About the Collection
The University of Salford Art Collection exists for the benefit of staff, students and the public. Founded in the late 1960’s, it now includes around 900 modern and contemporary works which are displayed on campus, including at our New Adelphi Exhibition Gallery, as well as through loans to UK & international museums and galleries.
Early collecting mainly included post-war British painting, print-making, and, later, photography. In particular, works with a connection to Salford and Greater Manchester were collected. Later, a number of works by the YBAs (Young British Artists) were acquired, alongside a unique special collection by expressionist painter Albert Adams.
From 2013 to 2025 the Collection actively commissioned and acquired contemporary work under three key interconnected strands, About the Digital, From the North, and Chinese Contemporary Art, together aiming to tell a ‘story of now’. We continue to actively acquire new work largely through commissions, residencies and industry partnerships, and are currently developing renewed collecting priorities. Underlying our thematic strands is a commitment to sustainability & environment, artist development, and EDI (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion). Our work supports the University’s 2025-2030 Strategy: innovating to enrich lives.
Artists in the collection include: Rachel Maclean, Thomson & Craighead, Mishka Henner, Christian Marclay (About the Digital); Cao Fei, Li Binyuan, Yang Yongliang, Sun Xun (Chinese Contemporary Art); L.S. Lowry, Adolphe Valette, Sarah Hardacre, Rachel Goodyear (From the North); and Bridget Riley, Damien Hirst, Gary Hume (Print collection).
We also work closely with the School of Arts and Media to support students and alumni, through our Portrait commissions, Scholarship scheme, and other opportunities.
Browse the Collection online
Visit our Catalogue website to browse the collection. We are digitising and uploading works on an ongoing basis; as of Summer 2024 around 30% of the collection is represented online.
Find us on Art UK
You can also visit our page on Art UK, the online home of the nations public art collections. See a selection of earlier works from the Collection, along with features and articles. More new works coming soon!