Scarborough Art Gallery and Woodend have been closed to the public since lockdown started in late March. The Trust's chief executive Andrew Clay said: “Our dedicated staff have all been working very hard to ensure that venues are safe and in line with government guidelines on social distancing and cleanliness. The safety of all our staff and visitors is our top priority.” Safety measures include: Protective screens around the reception desks Hand sanitiser on entry to the buildings and on the top floor of the art gallery Disposable hand towels in the toilets PPE (gloves, masks and aprons) for staff when cleaning the venues, plus extra cleaning protocols. Staff monitoring at a safe distance to ensure that visitors are following the distancing guidelines. Andrew said: “The number of visitors within the two spaces will be monitored to ensure that there is enough room for them to move around in a safe and enjoyable manner. Clear wayfinding and arrows will direct them, and staff will be on hand to provide further support and information. “The internal layout of our third venue, the historic Rotunda Museum, presents certain challenges with regard to social distancing, so we’re delaying opening that for the time being to allow us more time to work out how to do that safely.” The exhibitions which were on when lockdown started have been extended: at Scarborough Art Gallery, visitors will be able to see The Printmakers Council 1992-2019 and the William Smith map, both until September 6; and the permanent display of fine art from the Scarborough Borough Collection. At Woodend, colourful vintage travel and tourism posters will be on show in the A Day at the Seaside exhibition until September 27. Entry to Scarborough Art Gallery, usually £3, which buys an annual pass, will be free throughout July; entry to Woodend will remain free. Opening hours remain the same for both venues: Scarborough Art Gallery will be open from 10am to 5pm, Tuesday to Sundays; Woodend from 9am to 5pm Mondays to Fridays and 10am to 4pm Saturdays and Sundays. A message from the editor Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper. Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper. Thank you Jean MacQuarrie Editor-in-Chief
