Loaned & Gifted artworks

  • Any loaned or gifted works of art proposed for the public domain should only be accepted if they sit within the framework outlined in the Barnsley Public Art Strategy
  • Works should also be assessed on the following criteria:
    • Quality - the quality of the artwork & aesthetic merit
    • Public Liability - each work shall be examined for unsafe conditions or factors that may bear upon public liability
    • Relevance - context in the Towns’ collection. Does artwork enhance the existing collection or add diversity? How does the piece engage people? Are the materials appropriate? Is the work susceptible to vandalism or graffiti?
    • Site - availability of an appropriate site - relationship to existing planned architectural, natural and landscape features.
    • Costs – all costs associated with the work should be provided by the donor - siting, installation, and maintenance of artwork
    • Donor conditions, if applicable
    • Durability of the artwork - Consideration of the artwork's long-term durability in terms of its materials, and against theft, vandalism, and weather 
    • Ongoing maintenance & insurance implications and associated costs
    • Security considerations for the artwork
    • Duplication - It is recommended that the policy of the Council should be to accept unique, one of a kind works of art
  • Memorial Gifts: Memorial gifts should also be judged to the following additional criteria:
    • The person or event being memorialised must be deemed significant enough to merit such an honour. The person so honoured shall have been deceased for a minimum of five years. Events shall have taken place at least five years prior to consideration of a proposed memorial gift
    • Represents broad community values
    • The memorial has timeless qualities that will be meaningful to future generations
    • The location under consideration is an appropriate setting for the memorial; in general, there should be some specific geographic justification for the memorial being located in a specific site
    • For any artworks proposed to be on loan to the Council, a legal agreement should be signed applying to the length of the loan and other terms such as location, maintenance requirements, insurance, value of artwork, installation and removal responsibility, and other conditions pertinent to the agreement.
    • Whenever possible a public art steering group should be engaged to consider the siting of the loaned or gifted work
    • Nothing in the acceptance of a gift of artwork shall prevent the Council from approving subsequent removal, relocation or de-accessioning of such gifts if it serves the Town’s best interest to do so