Southampton art gallery secures funding to digitise collection

A gallery in Southampton has received National Lottery funding towards the digitisation of its art collection.

The local authority-run Southampton City Art Gallery has been awarded £26,000, which will be used to digitise light-sensitive works on paper which rarely go on public display.

Around 1000 of the works on paper, from a total of around 1,500, will be made available online through the project. Most of the gallery’s oil paintings and sculptures have already been digitised in collaboration with ArtUK.

The gallery will partner with Southampton Solent University for the project in which two paid student interns from the department of art and music will digitise the works as part of the institution’s ‘work-ready’ approach to learning and teaching.

The programme will begin in early 2025 with a completion date of early 2026, which should coincide with the completion of a major gallery refurbishment.

Councillor Fielker, leader of Southampton City Council, said: “We’re thrilled to have been awarded this grant from Arts Council England, on top of the £2.23m investment supporting the refurbishment of the art gallery from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s Museum Estate and Development Fund.

“Culture is fundamental to shaping our vision of this wonderful city, and we need to keep investing in our nationally important cultural assets to increase public access.”