Castlemaine's beleaguered art museum could ask sacked staff to return as the organisation works out how it will manage a white knight's demands that gallery doors remain open.
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Financial hardship last month forced the museum’s board to announce a two-year closure, a decision that left six staff without work.
But an anonymous $250,000 donation to bail out the gallery, announced at a crisis meeting of members, was contingent on the Lyttleton Street site remaining operational.
Since beginning a reduced schedule of opening times last week, board directors have staffed the gallery’s reception desk.
But deputy chairman Bryon Cunningham said a collections manager, and other workers, would be required to oversee the modified operation.
Read more: No SOS from sinking gallery
“We are in the process of employing staff and would like to approach some of the existing staff,” Mr Cunningham said.
The director said the board was inundated with offers of support from the community since the closure plan was first made public.
About 200 new members signed up since the announcement, taking the gallery’s membership to more than 800.
“The majority of the community, and people who come into the gallery, are understanding, sympathetic, helpful,” he said.
But the new supports were not enough to shore up the gallery’s future, Mr Cunningham said.
“It's a bit better than a Band-Aid but we've still got a long way to go,” he said.
Gallery documents reveal the length of time closure was under consideration from the board of directors.
In February, a meeting of gallery members was called to approve changes to “winding up” clauses in the museum's constitution.
The approved change sought to ensure that, in the case of collapse, remaining property would be passed on to another charitable organisation.
According to the documents, the changes were recommended by the Australian Tax Office.
The Australian Tax Office recommended the changes, a gallery document explained.
“It's not a knee-jerk reaction,” the deputy chair said.
“The reason we hesitated talking about it is that, while we were planning it, we were examining every other option.”
CAM now opens Thursday to Sunday, from noon to 5pm.