If you are interested in collecting contemporary art, join our Wysing Collective. The Wysing Collective is about the collecting and sharing of contemporary art as a collective activity, amongst small groups of households or businesses.

Set up in the autumn of 2009, as part of a national network of collectives, the Wysing Collective is the first of its kind in the region and offers the chance to enhance your understanding and engagement with contemporary art by collecting art with others in a fun and social way, under Wysing’s curatorial guidance.

How does it work? A group of between 6 and 10 individuals or households join together to form a collective and create a contemporary art ‘fund’ through monthly instalments, which then funds the purchase of works that are then owned by the collective. The work is rotated around the members homes or offices on a regular basis, e.g at 6 monthly intervals.

The collective decides what they would like to buy; they agree a purchasing panel from the members, and then that panel purchases new works for their collective for that period. Benefits to the collective members include greater spending power than individually, a fun experience and an opportunity to experiment with reduced risk. Wysing brings curatorial knowledge and advice to the group; access to artists; invitations to artist’s exhibitions and invitations to exclusive Wysing collectors events. Above all, it is a fun and social way to engage in collecting.

We have two groups established and we are currently forming new groups to begin in early 2010. Contribution levels for these groups will be £25 or £50 per month, with a minimum of 6 people in each group.

If you would like to know more email info@wysingartscentre.org">info@wysingartscentre.org. The collective scheme is already a success in London, Bristol and Birmingham and is supported by Arts Council England, New Contemporaries and the Contemporary Art Society.

To read more about our first Wysing Collective’s activities, click here to read their blog http://wysingcollective.blogspot.com

Also, The Times published an article on this new way of collecting contemporary art http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article7050285.ece" target="_blank">http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article7050285.ece">http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/the_way_we_live/article7050285.ece