Art Fund launches £600,000 collections fund
Rebecca Atkinson, 22.06.2011
Applicants urged to be creative and ambitious
The Art Fund has launched a £600,000 funding scheme to encourage museums and galleries to build new collections of art.
Funding for the Renew scheme was awarded to the Art Fund by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation as part of its 50th birthday celebration. The scheme aims to encourage curatorial approaches to collecting, and create opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing between departments and institutions.
The Art Fund will provide 100% funding for works bought through Renew, and hopes to make awards to up to six museums.
Dawn Austwick, chief executive of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, said: “Renew provides a unique opportunity at a difficult time for museums and galleries across the UK to invest for the long-term health of their collections by opening up new areas, approaches and partnerships.”
Museums and galleries are encouraged to submit applications for building new collections that either connect or develop existing collections, or stimulate new areas of collecting in “unexpected, ambitious, creative but relevant ways”.
Sally Cross, collections coordinator at the Museums Association, welcomed the fact that the scheme would provide 100% of funding, enabling museums to get involved without having to find other sources of funding.
She added: “This scheme invites museums to come up with proposals for how they would spend the money in particular collecting areas, rather than just reacting to works coming up for sale. This will help support curatorial skill and confidence – which are needed in order to build great collections.”
Any clearly defined area of collecting will be considered for funding. Museums have until 29 July to apply for funding, and successful institutions will be notified in early September.
The Renew scheme will be rolled out over a two-year period following the selection process, with the first tranche of acquisitions likely to be approved in the autumn.
For more information and to apply go to www.artfund.org/renew
Funding for the Renew scheme was awarded to the Art Fund by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation as part of its 50th birthday celebration. The scheme aims to encourage curatorial approaches to collecting, and create opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing between departments and institutions.
The Art Fund will provide 100% funding for works bought through Renew, and hopes to make awards to up to six museums.
Dawn Austwick, chief executive of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, said: “Renew provides a unique opportunity at a difficult time for museums and galleries across the UK to invest for the long-term health of their collections by opening up new areas, approaches and partnerships.”
Museums and galleries are encouraged to submit applications for building new collections that either connect or develop existing collections, or stimulate new areas of collecting in “unexpected, ambitious, creative but relevant ways”.
Sally Cross, collections coordinator at the Museums Association, welcomed the fact that the scheme would provide 100% of funding, enabling museums to get involved without having to find other sources of funding.
She added: “This scheme invites museums to come up with proposals for how they would spend the money in particular collecting areas, rather than just reacting to works coming up for sale. This will help support curatorial skill and confidence – which are needed in order to build great collections.”
Any clearly defined area of collecting will be considered for funding. Museums have until 29 July to apply for funding, and successful institutions will be notified in early September.
The Renew scheme will be rolled out over a two-year period following the selection process, with the first tranche of acquisitions likely to be approved in the autumn.
For more information and to apply go to www.artfund.org/renew
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