National Art Gallery

Balai Seni Negara بالاي سني نڬارا‎
The Balai
Full name	Balai Seni Negara / National Art Gallery
Former names	Balai Seni Lukis Negara (1958-1977) Muzium Seni Negara (1978-1980) Balai Seni Lukis Negara ( 1981 -2010) Balai Seni Visual Negara ( 2011-2017)
Address	No 2 Jalan Temerloh off Jalan Tun Razak 53200 Kuala Lumpur
Location	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Public transit	PY18  Hospital Kuala Lumpur MRT station
Owner	The Government of Malaysia
Operator	National Visual Art Development Board
Type	Art gallery public art museum
Acreage	5.67 acre
Construction
Built	own building built by YTL Corporation 1996-1998
Opened	officially launched first exhibition 27 August 1958 at 109 Jalan Ampang /own building opened 27 September 2000 at Jalan Temerloh off Jalan Tun Razak
Renovated	after 3 September 1999
Expanded	2000 Public Art Competition for sculptures in and around the National Art Gallery building
Construction cost	MYR40 million
Architect	MAA Akitek,Dato' Mir Shahriman
Main contractors	YTL Corporation

The National Art Gallery of Malaysia (Malay: Balai Seni Negara; Jawi: بالاي سني نڬارا‎) is a public art gallery in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.^[1]

The gallery is situated along Jalan Tun Razak, on the northern edge of central Kuala Lumpur. It is located next to the Istana Budaya, which is Malaysia's main venue for all types of theatre including musical theatre, operetta, classical concert and opera from local and international performances. As of today, this art agency, a statutory body under the Ministry of Tourism Art and Culture is simply known as the "National Art Gallery".

The 'National Art Gallery' was designed by Dato' Ar. Mir Shariman of Arkitek MAA Sdn Bhd, with gallery spaces flanking the circular ramp serve as exhibition areas for more intimate and contemplative viewing. Spiral ramp in the middle provides dynamic visual experience to visitors from different angles at every level.

The Arts Council of the Federation of Malaya formed by the then senior civil servant Mubin Sheppard in 1952, had been put to task by the Federal Government 'to encourage and develop a greater knowledge, understanding and practice of the Arts in the Federation of Malaya'. In 1958 the council was asked to name a committee to establish a National Art Gallery . The working Committee functioned for several years until in 1963 that a newly appointed Board of trustees was convened . The first Chairman appointed was Professor Ungku Aziz and the Deputy Chairman was P.G. Lim.

The first exhibition on 28 August 1958, by Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia as the Balai Seni Lukisan Negara or 'National Art Gallery. The gallery which was established since 1958, had thrived for 25 years in a temporary abode at the Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman, the country's first House of Parliament on the site known today as the Malaysian Tourism Center .

The Balai changed its name to the National Visual Arts Gallery in 2011 with the establishment of the National Visual Art Development Board Act of 2011 (Act 724) the Akta Lembaga Pembangunan Seni Visual Negara 2011.The Balai is also a statutory body and an agency under the Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture, of Malaysia.

The gallery is accessible via Rapid KL bus route 402.

It is also within walking distrance from the Hospital Kuala Lumpur MRT station on the Putrajaya Line.

• List of national galleries
• Malacca Art Gallery

• Lenzi, Iola (2004). Museums of Southeast Asia. Singapore: Archipelago Press. pp. 200 pages. ISBN 981-4068-96-9.
• Anuar, Zanita; et al. (2013). 55 Years National Visual Arts Gallery. Kuala Lumpur: National Visual Art Gallery. pp. 218 pages. ISBN 978-983-3497-87-4.
• Lim, PG (2012). Kaleidoscope: The Memoirs of PG Lim. Selangor: Strategic Information and research development Centre. pp. 397 pages. ISBN 978-967-5832-39-0.
• Mohd Tahir, Badrolhisham; et al. (2018). Membingkai Semula:60 Tahun Balai Seni Negara. Kuala Lumpur: National Art Gallery. pp. 192 pages. ISBN 978-967-0914-24-4.

• Official website

3°10′25″N 101°42′19″E / 3.173525°N 101.705208°E / 3.173525; 101.705208