Contribute
Contribute to the Collections
NIVAL acquires documentation generated by or about artists, designers and others engaged with art and design in Ireland, including collectors, writers, critics, commercial dealers and galleries, societies, artists’ groups and studios, and institutions that contribute to the visual culture of Ireland. The term ‘visual art’ is used in the broadest sense to encompass art forms from painting and sculpture to design, craft and fashion. While there has tended to be a concentration on the fine arts in available materials, NIVAL is greatly concerned with the documentation of applied art and design as well.
NIVAL collects a wide range of materials and welcomes donations that will complement and fulfil our current collections. We have worked closely with individual artists, artists’ estates and arts organisations and institutions to help them assess and address their own archives, big or small.
In summary, NIVAL collects:
- Material relating to Irish art and design in its various forms from the twentieth century onwards.
- Material relating to artists and designers resident but not born in Ireland or who have exhibited here for a prolonged period.
- Records of the National College of Art & Design, the parent institution.
Material is acquired by bequest, donation, by long or short term loan (deposit) or by purchase. We also engage five regional collectors based across Ireland who gather materials relating to art activities in their areas. The following lists outline the types of materials that fall within / outside NIVAL’s remit. These lists are not exhaustive and can be expanded or contracted without notice at NIVAL’s discretion.
One key aspect of our acquisition policy is that we do not judge materials based on artistic ‘quality’, proficiency, or reputation; every artist and item is equally valued at NIVAL. Nonetheless, these efforts do not always ensure equity, and despite the policies in place, we recognise a lack of representation in certain aspects of our collection, particularly around artists and designers coming from diverse ethnic, cultural and gender backgrounds and nationalities. We are keen to engage with and hear from all artists, especially those who have been traditionally excluded from public-access collections.
Acceptable
Documentation generated by or about:
- Artists
- Designers
- Craftspeople
- Collectors
- Writers
- Critics
- Commercial dealers
- Galleries
- Societies
- Artists’ groups and studios
- Institutions that contribute to the visual culture of Ireland
Materials including:
- Mass-produced items and ephemera including invitations, flyers, posters, price lists, etc.
- Meeting minutes and administrative documentation
- Newspaper clippings
- Press releases
- Newsletters
- Catalogues
- Journals
- Art magazines
- Pamphlets
- Books about art
- Artists’ books and zines (i.e. handmade or limited‑run books)
- Sketchbooks
- Notebooks
- Manuscripts
- Diaries
- Letters and correspondence
- Photographs
- Negatives
- Transparencies
- Slides
- CDs
- DVDs
- VHS tapes
- Video files
- Audio files
- Digital images
- Word documents
- PDFs
- Unique items
- Artists’ own archives
NIVAL is not a digital repository but we do accept digital items as donations including video files, audio files, digital images, Word documents and PDFs. Please contact nivalinfo@ncad.ie to discuss the best method of donating digital materials to NIVAL.
Not Acceptable*
- Artwork
- Items pre‑1900
- Items that have no connection to Irish art or art in Ireland
- Clothes
- Rugs
- Blankets
- Furniture
- Chemicals
- Paint
- Liquids
- Gels
- Rotten or physically degraded items
- Animal or human remains (including hair)
- Hazardous materials, including but not limited to lead, asbestos, mercury, mold, pest deposits (frass), radioactive substances, pharmaceuticals, any hazardous chemicals or materials that pose a health risk to staff or researchers.
- Entire libraries (however, individual books that are not currently in our collection are acceptable)
- Duplicates
*There are some exceptions to these cases, to be determined at the assessment stage.
How to contribute
If you are a practicing artist, family of an artist or are associated with a gallery, studio, arts organisation or other institution and you would like to contribute material to NIVAL’s collections to ensure the preservation and long-term public access of information about your work, please get in touch via nivalinfo@ncad.ie. We will be happy to discuss the donation with you, and we will ask for the following information:
- The contents of your donation
- The type of material (e.g. photographs, letters, ephemera, catalogues, etc.)
- The volume of the material (e.g. a full A3 envelope, one whole box, etc.)
- The titles of any books, journals or catalogues you wish to donate as well as the issue numbers, if applicable, so that we can check whether we already hold a copy. NIVAL cannot accept duplicates of items we already hold.
- The schedule for donation, which we will agree with you.
If you are not in a position to donate materials in person, we can provide pre‑paid A3 envelopes to you for free. NIVAL operates a no‑cost‑to‑artists policy, providing benefit‑in‑kind in appraisal, archiving and reference services.
If you are not in a position to donate materials at the moment but would like to understand the options for the future, please get in touch with us at nivalinfo@ncad.ie and we will be happy to talk to you about the process of gathering your own documentation.
NIVAL also actively collects artists’ books and zines and has a limited annual budget which is used to purchase directly from artists who have self‑funded the production of their book. Please get in touch via nivalinfo@ncad.ie if you would like to discuss your artist book or zine with us.
If you have an entire library and would like advice on how to donate it, we can facilitate contact with our sister library, the Edward Murphy Library at NCAD, which collects publications relating to non‑Irish art.
NIVAL is particularly interested in how artists gather and build their own archives, especially as part of their art practice, and we will update our donations policies in line with developments in this area over time.
Acknowledgement of Past Contributors
The generous donation of art and design‑related documentation, from individuals and arts organisations alike, makes an invaluable contribution to the scope and currency of the NIVAL collection.
We are grateful to all those who have donated materials and encourage anyone who thinks they may have material of interest to NIVAL contact us by email, telephone or post.