C92 Article

Corporate Insight: A review of corporate patronage of the visual arts in Ireland

Corporate sponsorship of the arts is a major growth area in Ireland. There are costs and benefits, both practical and philosophical. Marianne O'Kane presents an overview.

Sponsorship and the arts is a growth area for business...I think that the arts community needs to remember that it's a two-way process. Business must get a return. I feel that there is a more enlightened arts community today...I am confident that business will become more involved in the future.
John O'Neill, Chief Executive, AXA Insurance Ltd.¹  

Corporate patronage manifests itself in the provision of grants to museums and other arts organisations or in the direct support of artists' practise through the establishment of corporate collections. In Ireland, corporate patronage is a relatively late development in the history of painting and sculpture. As a plan of campaign, it was initiated with the support of the new Arts Council/Comhairle Ealaíon established in 1973 under the directorship of Colm O'Briain. The Council introduced the Joint Purchase Scheme whereby public institutions - universities, banks and hotels, for example - could buy works for half price and the Council paid the remaining half. The Bank of Ireland began a substantial collection in its new headquarters in Dublin and other similar institutions such as Allied Irish Bank followed suit.

The first major sponsor of visual art in Ireland was P. J. Carroll & Co., the tobacco manufacturers. The development of the Bank of Ireland's collection and Carrolls' sponsorship are closely connected. The chairman of Carrolls, Donal Carroll, was also a governor of the Bank of Ireland and he authorised the purchase of the Bank's collection. In 1964, Carrolls sponsored the Irish Exhibition of Living Art and from then on provided an annual prize. The Carrolls collection was built up under the supervision of the architect Ronald Tallon. As a result of these developments in sponsorship, Cothú ('promotion'), the Business Council for the Arts, was established. It was founded to increase corporate collecting. It acts as a public-relations and marketing institute, and through its efforts encourages businesses to become more aware and involved in the arts. Cothú works with corporate bodies as an information agency to advise and guide on arts expenditure.

Recently corporate patronage of the arts has increased. In June 1998, the National Arts Sponsorship Survey was published by Cothú. It indicated that in 1997 corporate sponsorship for the arts amounted to a record IR£10.2 million, which marked over 38% increase in the two years since 1995. The main aims and methods of corporate patronage of the arts include: the achievement of understanding and commonality between the corporation and the sponsored group; the involvement of corporate executives in appropriate projects, to ensure that the project proposed by the artist(s) or arts group can be fulfilled; to make a contribution to the public, customers and employees; and finally to relate arts sponsorship and purchasing to corporate objectives. There is, however, a largely play-safe attitude practised by contemporary corporate sponsors, because they have so many stakeholders to satisfy - employees, customers, shareholders and the general public. For this reason there has to be some degree of self-censorship. Brian Wallis, former curator of the New Museum of Contemporary Art and a senior editor of Art in America, explains; Most corporate sponsors finance exhibitions based on centrist ideas and uncontroversial subject matter...[this provides] the corporation with a tool for enriching individual lives while suppressing real cultural and political differences...² Supporting contemporary art presents the business as a munificent organisation. The commissioning of public art upgrades the corporate image. The corporation is largely propagandist and will promote the officially accepted type and current trends in the art market. Hans Haacke said of the corporate arena, Public awareness of social reality is continually diminished.. [Work that could] promote critical awareness [or] present products of consciousness dialectically and in relation to the social world, or question relations of power, have a slim chance of being approved.³

On the one hand, therefore the art is limited, as it does not actively engage with social and political issues, yet on the other any corporate art collection enables a larger, more diverse audience to be exposed to visual art.

In the 1970s all the work commissioned by corporate institutions in Dublin was influenced by developments in British and American minimalist sculpture. This period saw the creation of companion pieces designed to work in harmony with the newly erected corporate buildings. The aesthetic of new materials, brightly painted steel being the most popular, complemented the architectural style. The works of sculptors like John Burke, Brian King and Michael Bulfin epitomise this phenomenon. These sculptures, on an impressive architectural scale, were designed to underline their representative institutions' corporate image, but the stark abstract nature of the works ensured that no social or political statements were made.

A company like Microsoft, Dublin, is perhaps a counter-example. It can be more adventurous in purchasing and exhibiting, as the art is dedicated solely to satisfying employees - for the most part the collection is not open to the public. Microsoft, in Ireland since 1985, employs over 600 people throughout the Leopardstown and Sandyford industrial estates. Their corporate art collection, established in 1996, is still in its infancy. The collection, composed solely of Irish art, is managed by a voluntary executive committee of employees. They are joined by eight other employees to form a purchase committee which selects from internal exhibitions held at Microsoft three times a year. Since its conception, Microsoft has purchased over 100 pieces from the alternating exhibitions. Sylvie Narp of the executive committee explains,

The investment value of the art is not a consideration when selecting pieces for the Microsoft permanent collection. All the pieces are chosen by employees who will have to live with looking at it! Perhaps because there is a relatively self-contained audience to cater for, the art is largely contemporary, by young artists and also progressive by corporate-collection standards. Purchased artists include John Behan, Marie-Louise Martin, Geraldine O'Neill, Eamon O'Kane, Daniel De Chenu, Helena Gorey, Mary Rose O'Neill and Jim McKenna. Each exhibition runs for a three-month period, after which the committee decides which pieces shall be bought (to date 38% of the exhibited works have been purchased). Microsoft have also commissioned a self-reflective sculptural piece by Brian Connolly, The Five Senses, for outside the EPDC building. The work combines bronze and new media, reflecting Microsoft's endeavours to bring man and technology together in creative harmony. Brigid Roden, Chief Executive of Cothú, says of the Microsoft approach,

The role of Cothú is to act as the crossroads between the arts and business community. The Microsoft collection is the very expression of this concept. Employees of Microsoft have chosen to buy art if not as the stimulus at least as an encouragement to their creativity.

Bank of Ireland, established in 1783, shows support of arts and culture with its preservation of the former Parliament Buildings in College Green, Dublin, through music sponsorship of the RTÉ Proms, and in its creation of the Bank of Ireland Arts Centre in Foster Place, Dublin. The Bank is Ireland's longest-established corporate buyer. Their collection was started in 1970 and the beginnings of this collection consist of a revealing cross-section of Irish art of that time. A number of individuals from the Bank of Ireland's Architects Department were involved in the initial selection of pieces, but there was no committee as such. The main co-ordinator and selector was the building's architect and art advisor for the Carrolls collection, Ronald Tallon. The active involvement of Tallon has meant that the artworks are closely integrated with the architecture. The Bank now has a Group Art Committee who agree on art-purchasing policy and budget. The committee employs an art consultant, Neil Monaghan, who has been purchasing works on their behalf for the past twenty years. The Bank is dedicated to supporting emerging artists, to commissioning work for specific locations, and to enhancing the integrity of the collection as a representative selection of modern Irish art over 25 years. The majority of the collection is housed in the Bank of Ireland's headquarters, with other works in the Irish Financial Services Centre, La Touche House. Over the past thirty years the Bank has acquired work by Jack Yeats, Robert Ballagh, Cecil King, Mainie Jellet, Nano Reid, Charles Brady, William Scott and Gerard Dillon. The more contemporary section of the collection includes work by Seán Fingleton, Anne Madden, Mick O'Dea, Michael Kane, Derek Hill, Alice Maher, Stephen McKenna and Tony O'Malley. Sculpture is also adequately represented with work by James McKenna, Oisín Kelly, Gerda Fromel, Dick Joynt, John Behan and Michael Bulfin. The Bank feels it is important to show Irish art with reference to the International context and to this end there are pieces by Léger, Vasarelly, Kokoscha, Calder, Indiana and Miró. There are over 350 pieces in the collection.

The Bank of Ireland is the first corporation to put its art collection on CD-ROM, which allows for a wider audience than has been possible to date. It is available to the public through the Bank of Ireland website. The Bank of Ireland Scholars Trust Fund of ten million pounds has recently been created to allow talented individuals to pursue further education when they are otherwise hindered by financial or other obstacles. This fund is the largest single millennium initiative from either state or private sources and is designed to assist academic, cultural and artistic disciplines.

Allied Irish Banks began its collection in 1980 when it moved to new headquarters in the Bankcentre, Ballsbridge, Dublin. It has established a classic representative collection of Irish art from the late nineteenth century to contemporary times. Considering its youth this is a very substantial collection. Advised by art historian and critic Frances Ruane, the AIB's intention was to follow the development of modernism in Ireland from 1880 to the present day. Purchasing procedure now focuses on the work of living artists. Lochlann Quinn, Chairman of the AIB Group explains that,

Our hope has been to reach a wider public, to encourage the involvement of local communities and to open up dialogue about Irish Art....AIB is conscious of the important role a corporate art collection can play in the support of living artists through the purchase of their work and by introducing it to a bigger audience.⁴

Paintings make up the largest part of the collection but these are supplemented by tapestries, sculpture, photography, print and mixed-media works. There are over 900 pieces, a remarkable achievement for twenty years of purchasing. Artists represented include Roderic O'Conor, Nathanial Hone, Grace Henry, Jack Yeats, Mary Swanzy, Louis Le Brocquy, F. E. McWilliam, Tony O'Malley, Carey Clarke, Brian Bourke, James McKenna, Felim Egan, Charles Tyrell and Vivienne Bogan.

The Gowan Group Ltd, Dublin is an active patron of the visual arts, largely through the efforts of the corporation's chairman, Michael Maughan. The Group is composed of five divisions: motor distribution (largest section), retail motor group, kitchen goods, investments and property. The company employs 240 people. It is probably best known as the exclusive distributor of Peugeot and Citroën cars and commercial vehicles in Ireland. After the Bank of Ireland, the Group are the longest-established corporate buyer of Irish art. They have been purchasing over the last thirty years and the collection includes work by Patrick Pye, Jacinta Feeney, John Skelton, Louis Le Brocquy, Tom Ryan, Michael Scott and Letitia Hamilton. Like most corporate collectors, the Group aims to provide practical support for practising artists, but it also buys art to help vitalise the company milieu and as an investment. Maughan feels that one of the major reasons for corporate collecting is to support and represent Irish art within the country.

The Guardian Group, which includes Guardian PMPA, was taken over in 1999 by the European company AXA Insurance Ltd. AXA provides active support for the performing arts and to this end runs the AXA Dublin International Piano Competition as well as providing support for Cothú, for the Friends of the National Concert Hall, and for the development of the Royal Irish Academy of Music's Traditional Irish Music Syllabus. Yet the corporation also has a substantial art collection that was begun in June 1995. Paul Maloney, Press Officer, AXA says that "the emphasis of AXA's art sponsorship is intended to be more altruistic than commercial."⁵ Dublin batik artist Bernadette Madden acts as art adviser and purchaser on behalf of AXA. She sources work primarily from graduate shows, particularly at the National College of Art and Design, and from artists beginning their exhibiting careers. This policy allows for a substantial amount of young emerging artists but it will also include those who are, according to Madden, "not necessarily young in age but young in the art world."⁶ Seventy percent of the art is purchased according to this rule. The work is sourced from galleries in Dublin, Cork, Wexford and Belfast but never from auctions so that the support reaches the artists directly. The collection is largely made up of paintings, prints and photographs. There are approximately 120 pieces in the collection and art has also been purchased for presentation to employees. The impact of visual art on the work environment has been considerable, in that employees also purchase pieces chosen by Madden. Some of the first AXA purchases include works by Peter FitzGerald and Helen Gaynor. Other artists include Mark Joyce, Oliver Comerford, Geraldine O'Neill, Mark Ainsworth, Eamon O'Kane, Alice Maher and Aoife Harrington.

Aer Rianta manages one of Ireland's most socially inclusive and diverse corporate arts programmes. This initiative reaches a large national and international audience but also involves the participation of the corporation's employees. Aer Rianta sees arts support as "an integral part of our wider programme to establish a specific corporate image for the company with its many 'publics.'" They make creative and comprehensive use of art. Dublin airport surroundings have been artistically landscaped and incorporate sculptures. There are also performances and sculpture trails. Artwork is on display both inside and outside the building. Aer Rianta complements its art sponsorship with educational activities such as tours for schools and colleges, workshops and lectures.

The immediate captive audience for arts and culture is Dublin airport's eight thousand employees. Aer Rianta shows its progressive and pioneering spirit through its annual hosting of an arts festival. This has been on the cultural calendar for the last twelve years and it is the only airport in the world to host such an event. The festival combines visual arts with music, dance and theatre. In 1999, thirty thousand people attended the arts festival in its two-week duration. The art exhibition consists of work by invited artists and participants include Seán Fingleton, Geraldine O'Neill, Aidan Dunne, Seán MacSweeney, Andrew Folan, Rosaleen Davey and Mary Rose O'Neill. On average 60% of the work is sold. Aer Rianta also provides the opportunity for one young emerging artist to have a solo exhibition in the airport. Anthony Ruby from Cork was this year's exhibiting artist.

Ulter Television has the largest and best-known art collection in Northern Ireland. Based in Havelock House, Belfast, the collection is managed and supervised by Theo Snoddy, Art Advisor. According to the Chairman of UTV, John B McGuckian, arts support has had a very specific purpose for the organisation:

We have always been a committed supporter of the Arts throughout the Province, and the UTV Collection is a fine example of the encouragement the Company has given to local artists over the years - both through acquisitions and commissions of their work.⁷

Theo Snoddy and Mike McCann have been the UTV representatives responsible for purchasing artworks over the years. They generally purchase from the RHA, RUA, artists' studios and charity events. For the past ten years exhibitions have been held annually to advertise and promote the collection. These average three per year but can be up to five. Selected work for exhibition has visited over forty venues in the north and south of Ireland, including the Belfast Waterfront Hall, the Royal Hibernian Academy, Crawford Municipal Art Gallery and Limerick City Hall. According to Snoddy, "the exhibitions are not intended to be contemporary, because although there are works by practising artists, for the most part the work exhibited is historic."⁸ The collection is also promoted via educational talks for schools given at the various exhibitions, and to this end a circular is sent out to the schools in the province. There are over two hundred artworks in the collection and the artists represented include; F .E. McWilliam, Basil Blackshw, Carolyn Mulholland, Neil Shawcross, Colin Middleton, Rita Duffy, Diarmuid Delargy, Jack Pakenham and Simon McWilliams. Snoddy has been involved with building the collection for over ten years and he is also responsible for researching and writing the catalogue. He feels that it is very important to provide up-to-date information on artists and he keeps a close eye on the contemporary production of those represented in the collection. Although the collection is not open to the public, small groups and art societies will usually be accommodated on application.

Derville Murphy, Group Senior Architect of the Bank of Ireland Group, explains why only some corporations collect art:

Larger corporations can afford to spread patronage over a number of disciplines such as music, education, sport and charities. Smaller companies may only select one discipline. Art is still considered in this country to appeal to a relatively small sector of the population as a whole. This can only be overcome with education, government support and increased public awareness. In the present economy there is a growing interest in purchasing art as an investment by young professionals, the market should be capitalised on through the media of the internet, a website gallery for all Irish artists to promote their work at home and abroad [should be established]. Corporate art collections provide a source of stimulation and creativity for each organisation's employees. The collections have the potential to break down the barriers of fine-art élitism in that the workforce have the opportunity to see art in an everyday context. The sense of ownership that employees experience may inspire them to purchase artworks themselves, and this has been one result of corporate patronage. The proactive promotion of the visual arts on the part of corporations has extended this aspect of culture to a wider community through diverse mediums: Aer Rianta's various arts and culture initiatives in a public venue; CD-ROMs with interactive catalogues, for example art.bank recently launched by Bank of Ireland; touring exhibitions, like those organised by AIB and UTV. Finally collecting and sponsorship of Irish art is directly beneficial to each organisation, in that it heightens the public's perception of corporate worth, a by-product being exposure and a vital financial support for artists.  
¹Nexus, the bulletin of Cothú - the Business Council for the Arts, No. 4, Spring 2000.
²Herbert I. Schiller, The Corporate Art: Pitchers at the Exhibition, The Nation, vol. 249, No. 2, 1989, p. 38.
³Ibid, p. 38; see also Brian Hand's article, Public Misrecognition, in CIRCA, No. 91, Spring 2000, pp. 25-30.
⁴Frances Ruane (editor), AIB Art: A Selection from the AIB Collection of Modern Irish Art, Dublin: Wood-Printcraft, 1995, p .3.
⁵Interview, 27 April 2000
⁶Interview, 27 April 2000
⁷Theo Snoddy, UTV Art Collection, Catalogue of Works and Artists Biographies. Belfast: Nicholson & Bass, 1999, p. 1.
⁸Interview, 26 April 2000.
⁹Interview, 28 April 2000.Marianne O'Kane is a Lecturer on the Visual Arts in Boston UniversityÕs Internship Program and Curator at Cavanacor Gallery, Lifford.