer a range of programs for all needs, and our approach is built on inclusion and respect.”
The Bridge has accessible bedrooms and bathroom facilities with an accessible ramp to the Bridge and there are designated accessible parking spaces available outside the Bridge and Art Museum. The Art Museum, Bridge, visitor information centre, Ramox café, and Boyd Education Centre are built on one level so visitors can access the whole site. All wayfinding is designed to code.
“Arthur Boyd’s studio and the ground floor of the Homestead are wheelchair accessible. However, this is a historic site and there is a staircase inside the Homestead and uneven ground in the visitor car park and throughout the site,” Kent said.
Guide dogs and assistance animals are allowed on Bundanon properties.
The museum collection features 1,448 works by Arthur Boyd together with Boyd’s contemporaries such as Sidney Nolan, John Perceval, Joy Hester and Charles Blackman. In addition, Bundanon has an archive of artist books, scripts, compositions and working models related to artwork developed on the properties through the Artist in Residence program.
The bridge is a 160-metre long by 9-metre-wide structure that spans the existing gully in the sloping hillside, housing a world-class creative learning centre with break out spaces. It offers accommodation for up to 64 guests with café and dining facilities.
The museum will deliver three exhibition seasons annually, with an expanded range of on-site events including tailored learning and artistic residency programs.
The museum and collection store are subterranean, with artworks housed and exhibited in an underground building that protects them from diverse climate conditions.
Located on 1,000 hectares of bush and parkland overlooking the Shoalhaven River, on the South Coast of New South Wales, it is two and a half hours drive from Sydney.
Studio photo credit: Keith Saunders
Bridge photo credit: Zan Wimberley
For more details visit: www.bundanon.com.au