There was reason to celebrate for two Manchester artists, David Penny and Jack Brown, last week as their works were unveiled at Manchester Art Gallery as part of its permanent public collection.

The acquisition was made possible thanks to the generosity of the North’s largest philanthropic art fund, The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund, which last year recognised the pair as two of just eight annual fund winners.

Founded by Thom Hetherington, Executive Chairman of one of the UK’s largest and most significant art fairs, Manchester Art Fair and The Manchester Contemporary, and supported by individuals passionate about the North, the Fund aims to support rising artists and provide them with a platform through which to achieve critical acclaim and greater popularity.

Since its inception in 2017, it has raised over £86,000 and acquired 38 works for Manchester Art Gallery, to be owned and enjoyed by the people of the North in perpetuity.

The work of the Manchester artists now available for all to see in the gallery's permanent collection spans a number of different disciplines.

Brown’s selected series, ‘The grease marks left by a passenger's hair on the bus’ uses techniques similar to fingerprint taking to capture traces of people moving through a city and small records of a surface touching another. The work was inspired by Brown’s bus journeys travelling around Stockport.

Speaking on his delight at seeing his work included within such a prestigious permanent public collection, Brown said: “To be recognised as a recipient of The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund and have my work displayed in Manchester Art Gallery, for all to enjoy, is of great personal and professional significance. As an artist it’s what you want to do, where you want to be. It’s the pinnacle of your practice.”

Renowned photographer David Penny’s interest in expanded approaches to photography inspired his winning work ‘Untitled, Laser No 7.’ Working with nanomaterial physicists at Kings College London to produce a series of abstract prints without the use of a camera.

'The grease marks left by a passengers hair on the bus' by Jack Brown

“I’ve lived and worked in Manchester for a very long time, so to be recognised as a recipient of the Fund and to know my work will be shown in Manchester Art Gallery is incredibly humbling. I hope it can give those with an interest in photography the opportunity to explore the broad range of work out there, in particular my students,” said Penny.

Founder of The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund, Thom Hetherington, added: “The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund is a uniquely multi-faceted cultural catalyst and has an impact on the Northern arts ecology on so many levels.

“It forms a vital part of Manchester Art Gallery’s acquisitions programme and is of great importance for the artists whose works are collected and the galleries who represent them. To see these latest works unveiled today is incredibly rewarding.”

Fellow recipients of The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund (2024) and also featured in Manchester Art Gallery’s permanent collection are Angelina May Davis from Birmingham, Stuart Linden Rhodes from Harrogate, Sophie Dickinson and Dale Christopher Wells from Lincolnshire, and Dapper Bruce Lafitte from New Orleans.

'Untitled, laser number 7' by David Penny

Founded in 2017, The Manchester Contemporary Art Fund purchases work from The Manchester Contemporary Art Fair to support rising artists and provide them with a platform through which to achieve critical acclaim and greater popularity.

The 2024 Manchester Contemporary Art Fund’s Members Include: Christian Anderton, Lisa Ashurst, Pepin Aslett, Jo & Tom Bloxham, Andrew & Savitha Calthorpe, Frank & Cherryl Cohen, Dan Cornwell & Carrie Eyre, Gill Crook, Jon & Rebecca Drape, James & Katie Eden, Matthew Frost, Mark Garner, Emma Holden, Mark & Toni Hawthorn, Thom Hetherington & Sophie Helm, Sam Jones, Nicolas Konig, Jack Livingstone, Alison Loveday, Kate & Leon Martyn, Sarah Moulson, Lucy Noone Blake & David Blake, Howard Ratcliffe & Melissa Ratcliffe, Jeremy & Jane Roberts, Jon Sharples and Martyn Torevell.

The Manchester Contemporary returns to Manchester Central this November 21-23. For further information visit https://www.manchesterartfair.co.uk/the-manchester-contemporary.