Acquisition Assistance for Art Museums and Public Galleries
Deadline
Anytime between 1 April and 31 March
Program Description
The Visual Arts Section's Acquisition Assistance program provides financial support to Canadian art museums and public art galleries. Grants from this program are available on a matching funds basis to purchase original works of contemporary Canadian visual art, including architecture (maquettes and drawings), fine crafts and photography.
Consistent with the mandate of the Visual Arts Section, works purchased with financial assistance from this program must be by living Canadian artists. Such works may be purchased either directly from the artists or from Canadian dealers where the works are on consignment from the artists. Works purchased from private or public collections, or auction houses are not eligible for funding.
Institutions that include the commissioning of site-specific works as part of their ongoing collecting mandate may request funding for commissioned work.
This Canada Council for the Arts program is accessible to Aboriginal arts organizations and arts organizations of diverse cultural and regional communities of Canada.
Eligibility
Canadian public art galleries and art museums with professional curatorial staff who have, for a minimum of five years, demonstrated a commitment to the displaying and maintaining of a contemporary Canadian art collection are eligible to apply, once only, any time between 1 April and 31 March. Ethnology museums as well as museums of natural history and culture are not eligible.
Restriction
To be eligible to this program, artworks must be acquired after the application has been submitted to the Canada Council (as evidenced by the post office stamp).
Before submitting an application, please contact the Visual Arts Section Officer to ensure that funds are available. Should an institution choose to acquire works before receiving the official grant approval letter from the Council, they do so at their own risk.
Grant Amount
The value of the grant varies according to the amount requested, but must be matched by the applicant. The maximum amount available per institution per year is $30,000. This amount is available for the acquisition of one work or several works.
Institutions may raise more than the matching amount required if they wish to purchase works costing in excess of $60,000. However, the Council's contribution will never exceed $30,000.
Grants cover the purchase price of works but do not cover federal and provincial sales taxes; shipping, framing, crating and installation expenses; or costs incurred by the institution's acquisition committee.
Application Form
Acquisition Assistance for Art Museums and Public Galleries (pdf, 212 KB)
This form can only be printed and cannot be filled out on-line.
Further Information
José Niaison
Visual Arts Section Officer
Canada Council for the Arts
P.O. Box 1047, 350 Albert Street
Ottawa ON K1P 5V8
Telephone: 1-800-263-5588 (toll-free) or 613-566-4414, ext. 5269
TTY (TDD) machine, for hearing-impaired callers: 613-565-5194
Fax: 613-566-4332
February 2009