Digital Editions
Newsletters
Subscribe
Digital Editions
Newsletters
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
Art market
Museums & heritage
Exhibitions
Books
Podcasts
Columns
Technology
Adventures with Van Gogh
January 2009
archive

UK museums manage dearth of exhibition sponsorship in the wake of economic downturn

Institutions must grit their teeth and hope for the intervention of private investors, as several large shows are going ahead without corporate sponsors

Martin Bailey
1 January 2009
Share
The V&A's ambitious Baroque show is going ahead without a corporate sponsor: Honore Pelle's Bust of Charles II (1684) © V&A Images

The V&A's ambitious Baroque show is going ahead without a corporate sponsor: Honore Pelle's Bust of Charles II (1684) © V&A Images

Major UK museums are already being hit by a sponsorship crisis in the wake of the recession. The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) was in serious discussions with a sponsor for Andrea Palladio (opening 31 January), but the deal failed because of the undisclosed company’s financial situation. A group of leading architects came in at the last minute to offer some support for the show. At present, the RA has no sponsor for J.W. Waterhouse (opening 27 June).

At the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), Magnificence of the Tsars opened last month without a sponsor. Baroque 1620-1800 (opening 4 April), an ambitious, expensive venture, also has no corporate sponsor. A V&A spokesperson admitted that “the financial climate is making it more difficult to attract both corporate sponsors and individual donations”.

The National Portrait Gallery’s (NPG) Gerhard Richter Portraits (opening 26 February) was to have been sponsored by Lehman Brothers, which had also backed Pop Art Portraits last winter. Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy in September. Law firm Herbert Smith is the NPG’s season sponsor, providing partial support for Richter. The museum has reacted to the current financial situation by launching a flexible corporate membership scheme, enabling companies to choose from a range of sponsorship options.

Tate Britain’s Van Dyck and Britain (opening 18 February) has no commercial sponsor, although it does have major support from the Annenberg Foundation and Tate Members. Tate Modern is facing a tough challenge in trying to raise £165m for its proposed building extension. If it is to be completed for the 2012 Olympics, as hoped, then the money will have to be raised by the end of this year.

Last February Northern Rock was nationalised and this hit its associated charitable arm, the Northern Rock Foundation. The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art at Gateshead lost a promised £100,000 annual grant from the foundation that would have run for five more years.

Some exhibitions are continuing to get bank sponsorship, although in most cases it was arranged prior to this autumn. Credit Suisse is sponsoring Picasso: Challenging the Past at the National Gallery (opening 25 February). This is, however, part of a three-year partnership with the bank that was launched last May.

January 2009ExhibitionsFundingCorporate sponsorsSponsorshipMuseumsFunding matters
Share
Subscribe to The Art Newspaper’s digital newsletter for your daily digest of essential news, views and analysis from the international art world delivered directly to your inbox.
Newsletter sign-up
Information
About
Contact
Cookie policy
Data protection
Privacy policy
Frequently Asked Questions
Subscription T&Cs
Terms and conditions
Advertise
Sister Papers
Sponsorship policy
Follow us
Instagram
Bluesky
LinkedIn
Facebook
TikTok
YouTube
© The Art Newspaper

Related content

Fundingarchive
1 October 1994

London museums find individuals are still more generous than corporations

One spectacular example is the Hotung Gallery in the British Museum, funded through £2 million from the Hong Kong businessman Joseph Hotung

Isabel Boucher
Sponsorshipnews
2 April 2019

Why is the British Museum still accepting tobacco sponsorship?

London institution has acquired 600 objects thanks to funding from Japan Tobacco International, makers of Benson & Hedges, Winston, Camel and Silk Cut

Martin Bailey. with additional reporting by Helen Stoilas
Sponsorshipnews
15 November 2023

Law firm sponsor for National Portrait Gallery prize sparks controversy

Herbert Smith Freehills, which runs an "oil and gas" division, replaces BP

Gareth Harris