Memorandum submitted by the Visual Arts
and Galleries Association (VAGA)
VAGA welcomes this inquiry into the care of
collections. We have worked with the Contemporary Collections
Consultant for the West Midlands Hub on this submission.
INTRODUCTION
1. Caring for today's collections has to
ensure their relevance to contemporary society and their archival
function as a record of the ideas, events and rich cultural diversity
of our time. The longevity of collections as tomorrow's heritage
is dependent on their vibrancy today.
2. Creativity is increasingly seen as a
main driver for economic development and social cohesion. Our
public collections are key to the provision, nurturing and stimulating
of creativity for artists, creative practitioners and the public
alike.
3. Public collections at their best are
institutions that express democratic values and contribute to
civic life.
4. A key consideration is the need for significant
commissioning and collecting of contemporary art outside London
as pioneered by the great 19th C municipal collections such as
Birmingham and Manchester.
5. A recent survey carried out on behalf
of the Contemporary Art Society revealed severe lack of funds
for purchases and commissioning. Of 63 collections surveyed 64%
had budgets of less than £5,000 per annum over the past five
years. (A full copy of this report can be found at www.contempart.org.uk)
6. The Renaissance in the Regions programme
has given an immense and much needed boost to regional museums
enabling them to better meet the access and educational needs
of their publics; as has the investment in national/regional partnerships
made through the DCMS/DfeS Strategic Commissioning fund. However
little of this investment has gone into the collections—
the foundation upon which learning and access are built. In the
words of Sir Nicholas Goodison, "The objects and the public
benefit that they can provide are a seamless whole."
WHY IT
IS IMPORTANT
TO COLLECT
ART OF
OUR TIME
7. Contemporary artists ask questions of
and about the world in which we live; they make us look at it
with fresh eyes and stimulate new ways of thinking about it; they
provide pleasure, inspiration and intellectual enrichment.
8. Contemporary art provides a record of
its time, reflecting contemporary events, issues and the diverse
make-up of society; it is a rich educational and creative resource
for current and future generations.
9. In a knowledge-based economy that relies
on visual as well as verbal communication, the ability to decode,
interpret and use visual images and structures is increasingly
important in developing the critical thought and debate that leads
to creative and active citizenship.[43]
This is particularly relevant in our increasingly diverse society
with its plethora of cultures and consequent need for greater
intercultural understanding.
10. There are good economic reasons for
acquiring art at the time that it is made. If we ignore the art
of the present until it is recognised as important we may by then
no longer have the financial means of acquiring it at all, as
evidenced by the Tate's difficulties in filling gaps in its collection
of 20thC British artists let alone in securing works by international
artists.
11. A healthy visual arts sector is vital
to the wider well-being of the creative economy. Indeed, artists
provide a research and development model for the creative industries
in general. The advertising industry, for example, draws heavily
on contemporary artists' work. Collections ensure that these cultural,
educational and creative assets are available in the public domain.
12. Investment in purchases of work of contemporary
artists provides a living for artists and so contributes to the
economy.
13. A healthy, active collecting policy
will also attract donors and long-term loans.
14. A strong collection can help to stimulate
private collectors—whereas in the 19th century public collections
evolved through the gifts and bequests of wealthy private collectors,
it is now public collections which inform and stimulate private
collecting.
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
OF CONTEMPORARY
ART: DISTINCTIVE
FEATURES
15. Art galleries, including the Local Authority
sector, are part of a complex system of patronage for artists
and of which the public is ultimately the prime beneficiary.
16. Art galleries—including even the
smallest municipal ones—are distinguished from museums through
their relationship with contemporary practitioners. Public gallery
exhibitions provide a showcase for artists' work and often facilitate
sales. Public exhibitions also consolidate reputations and thereby
influence the art market. For most artists, acquisition by a major
public gallery is the ultimate validation.
17. Unlike other museum disciplines acquisitions
of contemporary art almost invariably involve expenditure: it
is an inherently expensive business. For a long time it has been
clear that the cost of major works of contemporary art far exceeds
the purchasing power of public sector galleries; and once galleries
stop collecting contemporary art, it can be very hard to get a
foothold again—to fill gaps or to retain the curatorial
expertise.
18. Collecting contemporary art can be controversial
and purchases are therefore often subjected to intense political
and media scrutiny, particularly at a local level. This can inhibit
the adventurous collecting on which healthy collections depend.
Judgements about what to acquire must largely be based on individual
curatorial acumen, experience, judgement and peer assessment,
since there is no well-established `canon' to guide decision-making.
COLLECTING CONTEMPORARY
ART: THE
WIDER CONTEXT
19. Although contemporary art is often controversial,
public appetite for it is undoubtedly increasing. The impact of
Tate Modern and the success of the Frieze Art Fair, among other
things, bear witness to this. Arts Council England's recent publication,
The Power of Art, 2006, cites 8.59 million attendances
in 2003-04 to the organisations that they fund on a regular basis.
The expectations and knowledge of the public are growing all the
time.
20. The last 10-20 years have seen a growing
internationalism in the visual arts. An artist based in Glasgow
is just as likely to exhibit in Cologne or New York as s/he is
to exhibit in Britain; curators now move from one country to another;
and there has been an exponential growth in the number of international
art fairs, biennials and art magazines. This has huge implications
for collecting, especially in the hard-pressed municipal sector
where money is short and opportunities for research and travel—even
to London—are limited.
21. Not only has the art world changed but
so has the internationalism of the society of which it is a product.
In our global society —economically, culturally and in terms
of migration—internationalism in art can no longer be limited
to Europe and North America but must embrace all first and third
world countries. It is culturally and socially important that
our collections are enabled to embrace these changes.
THE FUNDING
SYSTEM
22. The current funding system's demarcation
between non-collection based galleries and collections does not
reflect the permeability of the sector's institutions and relationships.
Independent galleries without collections have a symbiotic relationship
with those galleries that do have collections. They are often
better placed to exhibit and commission new work and encourage
experimentation. Without this vital test-bed, the gallery sector
as a whole would suffer, and artists would be left with a much
narrower arena in which to operate and the benefits to the public
would be curtailed.
23. Stronger partnerships between independent
and collection-based sectors would therefore be beneficial, particularly
in building centres of excellence around the regional museum Hubs
established through Renaissance in the Regions. The intention
of Art Council England's strategy for the visual arts, Turning
Point, (published June 2006) to forge greater links between
ACE, MLA and the other agencies including English Heritage and
the Heritage Lottery Fund is to be welcomed. Indeed it is essential
if the potential of our collections and of our creative production
is to be maximised. There is however concern that the current
re -structuring of the Arts Council's national office and downsizing
of subject expertise at a national level will have an impact on
the longer term implementation of this strategy.
24. Lack of joined-up policy making between
ACE and MLA and lack of coherent leadership in recent years has
not helped the development of collections. MLA works across three
very different domains with at times conflicting demands. Its
concentration on policy and strategy has left a vacuum in practical
support for museums.
25. Both ACE and MLA have undergone successive
periods of restructuring. There is limited understanding within
both MLA and HLF of the role of museums in showing and collecting
the work of contemporary artists. Likewise the Arts Council does
not always understand the limitations and difficulties faced by
large multi-disciplinary museums.
26. There is lack of clarity over use of
lottery funds for collecting—with HLF having a cut off for
acquisitions funds of work over 10 years old and ACE not funding
one-off purchases or committing Treasury funds to purchasing.
This has left a gap in provision.
COLLECTING LIMITATIONS
AND CONSTRAINTS
27. The most obvious constraint on contemporary
collecting is lack of resources. It is the single most significant
deterrent to collecting and it is important in so far as it is
symptomatic of the priorities of national and local government
(see report cited para 5).
28. On the whole, Local Government does
not understand or value contemporary art. Galleries (and museums)
have generally been subsumed within Leisure Services or Education
directorates and are viewed by politicians and senior officials
in the same way as parks, swimming pools and schools. The focus
is on service delivery for local people here and now and does
not encompass the wider national/international arena, the need
to take risks and the importance of specialist collections for
research as a creative resource and as archives. Collections will
not be a priority whilst museums remain non-statutory and the
idea of culture as an entitlement is only embraced sporadically.
29. Collections curators are not generally
valued as "experts", whose expertise needs to be maintained
through opportunities for research and travel. Levels of remuneration
and career paths reflect this.
30. Curators have had to assume such a wide
range of other responsibilities. Scholarship or subject expertise
is not valued by Local Government or acknowledged by public sector
inspection and audit régimes (eg Best Value, Audit Commission
etc). The emphasis on social policy objectives and generating
evidence of impact is hugely time consuming.
31. Artistic practice has changed enormously
in the past 40 years, yet gallery buildings have not evolved to
accommodate these changes. Curators struggle to cope with the
conceptual and technical demands of art that cannot be conveniently
fixed to a wall, often in 19th and early 20th century buildings,
which are no longer fit for purpose.
32. There is an acute lack of storage, and
facilities for open stores where the public may access work not
on display. It is suggested that purpose built shared storage
is more widely considered.
33. Contemporary work often has complex
conservation needs: the ephemeral and degradable nature of certain
categories of work is an issue. Curators, conservators and funders
must come to terms with the fact that some works will not last
forever and therefore must be documented accordingly. Conservation
expertise should be more widely shared and the expertise within
the National museums made more widely available.
DEVELOPING AND
SUSTAINING COLLECTIONS
AND EXTENDING
PUBLIC BENEFIT
THROUGH A
NATIONAL STRATEGY
34. The idiosyncrasy of regional collections
is a strength, however given the limitations of local government
financially and the low priority often accorded to collections,
national input and leadership is required to sustain and develop
collections and to ensure their relevance and longevity.
35. A national strategy based on the concept
of a distributed "national collection" and that acknowledges
distinctiveness and centres of excellence as well as a broad nationwide
access to the best art of our time is recommended as a framework
for the future, The shortly to be opened Middlesbrough Institute
of Modern Art for example, will focus its collection on contemporary
drawing and so create a national resource outside of London.
36. An updateable, digitised and widely
available catalogue of contemporary art collections—including
eventually holdings in private and corporate collections—is
essential.
37. This will allow curators to develop
a stronger rationale for decision-making and to share expertise.
Above all it will provide a resource so far lacking, providing
information for general public access, for digital curriculum
resources and form an essential building block in establishing
a cultural entitlement. ACE, MLA and Tate are about to undertake
an initial audit, but continuing resources will be needed to maintain
and extend this.
38. Models of shared purchasing and long-term
loans need also to be extended and developed.
39. The Contemporary Art Society Special
Collections Scheme has provided an effective model for training
and professional development for collections' curators. This was
a limited project funded through the lottery. A national strategy
needs to include resources for sharing expertise, training and
professional development such as research and travel.
DE-ACCESSIONING
40. Our view is that de-accessioning should
largely be regarded within the context of transferral to other
public collections. De-accessioning is usually in response to
short term local needs rather than longer-term broader concerns.
Indeed, if storage were not so pressing, it would not be an issue
at all.
TAX INCENTIVES
41. VAGA supports the recommendations of
the Goodison Review, and looks forwards to the introduction of
gift aid for objects and incentives to encourage life time giving.
The ecology of production, support for artists, private collector
and public collections is complex and, given the success and popularity
of contemporary art, of substantive economic impact. The Art Fund
has researched and analysed the operability of the best scheme
to fit within present tax arrangements.
VAGA is the lead professional body working to
further the exhibition, interpretation and development of modern
and contemporary visual art for the benefit of the public. The
Association acts as an advocate on behalf of its members to secure
a healthy visual arts sector fit to meet the needs of audiences,
creative practitioners and the wider public agenda.
The current focus of the Association's work
is the REALISE your right to art programme (see attached statement)
and the belief that everyone has the right to a share in the rich
visual culture of the nation and to have the opportunity to flourish
as visually literate and creative citizens throughout their lives.
The Association's membership is made up of organisations
and individual visual arts professionals from across the visual
arts and museum sectors.
43 For a full discusion of the importance of visual
literacy in 21C society see: http://www.rsa.org.uk/events/textdetail.asp?ReadID=816 Back
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