Buying original art and craft is not an activity that comes naturally to a lot of people. I wonder whether ?art? is still seen largely as something you go and look at in a public gallery ? not something that you have in your own home, unless it?s a print bought from Ikea, writes Jayne Linington.
Owning original art may be thought of as the prerogative of the upper and moneyed classes, with lingering perceptions of rich people commissioning struggling artists to portray their wealth. Peter Hewitt, Chief Executive of the Arts Council of England has spoken of art as transgressing the boundaries of culture. Southern & South East Arts? (SSEA) pARTpayment scheme furthers that aim; helping people to cross over from being passive viewer to active owner, by offering them interest-free loans to help them buy original art and craft.
pARTpayment has been operating at selected galleries in Surrey, East and West Sussex and Kent since the scheme was introduced in September 1999.The idea was to encourage sales of contemporary art and craft in the region. This is obviously of benefit to the galleries, the public and of course artists. Currently fourteen galleries are offering interest-free loans of between £100 and £1,000, after payment of a minimum deposit of 10%, to help people buy all kinds of art and craft, including paintings, ceramics, sculpture, photography, glassware, jewellery and textiles. Over £77,000 has been loaned to help purchase over £100,000 worth of artwork from artists who might not otherwise have had such a speedy sale.
Apart from those already involved in the arts, who may have been expected to use the scheme, an incredibly broad range of people have taken advantage of pARTpayment loans. Police officers, teachers, social workers, engineers, an insurance broker and a probation officer all now have a prized work of art at home. It has been particularly rewarding that the scheme has been of benefit to retired people, especially when they tell me that the loan has been a crucial factor in deciding whether or not to buy, due to living on a limited, fixed income. One gallery manager told me that she is sure that knowing about the existence of the pARTpayment scheme has acted as a catalyst leading to customers making a purchase ? even if they do not eventually apply for a loan to help them do so.
As a result of Regional Arts Boards and the Arts Council of England merger, the pARTpayment scheme will become part of a new national, harmonised loan scheme later this year. This can only benefit artists and galleries, and those people who perhaps for the first time, can realise a dream to make a piece of artwork their own.
Jayne Linington is pARTpayment Administrator for Southern & South East Arts t:01892 507257; e:jayne.linington@ssea.co.uk