ZČG is requesting the state for a subsidy of 480 million CZK for the construction of a regional gallery

Plzeň – The West Bohemian Gallery in Plzeň (ZČG), established by the Plzeň Region, will request state funding from the Ministry of Culture for the construction of a new regional gallery by the end of the week. The costs, adjusted to 2020 prices, amount to 930 million crowns, including furnishings and interiors. The region will only participate in the project, which already has a building permit and a feasibility study, if it receives a subsidy of 480 million CZK from the state budget. The regional council agreed today to submit the application after many consultations with the ministries of culture and finance, said Vladislav Vilímec (ODS), the deputy governor for culture and senator.

"There is no reason to delay the application any further. Moreover, a proposal for the state budget for next year is being prepared now, and it is necessary to advocate for the appropriate amounts of financial resources," he stated. The region wants money from the program to support the development and renewal of the material-technical base of regional cultural institutions. "This year, for the first time, there is an amount of around 200 million crowns, and I don’t know if it has even been exhausted, as the projects are not very well prepared," he noted. The region wants to ensure that a higher amount than currently considered is allocated starting from 2020. "We are definitely the most prepared," Vilímec said.

If the state were to approve a lower grant or if the region received nothing, the regional council would have to re-evaluate the project. According to Vilímec, the state should "have a certain co-responsibility for investments over 100 million, as the regions cannot manage this on their own."

The construction of the gallery is planned for the years 2020 to 2022, and by 2023 it is expected to acquire furnishings and interior. According to the feasibility study, the new multifunctional building with significant regional impact will greatly increase the number of visitors from the Czech Republic as well as from abroad. The building will feature a permanent exhibition of modern art, an exhibition of Ladislav Sutnar, planned exhibitions, supplementary cultural activities, and new products. Thanks to the central and transit depository, the ZČG will meet legal requirements for the preservation and care of the collection fund.