The Department of Communications and the Arts’ artwork-leasing service, Artbank, has opened a new exhibition, store and studio space in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood.
The relocation of Artbank from Armadale in Melbourne has involved more than 2,000 artworks now occupying a new contemporary space that matches the Australian art it houses.
A spokesperson for Artbank said the Collingwood building was once a printing warehouse, which had now been transformed into a state-of-the-art collection store, project space and artist studio.
The spokesperson said it was established to support artists and give people an affordable opportunity to enjoy Australian art.
He said organisations and individuals could choose from an extensive range of art and lease it for an extended time, with the Agancy’s operations funded through the leasings.
“With Artbank artworks in workplaces and other public and private places around Australia and the world, the broader community has direct access to some of the best examples of Australian contemporary art,” the spokesperson said.
“The service holds one of the largest and most significant collections of Australian art in the world and has been operating on a self-sustaining basis since the early 1990s.”
He said it was considered the most successful program of its type in the world.
A 3-minute video profiling the activity of Artbank can be accessed at this PS News link.
