Historic artist’s barn to be sold after funding shortfall

Pioneering German artist Kurt Schwitters’ rural retreat in the Lake District is slated to be sold for development after repeated failures to secure funding.

Known as Merz Barn, after the absurdist art movement that Schwitters founded as an offshoot of Dadaism, the retreat was set up 75 years ago next to the village of Elterwater. 

The barn has been maintained since 2006 by Ian Hunter and Celia Larner, admirers of the artist who jointly founded the Littoral Trust to preserve the artist's estate. They had intended to make it a landmark on a planned Schwitters trail. 

The pair were initially provided with Arts Council support to preserve the barn for posterity, but nine applications for renewed Arts Council funding have been rejected over the last decade.

Despite recent donations from prominent artists including Bridget Riley, Antony Gormley, Damien Hirst and Tacita Dean, the trust has announced that the whole estate will be put up for sale early next year and is likely to be purchased by commercial developers.

“The project has received grants from the Arts Council in the past including investment in a feasibility study into the project,” an Arts Council England spokesperson told The Guardian.

“Understandably, there is a lot of competition for national lottery funding from the Arts Council and we’re not able to fund all of the projects that apply to us.

“Ian and Celia have been loyal custodians of the site and we wish them well in securing a future for it.”