The Arts Council is delighted to announce that it has added 82 new artworks by 70 artists to its Collection which will be shared with audiences across the country.   This is the largest number of artworks to be added to the Collection in a single year since it was established in 1962, and is made possible by additional funding from the government.

During an exceptionally challenging year for artists and the wider arts community as a result of Covid-19, we are pleased to have been in a position to continue delivering on the Arts Council’s commitment to supporting living artists.

The artworks being added to the collection are by artists who live and work in communities both across Ireland and internationally. These significant acquisitions include performance, print, video, installation, sculpture, painting and photography and bring the total number of artworks in the Collection to over 1,200. This continues a proud history of the Arts Council purchasing excellent and ambitious art, and it reflects the immense quality of visual arts practice today.

Announcing the purchases, Maureen Kennelly, Director of the Arts Council said:

"The Arts Council is delighted to add these 82 important artworks to its Collection at this time and to continue a long tradition of purchasing excellent contemporary art for communities across Ireland to engage with and enjoy.

"These new acquisitions celebrate the richness of contemporary Visual Arts in Ireland and  delivers on the Arts Council’s key priorities of supporting artists and public engagement set out in its 10 year strategy Making Great Art Work: Leading the Development of the Arts."

These new artworks will be accessible to diverse public audiences throughout the country as part of the Arts Council Collection’s ongoing programme of exhibitions, loans and initiatives.

A list of artists added to the Arts Council Collection in 2020 is available here.

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