Second round of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums micro-commissions launched.

09 April 2021

A further six local creative practitioners will have the opportunity to create new works for Aberdeen Art Gallery’s collection, it was announced today.

Round One saw six artists were commissioned in January in celebration of Aberdeen Art Gallery’s success as a joint winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year 2020 for which it received a share of the £200,000 prize split equally between the five UK winners.

There were over 40 submissions received for Round 1, with six commissions awarded to Lise Bos (£3,000), Helen Love Partridge and Noon Abdelrazig (£3,000), Anne Marquiss (£850), Jo Gilbert (£850), Ursula Mathers (£850), and Nicola Seal (£850).

The second round of micro-commissions is now openl, inviting creative practitioners (artists, makers, musicians, dancers, designers, writers and performers) to submit proposals to make new work that responds to the collection. The successful applicants will be commissioned to create their artworks that will become part of the permanent collections, sitting alongside work by Claude Monet, Francis Bacon and Tracey Emin.

Round Two focuses on an artist’s lived experience in Aberdeen, exploring themes that might address social justice, climate change, identity, diversity, migration and representation. Six commissions are available in Round Two - two awards at £3000 each and four awards at £850 each.

Councillor Marie Boulton, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesperson, said: “We are excited to see the new ways in which artists living and working in Aberdeen explore life in the city. By offering a series of small-scale commission opportunities (micro-commissions) we hope to provide more opportunities for the local creative sector and increase the chances of local visitors recognising something of themselves in the collections.”

A live virtual Q&A session for anyone interested in applying will take place at 18:00 on Tuesday 13 April.

For more information about the Q&A session, how to apply and a recording of Round 1 Q&A session visit: https://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/AAGM/about-us/opportunities

The deadline for submission is 23:59 Sunday 9 May 2021.

Photograph shows Round One funding recipient Lise Bos