The Art Fund exists to help museums and galleries acquire great works of art. We do this in lots of ways: by conducting research, seeking to influence government policy and stimulating debate. We also campaign to make it easier for museums to add to their collections, from pressing for new tax incentives to encourage giving, to campaigning for reforms to the export control system for art.
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A summary of the debate on museum disposals chaired by Art Fund Director Stephen Deuchar last year has now been published.
The conference – ‘Foul Play or Opportunity Knocks? Deaccessioning and disposals in UK museums’ – explored the question: when is it ever appropriate for a museum to sell a work of art? It brought together a number of high-profile speakers from the UK and abroad, including Gary Tinterow of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Sir Simon Jenkins, Chairman of the National Trust and Culture Minister Ed Vaizey MP. The audience also heard from and took part in debate with representatives from UK museums or local authorities that have sold or tried to sell works of art in recent years, such as the Royal Cornwall Museum and Southampton City Council.
The conference, part of an annual series by Farrer & Co, took place at the National Gallery. Read the summary here.
Art Fund welcomes additional funds for new lifetime ‘Gifts of Art' tax scheme
The Art Fund has welcomed the Chancellor’s commitment to allow people and businesses to part-pay their tax bills by donating art to the nation – alongside a new pledge of additional funding for the scheme.
As part of his Autumn Statement (29 November 2011), George Osborne confirmed that from April 2012, individuals and businesses will be able to part-pay their Income and Capital Gains Tax bills by donating pre-eminent works of art and cultural objects to UK museums and galleries.
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Art Fund responds to Government consultation on tax incentives to encourage gifts of art
The Art Fund has long campaigned for new incentives to boost lifetime giving to museums and galleries and has worked closely with the Government on the proposed scheme.
The Art Fund has sought the views of a range of people – including our members, museum and gallery professionals, tax advisers, corporates and major cultural philanthropists, including Lord Sainsbury, Paul Ruddock and Michael G. Wilson – to help shape our response. Overall, the proposed scheme is welcomed and is very much a step in the right direction. However, there are a small number of difficulties that sit at the heart of the scheme and threaten to undermine its chances of success.
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Art Fund responds to Budget: Proposal to encourage donation of Art
The Art Fund is delighted at today’s news that the Government will this year consult on proposals to encourage the donation of art to UK collections in return for a tax reduction. The announcement was made by the Chancellor George Osborne in today’s Budget speech.
Art Fund Director Stephen Deuchar said: ‘This is potentially good news for museums and galleries up and down the country. Similar schemes abroad have not only encouraged owners to donate art to the nation, but have helped foster ongoing relationships between donors and institutions. We look forward to working with the government to develop proposals when the consultation is launched later this year’.
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Collecting Challenge 201029 April 2010 The Art Fund has released the results of its Collecting Challenge 2010 survey looking at the acquiring habits of museums and galleries. 276 UK museums took part in the research between January and March 2010. This is an update on the original Collecting Challenge survey which took place in 2006. The picture found that in the past five years staffing and financial worries are continuing to have an effect on museums’ collecting activities. However, some interesting innovation has been seen such as an increase in borrowing between institutions to keep their displays fresh and also a rise in the number of museums that are working together to make some ambitious joint acquisitions. Read the press release |
Museum Survey Results: Spring 2009 and Autumn 2009In 2009 the Art Fund conducted the first two of its museum surveys looking at the way in which the recession affected UK Art Galleries and Museums. The factsheets summarizing the findings of the surveys and the related press releases can be found here. Art Fund Museum Survey - Press Release - April 2009Art Fund Museum Survey - Factsheet - April 2009 Art Fund Museum Survey - Press Release - October 2009 Art Fund Museum Survey - Factsheet - October 2009 |
