National Visual Arts Gallery (Malaysia)


The National Art Gallery of Malaysia is a public art gallery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The gallery is situated along Jalan Tun Razak, on the northern edge of central Kuala Lumpur. It is located next to the Istana Budaya, which is Malaysia's main venue for all types of theatre including musical theatre, operetta, classical concert and opera from local and international performances. As of today, this art agency, a statutory body under the Ministry of Tourism Art and Culture is simply known as the "National Art Gallery".

History

The Arts Council of the Federation of Malaya formed by the then senior civil servant Mubin Sheppard in 1952, had been put to task by the Federal Government 'to encourage and develop a greater knowledge, understanding and practice of the Arts in the Federation of Malaya'. In 1958 the Council was asked to name a committee to establish a National Art Gallery. The working Committee functioned for several years until in 1963 that a newly appointed Board of trustees was convened. The first Chairman appointed was Professor Ungku Aziz and the Deputy Chairman was P.G. Lim.
The first exhibition on 28 August 1958, by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia as the Balai Seni Lukisan Negara or 'National Art Gallery.
The gallery which was established since 1958, had thrived for 25 years in a temporary abode at the Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman, the country's first House of Parliament on the site known today as the Malaysian Tourism Center.
The Balai changed its name to the National Visual Arts Gallery in 2011 with the establishment of the National Visual Art Development Board Act of 2011 the Akta Lembaga Pembangunan Seni Visual Negara 2011.The Balai is also a statutory body and an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture, of Malaysia.

Transportation

The gallery is accessible via Rapid KL train within walking distance east of Titiwangsa Station.
The Mass Rapid Transit or MRT is being developed to improve access to the National Art Gallery, and its neighbors. The MRT SSP line or the MRT Sg Buloh Serdang Putrajaya line is scheduled to be in operation in 2021.

Literature

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