Since 2011 the Ampersand Foundation has supported a variety of visual art projects across the United Kingdom, including exhibitions, acquisitions and artists’ commissions. The list below is a small selection (a comprehensive list of all projects supported can be found at the end of this page).
CAST, Cornwall
Groundwork is a three-year project, organised by CAST, bringing internationally celebrated art and artists to Cornwall.
The Ampersand Foundation supported the programme of activity that began in May 2018. This included exhibitions, new commissions and sited works as the result of field trips, workshops and a learning programme carried out during 2016 and 2017.
Ikon Gallery, Birmingham
We supported their 2018 exhibition by Haroon Mirza Reality is somehow what we expect it to be. This was the most comprehensive exhibition of work by Haroon Mirza in the UK to date. We also supported their 2019 show entitled The Aerodrome: An exhibition dedicated to the memory of Michael Stanley.
Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool
The Liverpool Biennial is the UK’s largest festival of contemporary art. During the 2016 Biennial, we supported a new commission by Italian artist Lara Favaretto entitled Momentary Monument – The Stone.
National Gallery, London
The National Gallery is the only remaining museum in the UK to have its own in-house Framing Department and it is at the forefront internationally in its approach to framing its world-renowned collection of paintings. We contributed towards the National Gallery Framing Acquisitions Fund in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham
We supported, among other projects, the group exhibition Rights of Nature: Art & Ecology in the Americas (24 January - 15 March 2015). This research-intensive exhibition included works by 20 artists, all with links to the Americas, from the Central Andes to Alaska. It explored how an international, cross generational grouping of artists and artist-collectives are participating in the transformation of how we think and act against the prospect of catastrophic climate change and the destruction of living systems on this planet.
Photoworks, Brighton
Based in Brighton, Photoworks is an organisation dedicated to promoting photography and the visual arts across the UK. They also organise the Brighton Photo Biennial, one of the UK’s largest international photography festivals. We supported the 2018 Brighton Photo Biennial under the theme of The New Europe and we partner with them to run the Ampersand Photoworks Fellowship for mid-career photographers.
The Moving Image Fund for Museums, UK
The Ampersand Foundation contributed to the creation of this fund, the first scheme of its kind in the UK. The Moving Image Fund for Museums is an Art Fund project that aims to help UK museums build their collections of moving-image works, ensuring that the most significant works of contemporary film and video art can be bought for public collections. Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne and the Whitworth in Manchester are the first two galleries to benefit from the fund.
Tate, UK
We supported the acquisition of Mathias Poledna’s Imitation of Life (2013) and a series of acquisitions for the Tate collection in memory of the curator and gallery director, Michael Stanley. This grant allowed Tate to acquire important works by key artists – John Gerrard, David Austen and Abraham Cruzvillegas - who were supported by Michael Stanley throughout his career.
We have also supported the refurbishment of the Upper Clore Stores including new rack and shelves for the Tate Photography Cool Store Project. In 2020, we supported the Turner Bursaries.
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh
As part of NOW, a series of exhibitions that showcase Scottish contemporary art, we supported the Susan Philipsz exhibition at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (27 October 2017 – 18 February 2018). The show included the artist’s 2016 sound work entitled Seven Tears and a series of her salt paintings, photographs and other sound works.
South London Gallery, London
We supported the creation of a new permanent public garden designed by the Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco, which opened to the public in Autumn 2016. The artist worked alongside the acclaimed architectural practice 6a and plant specialists from the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.
Smarthistory
Smarthistory is the largest provider of free online learning resources on art and cultural history. Since 2005, their mission has been to make art history accessible and engaging for a global audience. In 2018, we supported the production of six videos focussed on creating the resources needed across the UK visual arts curriculum (with an emphasis on the specific needs of A-Level students).
Comprehensive list of grants allocated:
2023
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, ‘To Those Sitting in Darkness’ by Pio Abad
British School at Rome, Rome, three-month artist fellowship
Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, ‘Waiting for the Barbarians’ outdoor installation by Glenn Ligon
Graves Gallery, Sheffield, Looking Forward (five-year project)
Ikon, Birmingham, National Treasures: Artemisia in Birmingham, Jesse Jones: ‘Mirror Martyr Mirror Moon’
National Gallery, London, Articulation Prize and Framing Acquisitions Fund
Peer, London, ‘Outfits’ by Iris Touliatou
Photoworks / Ampersand Fellowship
South London Gallery, London, ‘Acts of Resistance: Photography, Feminisms and the Art of Protest’ (public programme)
Spike Island and Camden Art Centre, Donald Locke solo exhibition
Studio Voltaire, London, The Ampersand Production Residency Programme
The Association for Art History, London, Art History Festival 2023
Warwick Arts Centre, Warwick, ‘Phantom Sculpture’
2022
Firstsite, Colchester, ‘BIG WOMEN’ exhibition curated by Sarah Lucas
Focal Point Gallery, Southend-on-Sea, Group exhibition: ‘Receiver’
Graves Gallery, Sheffield, Looking Forward (five-year project)
Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, Bridget Riley ‘Drawings: From the Artist’s Studio’, exhibition
Holburne Museum, Bath, ‘Dipping below a waxing moon, the dance claims us for release’ Alberta Whittle exhibition
Hundred Heroines, Gloucester, Dorothy Wilding exhibition
Photoworks / Ampersand Fellowship
Royal Academy of Arts, Acquisition of a portrait by Catherine Opie
Studio Voltaire, London, new film commission ‘Ungentle’
The Association for Art History, London, Art History Festival 2022
2021
Art UK, ‘Tagger - Unlocking the Nation’s Art’
The Courtauld, London, ‘Collaborate’ (Jeremy Deller and The Courtauld’s bespoke Young People's project)
The Common Guild, Glasgow, ‘Anywhere in the Universe’ exhibition
Graves Gallery, Sheffield, Looking Forward (five-year project)
National Gallery, London, Framing Acquisitions Fund
National Museums of Wales, Cardiff, Demystifying acquisitions - Acquisition of Chris Ofili’s North Wales series prints
The Roche Court Educational Trust, Leeds and Wakefield, ARTiculation Prize (Leeds)
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Judd/Hume Prize
2020
Artangel, London, Oscar Murillo’s ‘Frequencies’ installation
Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, Cataloguing the photographic archives of Helen Muspratt
Duchamp's Socks, an online magazine
Firstsite, Michael Landy’s ‘Welcome to Essex’ exhibition
Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh & Kettle's Yard, Cambridge, Howardena Pindell: A New Language exhibition
Graves Gallery, Sheffield, Looking Forward (five-year project)
Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool, B.O.S.S. commission at FACT
Manchester Art Gallery, Derek Jarman: PROTEST! exhibition
National Gallery, London, Framing Acquisitions Fund
Nottingham Contemporary, Assemble + Schools of Tomorrow: The Place We Imagine exhibition
Photoworks / Ampersand Fellowship
Smarthistory in partnership with Art History in Schools, ‘Seeing Britain’, production of artist videos
Tate, UK, Turner bursaries
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Judd/Hume Prize
Warwick Art Centre (University of Warwick), ‘Reading Middlemarch’ exhibition
Wirksworth Arts Festival, ‘Performing the Festival’
2019
Art UK, UK, developing Curations, an online curation tool
Art Fund, UK, Derek Jarman’s Prospect Cottage
BALTIC, Gateshead, Judy Chicago exhibition
British School at Rome, Rome, artist fellowships
DIA:, United States, Mel Bochner and Barry Le Va exhibitions
Golden Thread Gallery, Belfast, building a collection of art related to the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland
National Gallery, London, Framing Acquisitions Fund
Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham, ‘Still Undead: Popular Culture in Britain Beyond the Bauhaus ‘ exhibition
The Roche Court Educational Trust, Salisbury, ARTiculation Prize (Cornwall)
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Judd/Hume Prize
2018
Djanogly Gallery, Nottingham, Homage to the Bauhaus exhibition
Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, Haroon Mirza and The Aerodrome exhibitions
MK Gallery, Milton Keynes, City Club project
Photoworks, Brighton, Brighton Photo Biennial
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, Monster Chetwynd exhibition
Smarthistory, production of 6 online art history video resources
University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Judd/Hume Prize
2017
National Gallery, London, Framing Acquisitions Fund
Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, Susan Philipsz exhibition
2016
Art Licks, Yorkshire, ‘On the heights’ exhibition
CAST, Cornwall, Groundwork programme of activity
Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, Mark Wallinger exhibition
Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool, Lara Favaretto’s commission for the 2016 edition of the Biennial
National Gallery, London, Framing Acquisitions Fund
National Portrait Gallery, London, Akram Zaatari exhibition
Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham, Simon Starling exhibition
Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham, Lara Favaretto’s new commission ‘Thinking Head’
Primary/TG, Nottingham, production of six new performances by Remko Scha, Jan Vorisek, Timothee Calame, Guillaume Pilet, William Hunt, and Sophie Jung.
Serpentine Gallery, London, Jimmie Durham exhibition
South London Gallery, London, a new permanent public garden designed by Gabriel Orozco
Studio Voltaire, London, La Escuela del Sur, new commission by Sol Calero
2015
ArtAngel, London, Jose Damasceno’s site-specific project PLOT at Holborn Public Library
The Art Fund, UK, the Moving Image Fund for Museums
Backlit, Nottingham, Simon Starling exhibition
Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham, Sun Ra (1914-1993): The Cosmo Man. (Alien Encounters) exhibition
Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham, Rights of Nature: Art & Ecology in the Americas exhibition
PEER, London, new Deputy Director post
Turner Contemporary, Margate, two installations in the Sunley Gallery by Carlos Amorales and Pedro Reyes
2014
Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham, Danh Vo exhibition
Open School East, London, contributed towards Open School East’s second year programme.
Tate, UK, acquisition of Mathias Poledna’s Imitation of Life (2013) and works by John Gerrard, David Austen and Abraham Cruzvillegas in memory of Michael Stanley.
2013
Gasworks, London, renovation of their building and artist studio spaces
Whitechapel Gallery, London, Karl Blossfeldt exhibition
2012
Modern Art Oxford, Oxford, Documenting Cadere, 1972-1978 exhibition
The National Gallery, London, Richard Hamilton: The Late Works exhibition
PEER, London, Stephen Cripps and William Hunt exhibition
Tate, UK, refurbishment of the Upper Clore Stores including new racks and shelves for the Tate Photography Cool Store Project