Keppel gives $12 million to the National Art Gallery’s Centre for Art Education

Keppel Corporation’s gift to benefit children and youths is in line with its 45th Anniversary theme of ‘Shaping the Future’

The National Art Gallery, Singapore and Keppel Corporation today jointly announce that Keppel Corporation will be donating $12 million to the National Art Gallery in support of its Centre for Art Education. The Centre will be named the Keppel Centre for Art Education. This partnership is the largest corporate patronage for the Gallery to date.

The cheque presentation was made in the presence of President Tony Tan at Keppel Corporation’s 45th Anniversary celebrations held at the Shangri-La Hotel this evening.

The Keppel Centre for Art Education, an integral part of the National Art Gallery, will be the first dedicated art education facility of its kind in Singapore and the region.

The Centre is projected to engage 250,000 children, youth and families every year when it opens its doors in 2015. It will provide an immersive and creative learning environment for the young and resources for educators and researchers. Visitors to the Centre will encounter artworks that are presented in different age-appropriate spaces conducive for active play and discovery, as well as quiet and reflective learning.

Dr Lee Boon Yang, Chairman of Keppel Corporation, said, “We have made the donation for the Keppel Centre for Art Education to enable the National Art Gallery to inculcate an appreciation and love of visual arts in young Singaporeans. We hope the Centre will encourage the young to take an active interest in the arts and stimulate their imagination and creativity from an early age.

“The gift commemorates Keppel Corporation’s 45th Anniversary and is in line with our anniversary theme of ‘Shaping the Future’. We have been a longstanding supporter of the arts as we believe that a vibrant arts scene will help to forge our national identity and strengthen community ties. We are excited by the development of the National Art Gallery and firmly support its mission to grow the arts audience and make art more accessible to all.”

Mr Hsieh Fu Hua, Chairman of the National Art Gallery said, “Keppel Corporation’s exceptional generosity will enable families and students visiting the Centre to experience art in a unique environment, designed to stimulate the aesthetic and creative mind, and enhance learning.

“We are deeply grateful to them for their tremendous support towards broadening art appreciation and look forward to working with our schools to complement their arts education with our Centre's programming.”

The Keppel Centre for Art Education is prominently located on the ground level of the National Art Gallery’s City Hall wing and occupies a total floor area of 910 square metres. It will comprise four distinct art environments - a Children’s Museum, an interactive Art Playscape, a Project Gallery and a Tactile Art Corridor with artists’ commissions. The Centre will also offer exciting programmes including a regular series of Art Education forums, presentations and exhibitions, as well as active-learning programmes conducted by artists, curators and museum educators.