COFFS Harbour’s future Art Gallery and Museum, being constructed at Yarrila Place, will be officially known as the acronym YAM.

YAM is an acronym for Yarrila Arts & Museum, and the acronym name follows Coffs Harbour City Council’s recent endorsement of the Cultural and Civic Space (CCS) building’s official name of Yarrila Place.

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Other names shortlisted for the new Art Gallery and Museum included Coffs Museum and Gallery, AMY (Arts and Museum, Yarrila), and CG&M (Coffs Gallery and Museum).

Council agreed to adopt the name of YAM for the combined Art Gallery and Museum at Yarrila Place at a Council meeting on Thursday 14 October.

At the meeting, Cr Sally Townley moved an alternate amendment to instead engage Council’s branding consultants, North Branding, who had recently undertaken Council’s rebranding to look at the naming of the region’s new Art Gallery and Museum.

However, Council’s General Manager Steve McGrath stated that Council had already engaged with the branding company in regards to the new name for the Art Gallery and Museum.

Cr George Cecato questioned where the new acronym YAM would be written on the new building.

“If I understand you correctly we are physically going to have some signs in the area that says YAM, is that correct?” Cr Cecato asked at the meeting.

Mr McGrath confirmed that the YAM acronym would be spread throughout the new building.

“Yes, that’s correct, there is quite an extensive wayfinding process through the building which incorporates signage and flags,” Mr McGrath said.

Cr Tegan Swan questioned whether it was Council’s intention to use the acronym YAM or the official full name.

“There will be parts of the signage that will have the full name, but then on some of the wayfinding signage it will be more common to use the acronym,” Mr McGrath confirmed.

Cr Paul Amos spoke against Cr Townley’s amendment, and said he felt “indifferent” about the proposed acronym for the new Art Gallery and Museum.

“This name will be on that building for a very, very long time,” Cr Amos affirmed.

“We’ve got to think long and hard about this.

“I like the (idea of) the acronym with the building, it’s futuristic, it’s got the regional library, it’s got the office, it’s got the gallery, it’s green, maybe it could be the big green frog!”

Cr Michael Adendorff questioned how much consultation had gone into arriving at the acronym YAM for the new building.

“Are we not veering into a total disregard for the importance of the work that was done to arrive at the name Yarrila?” Cr Adendorff asked.

“I don’t know where YAM comes from, where’s the consultation behind it, I just don’t understand how we got to YAM.”

Mr McGrath, however, confirmed that much consultation had been undertaken between Council and relevant stakeholder groups to arrive at the acronym of YAM.

Cr Townley’s amendment that the responsibility for the naming of the new Regional Art Gallery and Museum be incorporated into the Branding Consultant’s brief was defeated.

Councillors eventually voted 6 votes to 1 for Council to adopt the name of YAM (Yarrila Arts and Museum) for the combined Art Gallery and Museum at Yarrila Place, with Crs Denise Knight, Paul Amos, George Cecato, Keith Rhoades, Tegan Swan and Sally Townley voting for the new YAM acronym, and Cr Michael Adendorff voting against.

The naming and associated wayfinding signage will be completed as part of the CCS Project construction, due for completion in October 2022.

By Emma DARBIN