This is an interesting question posed by the BBC following the addition of art galleries in St. Ives, Margate and now Hastings but can art galleries really rejuvenate the fortunes of the seaside resort?
St. Ives in Cornwall now has a Tate Modern extension gallery which borrows art works from the Tate Modern in London and seems to have been quite successful at least in getting the arty types in. Margate we reported on earlier this year with the proposed addition of the Turner Contemporary gallery which is due to open in 2011 and has also received a lot of praise, at least from the council.
So can the same happen for Hastings? Traditionally the town has been associated with the Battle of Hastings nearly 1000 years ago, but its fortunes as a seaside resort are in desperate need of a boost which is where a new art gallery comes in. The idea has received mixed views from the locals, many of whom seem worried that the gallery will simply increase the number of affluent Londoners moving in but not actually help the local economy. According to others however, the town simply needs to change and this might bring Hastings into the 21st Century and secure its future.
Time will tell which side was right, but one does suspect that it might take slightly more than an art gallery in every seaside town to fix the declining fortunes of these once thriving resorts.
BBC video report on Hastings Gallery
Links around Hastings:
Tourist attractions in Hastings
Hotels in Hastings
