LONDON.- The Art Fund announce their plans to increase funding for museums and galleries to buy and show art by over 50% by 2014. Responding to the severe financial pressures facing most institutions, Art Fund is committing £7 million a year to their funding programme – up from £4.5 million. They also launched the National Art Pass, giving special access to art all over the UK.

Art Fund plans to develop a funding programme to deliver art to all corners of the UK in different ways, and to help people experience great art at first hand. They plan to do this by:

• Making more money directly available to help museums buy important works of art – the Art Fund has given over £24m over the last five years to 248 museums

• Running more public fundraising campaigns for art at risk of being lost to UK collections – such as the recent £6m Brueghel and Staffordshire Hoard campaigns

• Sharing art around the UK through support of tours, exhibitions, projects and events – continued support throughout 2012 for ARTIST ROOMS on Tour announced today

• Supporting curatorial development – beginning with a new partnership with the
National Gallery to nurture curatorial talent in regional museums

• Supporting the collecting of international contemporary art – through the £5m Art Fund International scheme

• Celebrating, advocating and supporting the museums and galleries sector – through the Art Fund Prize for museums and galleries

• Campaigning for ways to make it easier for museums to acquire art – for example through tax reforms to encourage lifetime giving

• Helping people make the most of art – through the introduction of the National Art Pass and a national guide to art

National Art Pass

The Art Fund launched the National Art Pass, giving free entry to over 200 charging museums and galleries and 50% off entry to major exhibitions. Every person who owns a National Art Pass will be directly supporting art in museums and galleries across the country as proceeds feed directly into the Art Fund’s funding programme.

The National Art Pass comes hand in hand with Art Fund membership, which includes entry to special events, lectures, visits and private views, as well as Art Quarterly magazine. The National Art Pass is available from just £35 a year. A special National Art Pass for Under-26s is also available.