Artbank

Artbank is an art rental program established in 1980 by the Australian Government. It supports contemporary Australian artists and encourages a wider appreciation of their work by buying artworks which it then rents to public and private sector clients. It was modeled on the Canadian Art Bank, where the revenue raised from art rental is reinvested into new purchases. Artbank is part of the Australian Government's Department of Environment, Heritage, Water and the Arts.

As of 2009, Artbank has over 9,500 works of art in its collection, which is conservatively valued at more than AUS$20 million. Artbank spends close to AU$1,000,000 annually purchasing new work. The collection includes the works of more than 3,000 Australian artists and craftspeople from a diverse range of media and styles. Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists from each state and territory in Australia are represented.

Artbank is located in Sydney, Australia. Its current charter is as follows:

• To encourage contemporary Australian artists by acquiring their work
• To stimulate a wider appreciation of Australian art by making it available for display in public places, particularly work locations, throughout Australian and in official posts overseas
• To operate an art rental scheme directed to both public and private sector clients
• To manage the Artbank collection on behalf of the Commonwealth

External links

• Artbank website