Manchester Contemporary funds new work for the city’s gallery

Debbie Manley | 28th October 2017

Artists William Mackrell and Emma Price will be the first to benefit from its newly-launched The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund worth £4,000.

They were selected from over 150 artists by Fund founders and the curatorial team of Manchester Art Gallery following an exhaustive panel discussion. William’s piece Aquarius, and Emma’s pieces Mike I and Mike II, are to be displayed in the gallery.

Emma, from Leicester, said: “It’s really exciting to have my work displayed in Manchester Art Gallery, especially with Flemish interiors, which I’ve studied from during my painting degree in Edinburgh. This is the first Fund to purchase my work for a gallery collection.”

Created by a set of local business people passionate about their city and its cultural heritage, The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund seeks to support rising artists, providing them with a platform through which to achieve critical acclaim and greater popularity.

Thom Hetherington, CEO of Manchester Contemporary, said: “This is an exciting moment in Manchester’s cultural history as we invest in pieces for the future which generations will go on to enjoy.

“As a trustee of Manchester Art Gallery I am well aware of the importance of its permanent collection and for the need for it to remain current, acquiring works from the most daring and relevant contemporary artists. The addition of both Emma and William’s work adds some important new pieces to that collection.”

Curator of Manchester Art Gallery, Kate Jesson, added: “We are this city’s gallery and our world-famous collection of art belongs to the people of Manchester. The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund has enabled us to continue to add to our collection a contemporary and exciting new piece. The Fund is an excellent innovation, gifting brilliant new pieces to art lovers both here in Manchester and further afield.”

The Manchester Contemporary opens to the public as part of the Buy Art Fair at Manchester Central (Windmill Street, behind the Midland Hotel) on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 October, 10:00-18:00 and 10:00-17:00. Tickets are available from www.themanchestercontemporary.co.uk