More exciting news from the Walker…
Four North West art institutions in the running for national contemporary art prize
Independent art charity The Art Fund, and the Crafts Council, today announced that four museums and galleries in the NorthWest have been short-listed to take part in Art Fund Collect, a nationwide initiative championing contemporary craft and increasing its presence in UK collections.
The four institutions from the North West are: Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool; Manchester Art Gallery; Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester; and Harris Museum, Preston. Eleven museums and galleries have been short-listed in total, out of 21 applications from across the UK.
Now in its third year, Art Fund Collect offers a fund of £75,000 for curators from UK institutions to select and acquire outright a unique work from COLLECT, the Craft Council’s international art fair for contemporary objects, which takes place at London’s Saatchi Gallery in May.
Art Fund Collect will take place on 13 May at COLLECT. On the day, short-listed curators will be granted special advance access to the fair, ahead of private buyers and VIP guests. They will have one hour to race around the fair and cherry-pick an item to acquire for their museum’s public collection.
The expert panel of judges will examine their choices and decide who will win a share of the £75,000 prize from The Art Fund.Winning curators will be able to buy their chosen piece outright on behalf of their museum or gallery.
TheWhitworth Art Gallery was among the winners of Art Fund Collect in 2008, a possible double win could be in store this year. The Harris Museum, Preston was shortlisted in 2008 and 2009 but is yet to come away with a prize. This is the first time that the Walker Art Gallery and Manchester Art Gallery have been short-listed to take part in Art
Fund Collect.
Robin Emmerson, Head of Decorative Arts at the Walker, will take part in Art Fund Collect on behalf of his institution. He said: “We are very excited that we have been short-listed for Art Fund Collect this year. This is a great opportunity for Liverpool to bid for a really astounding piece of new work – and if we get it, it will be free to see.”
