Kylie on Stage exhibition boosting visitor numbers

Picture: Ararat Gallery presents Kylie on Stage - a touring exhibition by Arts Centre Melbourne and the Australian Music Vault.

In the first month of opening 1,852 people have passed through the doors, compared to 410 when the venue was last in operation in August during 2016.

Ararat Rural City Council Mayor, Cr Gwenda Allgood said a lot of the credit for the boost in numbers can be attributed to the popular Kylie on Stage exhibition, by Arts Centre Melbourne and the Australian Music Vault.

“This is exactly what we had hoped to see when we invested in our Arts Precinct redevelopment,” she said.

“Not only is visitation increasing, but the increase is in local visitors enjoying their Gallery and that is really heartening.”

Of the 1,852 visitors so far, 70 per cent have been from the Ararat Rural City compared with 52 per cent in August 2016.

“The remainder of visitors have been a good mix of regional, metro, interstate and international visitors,” Cr Allgood said.

“Responses from visitors have been really positive, with many people returning for another look with their friends and family.”

Kylie on Stage celebrates magical moments from Kylie Minogue’s highly successful concert tours and charts the development of Kylie’s ever-evolving stage persona and goes behind the scenes to explore the creative process behind each tour.

Drawn from Minogue’s spectacular stage wardrobe held at Arts Centre Melbourne’s Australian Performing Arts Collection, the exhibition features costumes from tours dating back to 1989 as well as more recent tours such as Kylie Aphrodite les Follies in 2011.

Featured designers within the world-first exhibition include Dolce and Gabbana, John Galliano, Julien Macdonald, Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Paul Gaultier as well as local designers including Peter Morrissey and Mark Burnett.

The exhibition is free to view and runs through to Sunday, October 7 at Ararat Gallery TAMA.

“This is a great exhibition to view, particularly during the upcoming school holidays,” Cr Allgood said.

Also on exhibition at the Ararat Gallery is 'Material Constructs: The Home Front’ by Sarah crowEST on display, as well as two impressive sculptures created during the Lake Bolac Eel Festival.

Ararat Gallery TAMA is open daily from 10am – 4pm. Contact 5355 0220.