Own Art

Why not in Canada?

Arts Council England's Own Art scheme celebrates its fifth anniversary this week. Own Art operates "to make contemporary art affordable and accessible to all" by offering buyers interest-free loans from L200 to L2000 to spend on contemporary art. The loans must be repaid over 10 months, and may be applied to a range of artworks, including paintings, photography, sculpture, glass and more.

The program was established for the following reasons:
-to encourage new buyers and audiences for the visual arts
-to develop the visual arts economy by encouraging an increase in the sale of work by contemporary artists
-to support a breadth of practice from traditional to the innovative, by artists at all stages of their career

Since its launch five years ago, the program has generated L6.5 million in income for artists through more than 12,500 loans.