Ararat Arts Precinct has been renamed 'Ararat Gallery TAMA - Textile Art Museum Australia' and the Performing Arts Centre has been renamed ‘Ararat Town Hall’.

The council also revealed on Wednesday night its new ‘brands’ for the venues, which used minimalist designs that were inspired by the Ararat region’s past and future.

A Facebook video posted by the council, apparently produced by Melbourne-based graphic and interior design firm BrandWorks, explained the rationale behind the logos.

The video stated that the designers were inspired by the Arts Precinct’’s “stark black and white” interior spaces and the “tension between old and new” in Ararat.

The video was set to jazz music, apparently in reference to Ararat’s ‘Art Deco’ hotel and cinema on Barkly Street.

The presentation also included images of Ararat’s history in wool production and printing, as well as its Chinese heritage.

The $7.7 million arts redevelopment off Ararat’s High Street has taken about 14 months to complete.

The video stated that BrandWorks sent a team to Ararat to photograph the city and explore how to interpret its themes for the arts development.

Brandworks also demonstrated how the new logos would be adaptable for different colours and for printing on illuminated billboards, programmes, t-shirts and surfaces inside the new building.

Under the changes, the Ararat Regional Art Gallery will return to its earlier name, Ararat Gallery, but would now have a new ‘sub-brand’ – TAMA: Textile Art Museum Australia.

The sub-brand bears a resemblance to Hobart’s MONA – Museum of Old and New Art, which has been credited with attracting millions of new tourist visitors to Tasmania.

“This new brand capitalises on the gallery’s national reputation for textile art,” Ararat Rural City council mayor Gwenda Allgood said.

Cr Allgood said the new brands were the result of a lengthy process that originated with a facilitated workshop in 2015 to seek ideas and feedback from stakeholders about existing and future branding.

BrandWorks was appointed in 2017 to develop new logos and branding, along with websites for Ararat Gallery and Ararat Town Hall.

“The resulting brands have been informed by the Town Hall’s history and heritage, but also reflect the fresh and dynamic arts programming that is planned for this new precinct,” Cr Allgood said.

“There is no doubt this will all help to position our gallery as a leading national textile art destination and the much-loved Town Hall as the creative heart of our region.”

The council has scheduled for the new gallery and Town Hall  websites to go live in mid-July, with a community celebration and official opening planned for the weeks following.

The Ararat Arts Precinct redevelopment has been funded via a partnership between the Ararat Rural City, the state and federal government and contributions from the community.