Artbank

Artbank is a one of a kind, Australian Government support program that acquires the work of living, Australian contemporary artists – making one of the largest collections of Australian contemporary art in the world available to the general public through an innovative leasing program. With a collection of over 10,000 artworks, and with one hundred percent of the leasing fees going back into supporting artists, Artbank has been collecting, curating and promoting the value of Australian art for over 35 years. At the moment an idea takes hold and progresses the often rocky path to becoming reality, the manifest potential of success and failure grips with an even hand on the future. In the case of Artbank, few could have predicted the lasting impact a decision made by the then Fraser Government would have on the development of the visual arts in Australia. The true scale of this success can be seen in the Artbank of today. Comprised of some of the best examples of Indigenous and non-Indigenous cultural expression, Artbank has grown from a mere 600 works to be one of the most significant collections of Australian art in the world – with in excess of 9000 works across medium – by some 3000 artists. With a mandate to support and promote Australian contemporary art, Artbank actively collects, commissions, curates and contributes to the visual arts ecosystem. Central to their approach is connecting audiences with the work in their collection – accessible through a national leasing program, supported by creative programming. The ability for any Australian resident or business to curate their own exhibition, and through the leasing program choose to live with their selection for 3, 6 or 12 months (or longer) has made the Artbank collection the most accessible, active and democratic of all the public collections of the Commonwealth of Australia. With offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, and the work from their collection on public and private exhibition nationally and internationally, Artbank is truly an institution without boundaries.