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Yinka Shonibare MBE curates the Arts Council Collection
Our latest Touring Exhibition, Criminal Ornamentation, explores the cultural and social dimensions of the use of pattern in art.

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National Partners Programme
The National Partners Programme aims to establish a network of museums and galleries to exhibit and respond to the Collection over a three-year period, raising the profile of the Arts Council Collection with the public.

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Sculpture at Longside
Located within the grounds of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Longside has been home to sculpture in the Arts Council Collection since 2003.

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Curators' Days
The Arts Council Collection organises six events for UK-based curators each year. Designed as an informal forum for networking, learning and sharing, the events bring together curators from galleries across the country.

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Welcome to the Arts Council Collection
The Arts Council Collection is the most widely circulated national loan collection of modern and contemporary British art in the world and plays a vital role in supporting galleries across the UK through loans, touring exhibitions and curatorial skills.

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In My Shoes: Art & the Self since the 1990s
A timely opportunity to consider the legacy of a key aspect of 1990s British art, current Touring Exhibition In My Shoes, explores the ways in which artists based in the UK have represented themselves in their work since the 1990s.

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The Arts Council Collection: COVID-19 Information

COVID-19:  We’re currently operating with a reduced team so may take a little longer than usual to reply - please refer to our revised FAQs to find out how best to contact us during this period.

We will continue to explore ways of sharing the Collection across our digital platforms during this period of exhibition closures. Please sign up to receive our newsletter or follow us on Instagram and Twitter for regular content updates and to enjoy digital highlights from the Collection.

Discover the Collection
Fork Face

Hart, Emma

Fork Face

2017

We Two Boys Together Clinging

Hockney, David

We Two Boys Together Clinging

1961

Head VI

Bacon, Francis

Head VI

1949

Is it okay to be black?

Anderson, Hurvin

Is it okay to be black?

2015

Indian Room, from 5 Rooms

Hodgkin, Howard

Indian Room, from 5 Rooms

1968

60 Minutes Silence

Wearing, Gillian

60 Minutes Silence

1996

Girl in a Green Dress

Freud, Lucian

Girl in a Green Dress

1954

Hippy Dialectics

Mellors, Nathaniel

Hippy Dialectics

2010

Expulsion from Number 8 Eden Close

Perry, Grayson

Expulsion from Number 8 Eden Close

2012

Slow Movement

Caro, Anthony

Slow Movement

1965

Popcorn Shells

Ofili, Chris

Popcorn Shells

1995

Born Winged Animals and Honey Gatherers of the Soul

Wardill, Emily

Born Winged Animals and Honey Gatherers of the Soul

2006

Gedser

Tillmans, Wolfgang

Gedser

2004

Icon

Hepworth, Barbara

Icon

1957

Nunhead

Hiorns, Roger

Nunhead

2004

Baylham Mill

Bell, Graham

Baylham Mill

1940

Regine

Warren, Rebecca

Regine

2007

New Stones - Newton's Tones

Cragg, Tony

New Stones - Newton's Tones

1978

Self Portrait with Fried Eggs (from Self Portraits series 1990-98)

Lucas, Sarah

Self Portrait with Fried Eggs (from Self Portraits series 1990-98)

1996

Totality

Paterson, Katie

Totality

2015

Spirit Jar

Perry, Grayson

Spirit Jar

1994

The Crowning

Shonibare, MBE, Yinka

The Crowning

2007

+ and -

Hatoum, Mona

+ and -

1994

Movement in Squares

Riley, Bridget

Movement in Squares

1961

Lay back, keep quiet and think of what made Britain so great

Boyce, Sonia

Lay back, keep quiet and think of what made Britain so great

1986

Latest News

Birmingham MPs select artworks in new ACC National Partners show, Women Power Protest


5 Nov 2018

Ahead of the opening of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s new National Partners exhibition, Women Power Protest, MPs Jess Phillips (MP for Birmingham Yardley), Preet Kaur Gill (MP for Birmingham Edgbaston) and Dame Caroline Spelman (MP for Meriden) visited the museum to choose their favourite artworks.

The three MPs were given a sneak peek at the exhibition which was programmed as part of the Arts Council Collection’s (ACC) National Partnership Programme and brings together artworks from the...
Read more...

New Acquisitions
Maske XVII

Baldock, Jonathan

Maske XVII, 2019

b. 1980

Borrowed Picasso Portrait

Wright, Clifton

Borrowed Picasso Portrait, 2017

b. 1982

Resting

Schwindt, Grace

Resting, 2018

b. 1979

Bird with Stretched Neck

Schwindt, Grace

Bird with Stretched Neck, 2018

b. 1979

Thursday

Newton, Duncan

Thursday, 2001

b. 1948

Snakes and Ladders

Carruthers, Derek

Snakes and Ladders, 2016

b. 1935

The Prince of Homburg

Staff, Patrick

The Prince of Homburg, 2019

b. 1987

Warrender

Watt, Alison

Warrender, 2016

b. 1965

Metropolitan Egypt From the East / O...

Allington, Edward

Metropolitan Egypt From the East / O...

1987

b. 1951

Still Life in a White Cube

Moth, Charlotte

Still Life in a White Cube, 2019

b. 1978

Self Portrait From Mirror Three

Wright, Clifton

Self Portrait From Mirror Three, 2018

b. 1982

Maske LXX

Baldock, Jonathan

Maske LXX, 2019

b. 1980

Minotaur

Wright, Clifton

Minotaur, 2017

b. 1982

The Silent Song of the Shell

Allington, Edward

The Silent Song of the Shell, 1983

b. 1951

Trigon

Newton, Duncan

Trigon, 1999

b. 1948

Over the Horizon

Richardson, Emily

Over the Horizon, 2012

b. 1971

Snack 20

Flood-Paddock, Jessie

Snack 20, 2015

b. 1977

One can make out the surface only by...

Rickards, Hannah

One can make out the surface only by...

2017

b. 1979

Self Portrait From Mirror Two

Wright, Clifton

Self Portrait From Mirror Two, 2018

b. 1982

Maske XVI

Baldock, Jonathan

Maske XVI, 2019

b. 1980

Self Portrait From Mirror One

Wright, Clifton

Self Portrait From Mirror One, 2018

b. 1982

The Mountain, Time After Time

Talbot, Emma

The Mountain, Time After Time, 2016

b. 1969

Untitled

Allington, Edward

Untitled, 1986

b. 1951

Self Portrait From Mirror Four

Wright, Clifton

Self Portrait From Mirror Four, 2018

b. 1982

Position

Schwindt, Grace

Position, 2018

b. 1979

Swan

Syed, Alia

Swan, 1986

b. 1964

between a whisper and a cry

Whittle, Alberta

between a whisper and a cry, 2019

b. 1980

Snack 16

Flood-Paddock, Jessie

Snack 16, 2015

b. 1977

Shrooms

Leung, Ghislaine

Shrooms, 2016

b. 1980

KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN, versi...

Dean, Danielle

KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN, versi...

2018

b. 1982

Untitled

Cluett, Shelagh

Untitled, 1981

b. 1947

Green Breath

Zia, Partou

Green Breath, 2006

b. 1958

Mask XXVIII

Baldock, Jonathan

Mask XXVIII, 2019

b. 1980

Object Interviews (Parts I, II, & II...

Hough, Patrick

Object Interviews (Parts I, II, & II...

2013

b. 1989

Rose and Painter

Oxlade, Roy

Rose and Painter, 1987

b. 1929

Light of My Life

Cluett, Shelagh

Light of My Life, 1984

b. 1947

Fenced Horizons

Zia, Partou

Fenced Horizons, 2005

b. 1958

And If In A Thousand Years

Hough, Patrick

And If In A Thousand Years, 2017

b. 1989

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The Arts Council Collection is the UK's most widely seen collection of modern and contemporary art.

With more than 8,000 works by over 2,000 artists, it can be seen in exhibitions and public displays across the country and beyond. This website offers unprecedented access to the Collection, and information about each work can be found on this site.