Art gallery reopening 'great moment' for city

The imminent reopening of Southampton City Art Gallery has been described as a "great moment" for both the city and the country.

Sir Nicholas Serota, the chairman of Arts Council England, said it showed the country's art scene was in rude health.

It opens its doors again on Saturday after being closed over a year ago for refurbishment. Admissions will remain free.

Replacing some of the roof, windows and other structures cost £2.23m. The vast majority of the money came from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Museum Estate and Development Fund.

Sir Nicholas said: "I think it's really important that our national and indeed our non-national museums remain free.

"They are part of the community and they should be enjoyed by everyone."

His favourite painting in the gallery is by the Berkshire artist Sir Stanley Spencer who died in 1959.

But he said anyone interested in 20th Century British art should find something in the gallery to pique their interest.

"This is one of the great galleries anywhere in the United Kingdom," he said.

Visitors will also be able to see a major new exhibition by the Southampton artist and musician Emma Richardson.

When she is not busy playing the bass guitar with the US alternative rock band The Pixies, Emma has been known to pick up the odd paint brush or two.

This is her first museum show and while she is not one to over-sell herself.

"I have always known I wanted to paint and have exhibitions and show my work and this is such a huge monumental moment for me," she said.

"Southampton is my hometown so to be able to be here and show this new body of work and to pick work from the collection is a real honour, a homecoming."