Bendigo Gallery closes for massive redevelopment, with space-themed Lego show to fill the gap

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Melbourne based architects Jackson Clements Burrows designed the building in partnership with . Clare DesignDesigner of the Brisbane Gallery of Modern Art.

While tourism is part of the equation, it also involves engaging local, regional and rural communities, according to Bridgfoot.

“Being able to offer a free art presentation to people who maybe have never been to a gallery before, and being able to come and do something constructive and creative with their kids, is really important,” she says.

“People like to have creative license to do things without any expectations.”

Construction work, which will begin early next year, will renovate the façade and internal gallery spaces, while the historic features of the original building will remain intact. The refurbishment follows the closure of the Ballarat Art Gallery, another important Victorian regional cultural venue, for renovations in March. It is planned to reopen in early 2026.

As well as co-designing elements of the refurbished building, the Gallery worked closely with the traditional owners, the Dja Dja Wurrung people, to design a purpose-built place where all cultural artefacts will be known as the Traditional Owners Custodian.

“We worked on a return project with them and have a list of objects scattered across major museums in Europe and the UK, including the British Museum,” says Bridgfoot.

“So we will be working with them on international repatriation projects, and we will have a collection area as well as an interpretive exhibition area to bring these artifacts back to the Country.”

The new ground floor includes a dedicated space for the gallery’s contemporary Australian and First Nations collections, and entry will be free.

A new 1,000 square meter international gallery on the first floor will host blockbuster ticketed shows. Elvis: Straight from Graceland And Frida Kahlo: In her own image.

Recent major demonstrations have highlighted how much the gallery needs to expand, with queues at the entrance area stretching all the way to the front door, leaving crowds with little room to move around the exhibition spaces.

A new learning center will feature a children’s art studio, workshop space and theater on the ground floor, while an interactive children’s gallery with a space for hands-on activities will open seven days a week.

To fill the void as the gallery closes, a series of off-site events will be held from March, starting with a massive Lego display in collaboration with Bendigo’s Discovery Science and Technology Centre.

Curiosity: Innovating with Lego Bricks It is aimed at those who love all things space related. The centerpiece is a 25-foot-tall replica of the NASA Space Launch system rocket designed by Ryan “Brickman” McNaught using 460,000 Lego bricks.

McNaught, who was born in Shepparton and went to school in Bendigo, spent 563 hours designing and building the piece with his team.

There’s also a life-size model of the Mars Rover Perseverance and Mars Helicopter Ingenuity made from Lego; Female scientists have re-imagined a massive periodic table – also in Lego – plus models of bridges and spacecraft from around the world. Visitors can also build their own creations.

Bridgfoot also chairs the Australian chapter of the International Council of Museums, based in Paris. In addition to managing the gallery and its restructuring, he also spends a lot of time thinking about the big picture.

“What we need to do as cultural leaders is reinforce the intrinsic value of the arts and its impact on people’s mental health and well-being,” he says.

“And all the other wonderful things that come from that communication, from having cultural experiences together, from those shared experiences.”

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