Should museums stop collecting while we're in a recession? Funding is tight, curatorial positions are being squeezed, many existing collections lie unseen in the basements… surely it would make sense?
Well, of course it wouldn't. Collections are central to any museum. It's vital that they are kept fresh and appealing, and museums need to continue acquiring to achieve that. But museums and galleries will have to get savvier about how and what they buy - though this may in itself bring unexpected rewards in the long term.
First to funding. It's not news that lottery funds have gradually fallen away, but the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) confirmed last month that the MLA/V&A purchase grant fund was being cut by 10 per cent in the current year, with hints of further cuts to come. This takes the fund's annual budget to £900,000 - its lowest level for 30 years.
To be fair, the MLA delayed passing on the misery of its own substantial budget cuts last year, but it is a real blow to regional museums wishing to collect.
Meanwhile, the National Heritage Memorial Fund has been depleted by the acquisition of the great Titian for the national galleries in London and Edinburgh. And museums' own funds are also under pressure, with 60 per cent saying they have already had budgets cut.
Collecting requires money and the reality is that we are in for a very tough time as public spending comes under pressure that we haven't seen for over a decade. So it will be to private funders and donors that museums will have to turn.
We are seeing this happen already, as museums ask bodies such as the Art Fund for a greater proportion of the costs of an acquisition. Engaging the visiting public directly, making the case for acquisitions, showing the benefits they can bring, and showing the part people have played and can play in the future to make them happen are critical if these funds are to be raised.
The paradox is that the current situation presents some real opportunities. Museums are getting better at sharing their existing collections, but could also look to join forces more frequently to buy new works.
Artist Rooms is a great example of both - co-owned by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland, the collection is currently on long-term tour to all corners of the UK at minimal cost to the host galleries thanks to the Art Fund's sponsorship. We're seeing a heartening number of joint applications and this sharing of costs and effort between museums is certainly to be encouraged.
But leave the market at your peril, for there are bargains to be had: prices in the contemporary art market, for example, have burst, and we have recently helped more than one museum acquire at substantial discount from dealers.
Andrew Macdonald is the acting director of the Art Fund
Well, of course it wouldn't. Collections are central to any museum. It's vital that they are kept fresh and appealing, and museums need to continue acquiring to achieve that. But museums and galleries will have to get savvier about how and what they buy - though this may in itself bring unexpected rewards in the long term.
First to funding. It's not news that lottery funds have gradually fallen away, but the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) confirmed last month that the MLA/V&A purchase grant fund was being cut by 10 per cent in the current year, with hints of further cuts to come. This takes the fund's annual budget to £900,000 - its lowest level for 30 years.
To be fair, the MLA delayed passing on the misery of its own substantial budget cuts last year, but it is a real blow to regional museums wishing to collect.
Meanwhile, the National Heritage Memorial Fund has been depleted by the acquisition of the great Titian for the national galleries in London and Edinburgh. And museums' own funds are also under pressure, with 60 per cent saying they have already had budgets cut.
Collecting requires money and the reality is that we are in for a very tough time as public spending comes under pressure that we haven't seen for over a decade. So it will be to private funders and donors that museums will have to turn.
We are seeing this happen already, as museums ask bodies such as the Art Fund for a greater proportion of the costs of an acquisition. Engaging the visiting public directly, making the case for acquisitions, showing the benefits they can bring, and showing the part people have played and can play in the future to make them happen are critical if these funds are to be raised.
The paradox is that the current situation presents some real opportunities. Museums are getting better at sharing their existing collections, but could also look to join forces more frequently to buy new works.
Artist Rooms is a great example of both - co-owned by Tate and the National Galleries of Scotland, the collection is currently on long-term tour to all corners of the UK at minimal cost to the host galleries thanks to the Art Fund's sponsorship. We're seeing a heartening number of joint applications and this sharing of costs and effort between museums is certainly to be encouraged.
But leave the market at your peril, for there are bargains to be had: prices in the contemporary art market, for example, have burst, and we have recently helped more than one museum acquire at substantial discount from dealers.
Andrew Macdonald is the acting director of the Art Fund
