Museum to be renovated

DENPASAR, Bali: The Puri Ubud Painting Museum, 40 km east of here, is in need of massive renovation in order to continue functioning as a prestigious cultural spot, museum director Tjokorda Raka Kertyasa said here Saturday.

The renovation, to start in March, is expected to cost Rp 160 million (US$67,740), Kertyasa was quoted by Antara as saying.

So far, the museum has only been able to raise Rp 50 million, Rp 25 million of which came from the Rudolf Bonnet Foundation in the Netherlands, said Kertyasa.

Established in 1956 on a one-hectare plot, the museum now has 286 paintings in its collection. It comprises three main buildings including one which was designed by Bonnet, the famous Dutch painter who spent many years in Bali.

According to Kertyasa, the roof of the museum now leaks so badly that in rainy seasons some of the paintings get wet. (swe)