The Negev Museum of Art, Art museum in Old City, Beersheba, Israel
The Negev Museum of Art occupies the former Ottoman Governor's Mansion, a two-storey konak built in 1906. Its facade has a portico of pointed arches, and the interior was adapted for exhibitions by architect Ze'ev Gur, with a glass front added and office rooms on the upper floor converted into a small gallery in 2012.
The building was constructed in 1906 as a residence for the Ottoman governor during that period of regional rule. It later served as a British military installation and educational facility before eventually transitioning into an art institution.
The museum's name comes from the Negev, and its building served as Beersheba's first city hall in 1950. In 2012 it showed part of Hillela Tal's private Israeli art collection, with works by Moshe Gershuni, Lea Nikel and Igael Tumarkin. Each summer the museum holds open-air music events on its grounds.
The museum is located on Ha'Atsmaut Street and welcomes visitors throughout most of the week, with extended hours on select days for longer visits. Checking opening times in advance is recommended since schedules can vary seasonally.
The building was declared unsafe and closed in 1998, then restored between 1999 and 2003 by the Israel Antiquities Authority's conservation department under architect Ze'ev Gur, with a glass front added. It was the first historic building in Beersheba conserved under the new heritage regulations, and reopened in January 2004.
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