AN arts chief has branded the loss of the “international standard” Kube gallery “galling” and “unbelievable” and is calling for it to be saved.

Elspeth McBain, chief executive of Poole’s Lighthouse arts centre, has spoken out following the news that Bournemouth and Poole College’s iconic contemporary art gallery off North Road is to close at the end of January after the college withdrew funding.

She called it a “very important” gallery for the region, which had had “significant support” from the Arts Council.

“For all that to be lost is quite unbelievable,” she added.

Kube, formerly the Study Gallery, is the only big visual arts space between Southampton and the Tate gallery in St Ives, Cornwall. It has had its busiest time ever since re-launching in April.

“They have brought in so many fantastic initiatives,” added Mrs McBain. “That’s why it’s so galling they haven’t been given any additional time to develop those ideas.”

She called for businesses, sponsors and the arts community to be “galvanised” to find a solution.

“The whole life and flavour of the region is actually defined by the cultural offering. If it starts being knocked off one by one what are we going to be left with?

“It really is quite extraordinary that something so significant can be lost just like that. We need to campaign hard to find an alternative space for it to keep going.”

She said discussions were already underway to transfer some of the Kube’s programme to the Lighthouse “to ensure that there is contemporary art of a national and international standard still present in Poole.”

Bournemouth and Poole College principal and chief executive Lawrence Vincent confirmed they could no longer justify “financially supporting” the gallery with “government funding being tightened”

He said the college’s first priority was “to use our resources to support learners.”

Sibyl Fine King, chair of the board of directors of KUBE said she was “profoundly saddened” by the decision, and felt it would “remove one of the very few specialist visual arts buildings from the cultural fabric of Dorset.”

The £2.4million building is intended to be used as a state-of-the-art teaching zone.