Hertfordshire schools receive hundreds of pieces of artwork

Dozens of schools across Herts are to receive donations of artwork from the county council.
One of the pieces of artOne of the pieces of art
One of the pieces of art

Throughout July schools were able to view and make applications for 614 artworks being donated from the former Hertfordshire School Loan Collection.

And 60 schools expressed an interest, with some requesting single works and others applying for up to 90. Several schools plan to create mini-galleries and share the works they receive with their neighbouring schools.

Hertfordshire County Council allocated the items based on the popularity of each work and the rationale given by each of the applying schools, ensuring that each school has at least one work requested.

Cllr Terry Douris, cabinet member for education, libraries and localism, said: “We were delighted with the excellent response from schools keen to enrich their pupil’s education with these works of art.

“It is heartening to hear that some of the schools are creating small galleries and sharing the works with neighbouring schools – this truly reflects the community spirit we intended.

“These donations will ensure that Hertfordshire County Council’s art legacy can be used for the purpose they were always intended for – to enhance the education of Hertfordshire pupils rather than being kept in storage in an anonymous warehouse.”

Schools expressed a keen interest in works that linked to their curriculum or promoted different cultures, as well as equality and diversity. Items were also chosen to support ‘Artsmark’ awards – the Arts Council England creative quality standard for schools and education settings."