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17
Sept
Council displays just 4% of its artwork collection
A senior North Yorkshire councillor says he wants to see more artwork on display after figures revealed just 4% of the council’s collection is available to be viewed by the public.
Cllr Simon Myers, executive councillor for culture on North Yorkshire Council, said the authority was currently drawing up a cultural strategy, which could include more plans for public exhibitions of its collection.
The council owns 5,036 artworks, which are principally held in Harrogate, Craven and Scarborough.
However, in response to a question from Cllr Tom Jones, who represents Scotton & Lower Wensleydale, the council revealed just 197 of those were on public display - which amounts to nearly 4% of its collection.
Cllr Myers said he was keen to see more of its work on display.
He said:
There are a total of 5,036 artworks in the combined collection, of varying value and quality (including low-value reproductions).
Of this, 197 are currently on display. The number on display varies as visiting exhibitions are accommodated as is currently the case in all our major venues.
We are drawing together a new cultural strategy for the council and I have ambitions to get more of our collections out on display, particularly in those areas which do not have access to public collections.
The move comes after figures from the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed in January 2023 that the former Harrogate Borough Council displayed just 1% of its 2,658 artwork collection.
In 2019, the former borough council’s collection was valued at a combined £6.7 million.
At the time, the council said the lack of artwork on display was due to “finite capacity” to exhibit more of its pieces.
The collection is now owned by North Yorkshire Council.
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