Most Council-Owned Art in England Sits in Storage, BBC Finds
English councils own more than 500,000 works of art, yet fewer than one in 20 are on public display. A BBC survey of 225 councils shows how much of that public collection is out of sight.
A collection mostly in the dark
As of April, just 26,856 works were on show across the councils that shared data. The collections include pieces by Tracey Emin, David Hockney, LS Lowry and Antony Gormley. The largest, at 125,000 works, belongs to Waltham Forest Council. Few councils could put a figure on their holdings. Where they did, individual collections were insured for millions of pounds.
Among councils with more than 100 works, only Rugby in Warwickshire had everything out. In April, Rugby put all 257 of its artworks on view at once for the first time. Sally Godden, manager of Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, said art has the power to connect communities, and works kept out of sight cannot do that.
Money and space
Councils are, in the words of the Art UK chief executive, "the biggest single constituent of public funding for arts and culture". Yet many are under strain over storage space and resources. Adjusted for inflation, net spending on museums by English councils fell by a fifth between 2017-18 and 2025-26.
Mick Barton, who chairs the Local Government Association's culture committee, said communities should be able to enjoy local art and history. He added that financial pressure leaves councils with less money for discretionary services such as museums.
Selling is rare but happens
Only 10 councils disposed of any art over the past six financial years. Derbyshire sold 356 works in 2021-22 when it closed its Schools Library Service, which had lent art to schools for 72 years. By then the council did not have the space or staff to keep the collection. North Lincolnshire sold 22 at auction in 2023-24. The other eight said items were donated, transferred to other museums or otherwise disposed of.
Kent gave no reply to the question, though it had already confirmed to the BBC that 418 artworks were sold in the 12 months to April. Councillor Paul Webb said the reason was practical: the basement store was closing. Kent also sold a sculpture back to Gormley, creator of the Angel of the North.
Storage is not always a lock-out
Three responding authorities with over 100 works had none on display. One is Rochdale, whose 1,701 artworks went into store while its Touchstones museum is regenerated. Senior curator Sarah Hodgkinson said the team has been taking pieces to schools, parks and events, and using the time to repack its sculpture and work on documentation.
Art UK has photographed public collections for a digital record of more than one million artworks. Its chief executive, Ellis, urged councils to make more use of it, saying people should have access to publicly owned art.
Source: BBC News