CULTURE & CREATIVE INDUSTRIES
INSIDE OUT: THE INGRAM COLLECTION
The Ingram Collection is recognised as the biggest privately owned publicly accessible collection of Modern British and Contemporary art. Created over the past decade by entrepreneur and philanthropist Chris Ingram, The Ingram Collection comprises almost 650 paintings and sculptures of which over 400 are by the most important artists of the Modern British era, amongst these Edward Burra, Lynn Chadwick, Elisabeth Frink, Barbara Hepworth and Eduardo Paolozzi.
Through an on-going programme of loans to exhibitions, galleries and museums, Chris Ingram ensures wide public access to the Collection. It is this commitment to make The Ingram Collection widely available for both enjoyment and educational purposes that has earned Chris Ingram deserved acclaim as “one of the most active and thoughtful collectors of Modern British Art today.” (Stephen Deuchar CBE, Director, The Art Fund).
For several years, Chris Ingram has been interested in ways that art can be used positively to help prisoners, young offenders and people affected by mental health issues to rebuild their self-confidence and sense of purpose in order to improve their lives. The Ingram Collection now includes more than 30 works by these artists.
To launch and raise awareness of this strand of the Collection, Wigwam secured an exhibition with pioneering prison charity The Clink. Inside Out from The Ingram Collection opened at The Clink’s newest restaurant at HMP Styal in April 2015, at The Clink at HMP High Down in December 2015 and in 2016 will be extended to other Clink restaurants at HMP Brixton and HMP Cardiff.
The exhibition featured in, amongst others, The Art Newspaper and Inside Time.