Art UK Sculpture Project 

In 2018 Durham University Library and Collections (ULC) began a collaboration with Art UK on their Art UK Sculpture Project, having previously partnered on the Art UK Paintings project to document paintings in public collections.  

Art UK is the online home for public art collections in the UK and their website represents a collaboration with over 3,300 British institutions and their collections. 

Art UK Sculpture is a national project using digital and physical engagement to transform the way people access and learn about sculpture. Focussing on sculpture dating from the last 1,000 years held in the buildings and stores of public collections, and situated in outdoor locations across the UK, the project aimed to digitally document sculptures in public ownership across the UK.  

The UK is the first country in the world to create a free-to-access online photographic showcase of its publicly owned sculpture. The first records began appearing on Art UK in early 2019. Prior to the project, many of these works were without records, images or online access. 

Art UK manage a group of ‘Art Detectives’; an online forum for specialists and others interested in resolving questions about the artworks that UK public collections hold. Find out more about being an Art Detective at What is Art Detective? 

Durham University Library and Collections paintings and sculptures included on Art UK can be found at Durham University | Art UK. Our wider and expansive collections are searchable via the University Library and Collections portal, Discover.

Harlequin by Neil Molloy.