De Montfort University owns over 1,000 artworks that reflect the varied practices and passions of staff and students from the 1900s to date. The DMU Art Collections contains paintings, photographs, prints, sculptures, ceramics, fashion and textiles. The assorted and eclectic range reflects the institutional history of the university but also the mix of individuals involved in its development. The Art Collections include portraits and teaching material from School of Art dates, work that was purchased, printed or painted in Polytechnic times, abstract work from associate professors and fine art researchers at DMU in the 90s. It also includes a wide range of graduate work mainly from the 90s to date. The DMU Art Collections is a working collection, displayed across the university campus through exhibitions, buildings, research and teaching spaces.
There are three subsidiary strands within the main DMU Art Collections:
- The Zurbrugg Collection – artwork from the Fluxus and Concrete Poetry arts movements.
This is a body of work developed by Professor Nick Zurbrugg. A curator, artist and academic who developed relations with national and international artists, often bringing them to Leicester, these works are his legacy and the main incentive behind the start of central cataloguing. This is a collection that attracts local, national and international curators and researchers.
- The Leicester Gallery Collection
The Leicester Gallery collection started with the venue’s first exhibitions in 2016. Largely performance-based works, the purchases by national and international artists provide a link to Zurbrugg as well as to future contemporary art, and has the potential to become its own teaching, research and curatorial resource.
- The Christopherson Collection and Leo & Betty Gruss Collection
The Christopherson collection is an accumulation of works by ADH graduates awarded for their creativity and innovation from 2006 to 2024. These purchases were made possible by the legacy of educator Albert Christopherson. The Leo and Betty Gruss collection is a brand-new version focused on knitwear, enabling knitwear student purchases to commemorate the Gruss’ work and business in the industry.
Most artworks in the DMU Art Collections can be searched for via the Archive and Special Collections online catalogue
For more information and access, please contact artcollection@dmu.ac.uk or Katie Slovak, Art Collections Officer, kslovak@dmu.ac.uk
Image Credit: Loan Nguyen, Reflections, 2023, Digital Print, Christopherson Collection