We are celebrating 20 years of making art affordable as Own Art expands into Wales, reaching all UK nations
● Over £79 million of sales of contemporary art through the scheme to date
● More than 300 participating galleries across the UK
Own Art, the UK’s pioneering initiative dedicated to making contemporary art and craft affordable, is marking its 20th anniversary and announcing it will now be available through galleries in Wales. Own Art is a publicly funded scheme operated by Creative United in partnership with Novuna Consumer Finance. We offer interest-free loans to buy original work through a network of over 300 galleries, art fairs, and artist-led organisations across the UK.
Over 80,000 loans
Since its launch in 2004, Own Art has provided over 80,000 loans, helping more than 50,000 art buyers across the UK acquire works by emerging and established artists while supporting the UK’s vibrant visual arts sector with more than £79 million in sales. Surveys of users of the scheme conducted by Novuna indicate that 91% of users plan to purchase more art as a result of their experience, with 69% stating they would not have bought the artwork if the scheme had not been available.
Expansion into Wales
This year, Own Art is announcing its expansion to galleries in Wales, where it will replace the long-standing Collectorplan scheme. While Collectorplan enabled the sale of art through many galleries in Wales over the last 40 years, Own Art opens up new opportunities by connecting Welsh galleries to a UK-wide audience for both in-person and online sales.
Diverse organisations across the UK
With over 300 organisations currently participating in our network, the Own Art community highlights the incredible diversity of the UK’s contemporary art and craft sectors. From artist-led organisations such as The Other Art Fair in London, to galleries showcasing local talent such as Moy MacKay Gallery in the Scottish Borders town of Peebles, and Saul Hay Gallery in Manchester, the scheme offers the opportunity to purchase original works of art and craft, primarily by UK based artists and makers.
We are proud to have connected with, and offer Own Art through, organisations that platform communities at risk of being marginalised – such as Liberation Art Gallery in Brighton who work with artists specialising in therapeutic art; and Outside In who offer a platform for artists encountering barriers to the art world due to health, disability, or social circumstance.
Our membership also includes not-for-profit organisations like New Contemporaries, who support emerging arts practice through an annual touring exhibition, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, the UK’s leading centre for modern and contemporary sculpture, and the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, an artist-led charity which supports artists and makers based in the West Midlands region, and beyond.
Click here to discover all of our amazing members.
Mary-Alice Stack, Chief Executive of Creative United and Own Art, said:
“Own Art has transformed the way people engage with contemporary art over the last 20 years, making art-buying accessible to all, and supporting many thousands of artists each year who have benefitted from the increased sales opportunities that the scheme has generated.
As we expand the service into Wales, we aim to provide even more opportunities for art lovers to connect with artists and galleries. This expansion reflects our continued commitment to stimulating the creative economy through making art affordable to wider audiences right across the UK.”
Arts Council England Chair, Nicholas Serota, said:
“We are passionate about the joy and enrichment that art brings to people’s lives and Arts Council England is proud to support Own Art in creating opportunities for thousands of artists to sell their work, as well as making contemporary art and craft accessible to more people in more places across the country.”
We are supported by the Arts Council of England, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Creative Scotland and the Arts Council of Wales. Our scheme offers customers the opportunity to buy original artwork and spread the cost over 10 months with the benefit of an interest free loan.
For press enquiries, please contact Irene Ruiz Garrido | irene.ruiz.garrido@flint-culture.com
