Arts Council of Northern Ireland adds to art collection

Arts Council of Northern Ireland (ACNI) has published a catalogue of the latest acquisitions to be added to its contemporary art collection.

The collection is available for exhibition on a loan basis both within and outside Northern Ireland, as part of the Arts Council’s Art Lending Scheme.

The scheme is free and available to borrowing organisations interested in exhibiting any of the catalogue of works, which date back to 2003.

Currently consists of over 680 works, the collection spans a range of disciplines, including painting, sculpture, craft, print, photography and video, including 35 new pieces by 22 Northern Irish artists purchased in 2021 and 2022. 

“Many of the artists represented in the Arts Council’s contemporary art collection have major national and international reputations”, said Dr Suzanne Lyle, ACNI Head of Visual Arts.

They include the Turner Prize-winning Array Collective, silversmith Cara Murphy, whose work is held in the Goldsmiths Company Collection, painter Colin Davidson, who was selected in 2016 to paint the official portrait of HM Queen Elizabeth II, two-time Turner Prize-nominee photographer Willie Doherty and BP Portrait Award winner painter Ian Cumberland.

“By offering the collection for public display, we are helping to showcase the work of our artists and to introduce the public to Northern Ireland’s wealth of creative talent,” Lyle said.

ACNI staff are available to help with the selection and curation of works for a range of public venues, she added.