How to Make Owning Art Even More Affordable

It’s always such a joy meandering through passageways of beautiful artworks at an art fair, living vicariously as you imagine where you would hang that painting you’ve been eyeing up, or wonder if that sculpture would fit in the corner of your hallway.

The Affordable Art Fair is the perfect place to turn that wonder into a reality; with 1,000s of contemporary artworks priced between £50 and £6,000, making taking home the artwork you fall in love with easier. And if you didn’t already know, Own Art has been used as an alternative payment option at the London Affordable Art Fairs since 2018, giving you that extra helping hand by splitting the cost of your payments with 0% interest.

But what is Own Art?

Own Art is operated by Creative United, a Community Interest Company, with funding from Arts Council England, Creative Scotland and Arts Council of Northern Ireland. This year Own Art is celebrating its 15th year as it continues to be the industry standard for retail Gallery finance. With new galleries regularly joining the network, Own Art strives to break down barriers in the art world by offering a more manageable and affordable payment option – because no matter what your salary is, starting your own art collection should be within reach.

So, how can you buy with Own Art at the Affordable Art Fair? It’s just a few simple steps!

1. The first step is the most difficult part: deciding what to buy

As long as your total loan amount is £100 or over, and the gallery is signed up to the scheme, then it qualifies for an Own Art loan. Once you’ve decided which piece you would like to purchase, just let the participating gallery know that you’d like to apply for an Own Art loan, and they will direct you to the dedicated Own Art desk with details of the artwork.

2. Complete the application

At the Own Art desk, you will be guided through a short survey and application process. This whole process is so simple and only takes around 10 minutes! You just need proof that you’re a UK resident over the age of 18, which usually takes the form of a driving licence. Once approved, you will be given a confirmation slip which you take back to the gallery.

3. Take your artwork home

That’s it, the process is complete. You’ve got your loan and you can take your artwork home straight away!

You will receive a welcome letter from our finance partner Hitachi Capital Consumer finance and, following this, the payments will be collected from your account via direct debit over 10 interest-free months. This usually starts about four weeks after you have made your purchase, and you can contact Hitachi to change the payment date to one more convenient for you.

If you have any more questions regarding the application process and the deciding criteria for a loan, please check the Own Art FAQs.

How can I find out more? Join an Own Art Tour

Now you know how easy it is to become an art collector at the Affordable Art Fair, we would like to invite you on an Own Art tour at the Battersea Spring edition, where you can hear personal insights from gallerists and discover more about our Own Art gallery members and the artworks they have on view.

The tours will be taking place on Thursday 12 March and Friday 13 March from 2 – 2.30 pm. To celebrate International Women’s Month, Friday’s tour will have a special focus on female gallerists.