The Public art gallery facing funding fight a year after official launch

Jul 23 2010 by Matt Lloyd, Birmingham Mail

THE future of the Midlands’ most troubled art gallery is yet again hanging in the balance – as managers reveal they have got just nine months to find funding to keep it afloat.

The Public, in West Bromwich, has been dubbed ‘the pink elephant’ after suffering a series of setbacks since it was first planned.

A whopping £63 million has already been ploughed into the art gallery to make it a success.

Now, nearly a year after its official opening, managers say they need to secure more money to keep the business going.

Sandwell Arts Trust, a division of Sandwell Council, which runs The Public has already announced it has no more cash to bail it out.

Neither does the Arts Council for England.

Both bodies have told the gallery that they could make no commitments past next March.

Managing director Linda Saunders, who was brought in by the council to manage the gallery in April 2009, admitted finding investment would be a challenge.