Trusts and Foundations

Acquisitions are crucial to the CAS’s mission to support artists, museums, and their audiences. Since 1910, the Contemporary Art Society has gifted over 12,000 works to public collections across the UK and the Commonwealth.  

Funding from trusts and foundations helps to support the acquisition programme which ensures access to the work of world-class living artists for audiences in major urban centres as well as small, rural, and post-industrial communities. Through close partnerships with our Member Museums, we nurture the individual character of collections, connecting audiences with the living cultural heritage of their communities.   

The continuous professional development (CPD) programme builds and maintains networks, capacity building, and skills in museum professionals. In response to the pandemic we pivoted to an online offer, with artist interviews, studio visits, panel discussions and film screenings.   

Adding world-class quality contemporary art to permanent collections brings excitement and dynamism to much-loved institutions. We work with museum colleagues to address the question of representation within their permanent collections, making acquisitions that speak to the diasporic and other under-represented communities in their region and laying the foundations for greater strength in these collection areas in future. 

The CAS offers opportunities for people from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the museums and galleries sector to gain experience in a curatorial role. This role is our proactive initiative to encourage more representation of diverse groups in museums and their communities.