Ecclesiastical Insurance : First Ecclesiastical Original Print Award won

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06 May 2016 004/16 First Ecclesiastical Original Print Award won by Southport's The Atkinson

The Atkinson chooses Untitled 05 by Rachel Whiteread

The Atkinson, Southport has been announced as the winner of the inaugural Ecclesiastical Original Print Award at the Royal Academy. Ecclesiastical, which is a specialist insurer of heritage buildings, private collectors, museums and galleries, developed the new £8,000 award as part of an initiative to work with the London Original Print Fair. As a result, The Atkinson will now be able to make an important addition to its collection and purchase a work from one of the 51 exhibitors at this year's London Original Print Fair (LOPF).

Clare Pardy, Ecclesiastical Insurance's fine art and heritage Director, believes the award, provides a bridge between curators of existing collections and the printmakers of today. The Atkinson had the opportunity to buy an outstanding and compelling original print at the 2016 Fair at the Royal Academy. As its award prize, The Atkinson has chosen Untitled 05, from 12 Objects, 12 Etchings by Rachel Whiteread.

Drawing on their passion for keeping print collecting alive in Britain, Clare Pardy and LOPF director, Helen Rosslyn, devised the prize to raise the profile of original prints. Commenting on the announcement, Clare Pardy said: "We are delighted that The Atkinson has won the inaugural award and look forward to seeing Rachel Whiteread's highly individual work added to their already impressive collection. Ecclesiastical is a specialist insurer of heritage buildings, private collectors, museums and galleries, and this award shows our commitment to, and belief in, the importance of the nation's collections."

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In a selection process chaired by the President of the Royal Academy, Christopher Le Brun PRA, the judges chose The Atkinson for its passion for its print collection and commitment to increasing engagement with artists, schools, communities and visitors. The Atkinson plans to acquire a contemporary print which will be at the centre of a major display.

Five organisations were shortlisted for the award. They were: TheAtkinson, Southport; Cartwright Hall Art Gallery, Bradford; the Graves Gallery, Sheffield; Norwich Castle Museum

& Art Gallery and the University of Warwick Art Collection). Christopher Le Brun, said: "These five organisations represent a wide geographical spread and remind us that some of our strongest print collections are held in popular venues spread widely across the UK. They deserve to be better known. Speaking as an artist and printmaker myself, I am delighted we can reward such exceptional passion and scholarship."

Chaired by Christopher Le Brun PRA, the judging panel for the award included Clare Pardy, Fine Art and Heritage Development Director at Ecclesiastical, art critic Susan Moore, and Helen Rosslyn, Director of LOPF. The London Original Print Fair is at the Main Galleries, Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, London.

Notes to Editors

1. The Atkinson's collection of prints was built with great insight by a curator, who was himself an artist printmaker. The works in the collection illustrate printmaking processes and techniques, celebrate the early 20th century revival of British printmaking, represent leading British artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and also include outstanding works by Rembrandt, Matisse and Anders Zorn.

2. Owned by a registered charity, Allchurches Trust, Ecclesiastical is a unique financial services organisation. With its main operations and headquarters in the UK, Ecclesiastical also operates in Australia, Canada and Ireland.

3. Ecclesiastical is a specialist insurer of the heritage, fine art, private client, faith, charities and education and sectors.

4. Founded in 1887 to provide insurance for the Anglican Church, the company now offers a wide range of commercial insurances, as well as home insurance, selling through brokers and directly.

5. The Ecclesiastical Group also includes award-winning investment management business, EdenTree Investment Management, which provides a range of ethically screened investment funds.

6. Ecclesiastical is one of UK's Top Company Donors to Charity according to the 2014-2015 UK Guide to Company Giving.

7. In 2014 the Group launched its vision to donate £50m to charity in a three year period. In March 2016 the Group announced that it had reached its target almost a year ahead of schedule donating almost £53m in total.