Commissioning fund for artists launches

Art Fund and the Jerwood Foundation have announced a new partnership to increase the support available for museums and galleries to commission early to mid-career artists working across all visual art forms and disciplines.

Jerwood Art Fund Commissions will support museums and galleries in commissioning artists to make works of exceptional innovation and quality with the joint aims of supporting artists’ development and enriching public collections through new contemporary art.

The organisations said that in addition to providing support to commission artists in a challenging economic environment, the work would develop the skills and confidence of UK museums in undertaking commissioning projects.

The fund will support two museums to offer commissions of £70,000 – £100,000 per year over the coming three years, covering the total costs of delivering and presenting the work. The application process for interested museums has opened, with a deadline of 1 November.

Jenny Waldman, Director of Art Fund, said: “The current economic landscape is piling increasing pressures on museums, galleries and on artists. Yet, if we want our public collections to be enriched with a diverse range of exciting contemporary art, support needs to be available for museums and galleries to work with living artists for the benefit of artists, collections and audiences.

Lara Wardle, Executive Director and trustee of the Jerwood Foundation said: "This unique Art Fund programme will benefit our national collections and their visitors, as well as early to mid-career artists, enabling them to develop their practice at a pivotal moment in their careers.”