Margate’s plans for a £17.4m seafront arts centre celebrating the artist JMW Turner’s links with the town have finally come to fruition after Arts Council England and the South East England Development Agency agreed to provide £8.1m towards the cost. A further £2.9m is being sought from the private sector. The plans for Turner Contemporary, which was designed by David Chipperfield, have previously run into trouble, particularly in the early stages when it was feared that no actual works by Turner would be available for display. However, works by Turner will now be shown alongside British and international art from 1750 to the present day. There is also a commitment to show work by artists who demonstrate a major contribution to current practice and who challenge and stretch the boundaries of our understanding of art.
