There was reason to celebrate for eight artists to celebrate last week as their works were unveiled at Manchester Art Gallery, as part of its permanent public collection.

The acquisition was made possible thanks to the generosity of the North’s largest philanthropic art fund, The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund, which purchased the work from The Manchester Contemporary art fair in November 2024.

Founded by Thom Hetherington, Executive Chairman of one of the UK’s largest and most significant art fairs, Manchester Art Fair and The Manchester Contemporary, and supported by individuals passionate about the North, the Fund aims to support rising artists and provide them with a platform through which to achieve critical acclaim and greater popularity. 

Since its inception in 2017, it has raised over £86,000 and acquired 38 works for Manchester Art Gallery, to be owned and enjoyed by the people of the North in perpetuity. 

Founder of The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund, Thom Hetherington, added: “The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund is a uniquely multi-faceted cultural catalyst and has an impact on the Northern arts ecology on so many levels. It forms a vital part of Manchester Art Gallery’s acquisitions programme and is of great importance for the artists whose works are collected and the galleries who represent them.  To see these latest works unveiled today is incredibly rewarding.”

Recipients of The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund (2024) are Angelina May Davis from Birmingham, David Penny & Jack Brown from Manchester, Stuart Linden Rhodes from Harrogate, Lewis Graham from Worcester, Sophie Dickinson & Dale Christopher Wells from Grimsby and Dapper Bruce Lafitte from New Orleans in the USA. 

Founded in 2017, The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund purchases work from The Manchester Contemporary Art Fair to support rising artists and provide them with a platform through which to achieve critical acclaim and greater popularity.

The 2024 Manchester Contemporary Art Fund’s Members Include: Christian Anderton, Lisa Ashurst, Pepin Aslett, Jo & Tom Bloxham, Andrew & Savitha Calthorpe, Frank & Cherryl Cohen, Dan Cornwell & Carrie Eyre, Gill Crook, Jon & Rebecca Drape, James & Katie Eden, Matthew Frost, Mark Garner, Emma Holden, Mark & Toni Hawthorn, Thom Hetherington & Sophie Helm, Sam Jones, Nicolas Konig, Jack Livingstone, Alison Loveday, Kate & Leon Martyn, Sarah Moulson, Lucy Noone Blake & David Blake, Howard Ratcliffe & Melissa Ratcliffe, Jeremy & Jane Roberts, Jon Sharples and Martyn Torevell.