About us

The University of Salford Collection is an ambitious and growing collection of over 700 works of modern and contemporary art, founded c1968.

The collection exists for the benefit of students, staff and public. Works are displayed across campus, at our New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery, with key partner venues, and made available for UK and international loans. We actively grow the collection through new commissions.

You can find more about the history of the collection here.


Website Images:  All images on this site are copyright the artist, unless otherwise stated. Please contact us to request image use.

Aims:
The University Art Collection’s aim is to encourage engagement with the arts and to support excellence in teaching, research and community engagement and to play a leadership role in contributing to culture in the North West of England. We actively contribute to the University Vision ‘by pioneering exceptional industry partnerships we will lead the way in real world experiences preparing students for life’. We believe it is important to support the work of living artists at all stages of their careers – from a student through to an internationally established artist. We also aim to develop a distinctive collection, which includes work not collected in a significant way elsewhere. We have an innovative acquisitions policy, commissioning and working in collaboration with local, regional and international partners focused on three main areas: About the DigitalChinese Contemporary Art, and From the North.

Mission:
To care for and develop the university art collection: creating, collecting and collaborating.

Vision:
To use the university art collection as a catalyst to make a lasting difference to the arts ecology of the NorthWest.

Values:

  • Pioneering: we will think differently about collections and what it means to develop one in the 21st century
  • Pioneering: we will pilot new ways of working with artists and the collection which encourage risk-taking
  • Enabling: we will support artists to make new work and to experiment
  • Enabling: we will provide students with opportunities to engage with the sector
  • Story-telling: we will build the profile of the university through strong partnerships
  • Story-telling: we will develop an ongoing narrative around the artists we work with, whatever stage of their career

The University of Salford Art Collection is an Arts Council England Accredited Collection (Accreditation number: 2279).