THE final temporary art exhibition at Newport Art Gallery began at the weekend amid continued protests over the decision by the council to scrap the scheme.

But yesterday Newport Labour council leader Bob Bright denied the Argus the right to take pictures of the Shift exhibition by David Garner, declining to give a reason.

It comes after Welsh art expert Hugh Adams publicly denounced the council’s plans for contemporary art in the city at the opening of the exhibition on Saturday.

Mr Garner’s show is the final temporary art exhibition at Newport Art Gallery since the city council ended the contemporary art programme to save £40,000.

The authority says the Riverfront Theatre will be able to hold temporary exhibitions.

It said the programme previously received funding from Arts Council Wales, but this ended with the authority now receiving funding on a project by- project basis.

Campaigners said around 70 people came to a demonstration in John Frost Square to mark the opening.

Shaun Featherstone, visual arts officer, is reported to have his job under threat.

Coleg Gwent Pontypool campus art lecturer Mr Garner, from Argoed, attacked the authority over the decision, saying he couldn’t think of any city in the world without a contemporary art programme.

The showlooks at the different connotations of the concept of shift – and includes a piece on Aberfan.

Mr Garner said: “I think it’s unacceptable that anyone can deny anybody access to art.

“Art in all its forms, whether it’s dance, theatre, visual art, film – all these components make up the culture of a society.”

A Newport council spokeswoman said the decision to end the programme will allow the Newport Art Gallery to display more works from its permanent collection.

She added: “The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre is also able to host temporary art exhibitions and, in future, the focus on contemporary art will be within this venue.”

Shift runs until June 29.

Critic says theatre’s show space is a disaster

A WELSH art critic said at the opening of the Shift exhibition that the Riverfront Theatre’s exhibition spaces are a disaster and unsuitable for an art exhibition.

Hugh Adams has served as director of Oriel Mostyn, was an art critic in residence at the University of Northumbria, has written for the Guardian and has served on the Arts Council and other public bodies in England.

He said he had “heard nothing regarding the ending of temporary exhibitions programme here, or the plans to relocate temporary art exhibitions and other things to the Riverfront Arts Centre.

“The building over there... is totally unsuitable for any worthwhile form of art exhibition. The exhibition spaces over there are a disaster and I can’t imagine what the architect was tasked with when he or she designed it.”

He added he was at a loss to understand why the authority didn’t set up a working group with art professionals to produce alternatives to “the disastrous course they seem set on”.