The Arts Council - Loan Scheme

The Collection

Central to the role of the Arts Council is its strong commitment to the individual creative artist in Irish society. As part of this commitment, the Arts Council has been drawing together a collection of contemporary Irish art since its inception in 1951. To date there are roughly 1,000 works in the collection which embraces a broad range of art practice. The collection represents emerging as well as more established artists.

How to apply

Organisations wishing to be considered under the scheme may view slides of the collection and select work by appointment. If the loan is approved, the organisation must then contract with the Arts Council to fulfil the conditions listed on the following page.

Who is eligible to avail of the scheme?

Schools, hospitals, state-sponsored bodies, local authorities, public galleries and other public institutions and organisations approved by the Council from time to time.

The conditions governing the scheme are that:

The work is displayed in a place frequented by the public

The borrower is responsible for insuring the work

The work is protected from damage or deterioration and that it is housed in environmentally suitable conditions

The borrower inform the Arts Council in the event of any damage, or deterioration

The borrower is responsible for arranging professional transportation and hanging of the work

Introduction

The Arts Council operates a Loan Scheme that enables certain organisations to borrow works of art from its collection for periods of up to two years. Over 80% of the collection is on loan to public institutions around the country.

Aims

The aims of the scheme are to ensure that the maximum number of people have access to this extensive collection of contemporary Irish art and to encourage organisations to start their own collections.