C. Khor
The Penang State Museum branch has opened in a restored building on Jalan Macalister. The landmark was closed for about six years before repairs and upgrading.
Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow marked the reopening and launched the Penang Art Open 2025 exhibition at the site. It adds another stop to Penang’s heritage trail.
Here is what the building was, what it holds and how to visit it. For now, entry is free for a limited time.
A hospital turned museum
The building was once the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. It opened as a maternity hospital on 13 September 1915, so it has stood for more than a century. Today it serves a different public purpose, as a home for art, history and culture.
But then it sat closed for about six years. The upgrade included roof repairs, new electrical wiring and a fresh coat of paint. However, neither report gives a cost.
Chow said the building once housed that hospital. For visitors, he urged them to look past the objects and appreciate the stories behind them. Museums, he said, should not merely be places where old artefacts are kept.
What visitors will see at the museum
Inside, the Penang State Museum branch holds historical artefacts, traditional handicrafts, costumes and paintings. It also shows works by pioneering and contemporary artists.
As well, the collection includes contributions from the late comics artist Mohd Azmi Mohd Hussin.
Meanwhile, the Penang Art Open 2025 exhibition, themed “Future Ecologies”, is on show. It features works by the 2025 competition winners and looks at how art can support environmental sustainability.
At the launch, Chow also presented cash prizes to the winners. The amounts were not reported. The exhibition gives visitors a first look at the competition’s top entries.
In addition, a new automotive gallery in the compound has widened the exhibition space. It opened on 3 February.
The State Art Gallery is also running from the branch for now. Its usual home at Dewan Sri Pinang is undergoing upgrade works, so the two collections share one address.
How to visit
Admission to the Penang State Museum branch is free until 30 November. After that date, the reports do not say what visitors will pay. Neither report gives opening hours or a street number, so check with the museum before you go.
The main Penang State Museum on Farquhar Street reopened on 23 July. So, visitors now have two museum sites to explore.
Penang State Executive Councillor for Tourism and Creative Economy Wong Hon Wai chairs the museum board. He hopes state museums will become centres for learning, research and knowledge-sharing.
For the record, other guests included Penang state financial officer Datuk Zairi Mat Ali and Penang Island mayor Datuk A. Rajendran. Penang Art Gallery chairman Lee Khai and Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh were also there. So were museum and art gallery director Haryany Mohamad and Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Wong Yuee Harng.
In short, a former hospital now holds art, history and a car gallery. Still, with free entry until 30 November, this is the cheapest time to go. Visitors should plan the trip around the exhibition and the gallery.
Sashidaran Gunathevan
Admin
Maran Perianen
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