Alethea - Mountain Retreat Arts Centre

Opening the doorway to a bright and creative future in Tasmania

In 2006, Fusion was donated an historic building by the North Esk Rowing Club of Launceston for the purpose of re-erection as an Arts Centre. The building is actually an aircraft hangar that originally sheltered the famous ‘mole’ drilling machine used to bore the nearby tunnel through the mountains as part of the Hydro Electric Scheme which necessitated the creation of Poatina village during the 1950’s to house Hydro workers and their families. The hangar will in a sense be ‘coming home’ to Poatina where it is currently being re-erected.

The Alethea - Mountain Retreat Arts Centre has been named to honour the late Alethe Clezy, a passionate artist, pioneer and advocate of the arts in Poatina.  It is due to be opened in early 2012, which will provide much needed studio facilities for local artists as well as artists across the state.

Since dismantling the building in 2006 with the help of volunteers and a grant from the Northern Midlands Council, Fusion has worked tirelessly to generate support and secure funding for its re-erection and fit-out. The project has received significant financial contributions from Arts Tasmania, The Tasmanian Community Fund, The Ian Potter Foundation and a number of private donors.

The centre will allow the newly established Poatina Hot Glass Studio to relocate to a purpose-built area within the building. The Hot Glass Studio will be the flagship of the centre, offering an exceptional tourist attraction to members of the public who will be able to view live glass blowing and witness Tasmania’s only Hot Glass teaching facility in action.