Art Fund

Art Fund, established in 1903 by Christiana Herringham and visionary artists and patrons, champions the acquisition and preservation of outstanding art for UK public benefit. As the UK's sole major funder dedicated exclusively to public museums and galleries, it connects institutions, people, and art through grants for collections, audience engagement, curatorial development, and sector advocacy. Wholly independent via membership and donor funding, its values emphasize universal access, equality, diversity, environmental sustainability, and responsive support driven by museums' needs, fostering richer collections, innovative programming, and societal wellbeing.

It prioritizes public-facing museums, galleries, heritage sites, and visual arts organizations across the UK, funding acquisitions (e.g., Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus, Picasso’s Weeping Woman), commissions, curatorial research via Jonathan Ruffer Grants, student placements, education initiatives like Energise Young Minds, and schemes such as New Collecting Awards, Moving Image Fund, and Weston Loan Programme. Beneficiaries include curators, museum visitors, and diverse audiences, with outcomes focused on access, lifelong engagement, and institutional resilience—no support for individual artists, non-visual arts projects, or unrelated charities.

Eligible applicants are UK-based public museums, galleries, and visual arts entities accessible to the UK public (England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Isle of Man, Channel Islands), from national giants like the National Gallery and Tate to regional and small collections; no income limits apply, but core costs unrelated to projects are excluded. Unsolicited applications via email to programmes@artfund.org use specific forms; rolling for Acquisition Grants (£2,000–£20,000, 6–8 weeks) and small curatorial grants (up to £2,000), with auction decisions in 7–10 days and larger rounds (e.g., next Jonathan Ruffer deadline 22 September 2025). Typical awards span £2,000–£200,000, uniquely blending grants with advocacy, National Art Pass perks, and high-impact cultural safeguarding.