Dave Freak learns about a national loan scheme which offers wannabe art collectors the chance to pick up a masterpiece... Sprucing up your home with a few choice posters and clip frames may be good enough for some, but increasingly many are turning to the acquisition of more unique items to decorate their abodes.
 The higher profile of commercial galleries in the region highlights the publics increased awareness of - and desire for - original art. And where financial concerns were often seen as stumbling blocks to purchases, that hurdle is being by-passed by Own Art, a new initiative set up by the Arts Council England. Launched in Birmingham at the tail end of 2004, Own Art is a national interest-free loan scheme designed to make it as easy as possible to buy contemporary works of art, including paintings, photography, sculpture, glassware, ceramics, furniture and even jewellery. A recent survey identified that 4.9 million people in England have already brought original contemporary visual art and that a further 5.9 million aspire to, more than doubling the current marketplace, something the scheme has been set up to encourage. We want the arts to be at the heart of our national life and I believe that Own Art can bring about a real change in the way we engage with the contemporary visual arts, says Sir Christopher Frayling, Chair of Arts Council England. Approximately 250 galleries are participating in the scheme nationally, and you can use the loan to purchase items by any living artist. The maximum loan is £2,000 at an APR of 0% and the money can be used to go towards a single item of more than £2,000, or more than one item at different times from various galleries - just as long as the maximum loan never exceeds the £2,000 mark. In the West Midlands region, there are 18 galleries signed up to the scheme, including The New Gallery, mac and Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA), plus Owen Taylor Art in Warwick, Staffords Shire Hall Gallery and The Lion Gallery in Leominster. We feel that the scheme is excellent for the RBSA and the artists it represents, and for buyers who have the opportunity to buy an original work, maybe for the first time ever, with an affordable loan, says Marie Considine, RBSA Gallery Director, whose gallery already encourages new purchasers with its annual stART exhibition featuring works for £200 or less. Colin Addy, Director of Birminghams New Gallery, agrees, adding: For the customer it is a flexible and easy way to get into buying original art without the worry of credit card rates and over-stretching budgets. We want to get people into the habit of owning original works of art from living artists, and not think of original works as something you visit in museums or inherit as antiques. It makes art accessible to everyone and if you can enhance your environment with a TV or sofa on interest free credit why shouldnt you be able to buy a great picture? It is also important to note that the scheme will pay for commissions, such as portraits, as well as art shown in the gallery so it is truly flexible. The innovative scheme aims to not only encourage new buyers and audiences for the visual arts, but also to develop the local visual arts economy by encouraging the increase of sales of artists work and to support a breadth of practice, from the traditional to the innovative, by artists at all stages of their career. The art market outside London is underdeveloped yet we know there is enormous scope for growth, believes Sir Christopher. Many more people will now be able to enjoy living with original, high-quality contemporary art in their own homes. Art neednt be restricted to big white-painted gallery spaces. | 
