Open Call to Artists Launched for Art Gallery Micro-Commissions

Artists living in AB postcode areas are being invited by Aberdeen Art Gallery to submit proposals for funded Micro-Commissions. The opportunity is supported by the Friends of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums. 

Creative practitioners (artists, makers, musicians, dancers, designers, writers and performers) living in AB postcode areas are invited to submit proposals which stimulate engagement and dialogue about Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums’ collections of art and history. Proposals should respond to one of two collecting priorities: energy, environment and the local economy; and identity and representation. 

The making period for Micro-Commissions is 12 weeks, in which the artist will have developed and realised their proposed work(s). There are two levels of funding: one commission of £2,500 and two commissions of £1,000.  

This is the fifth round of Micro-Commissions to be offered by the Art Gallery and the third to be supported by the Friends of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museums. The programme was established with funding awarded to the Gallery as a joint winner of Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2020.  
 
Councillor Martin Greig, Aberdeen City Council’s culture spokesman, said: “It's great that twenty local artists have been supported by the art gallery Micro-Commissions programme since it was launched in 2021. Thanks to the programme, amazing and intriguing artworks have been created which interpret the vast collection of cultural treasures held in Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums. This fresh funding round is a further welcome opportunity to support the production of new work in our area. The brief is to address key collecting priorities for the next five years. These are energy, environment, local economy or identity and representation. It will be good to see the results of the creative activity enabled by this programme."

Willem Boon von Ochssee, Chair of the Friends of Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums, said: “Aberdeen Art Gallery has a particular strength in collecting contemporary art. Since the Friends were established almost 50 years ago, we have been committed to helping to develop this outstanding collection through new acquisitions. We’re pleased to be supporting the Micro-Commissions programme and we look forward to seeing new works by locally-based artists enter the collection.” 

Micro-Commissions 2024