SALFORD CITY MAYOR CALLS FOR TEMPORARY EXPORT BAN AND LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO SAVE L.S LOWRY PAINTING

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett has called for a temporary export ban and has launched a campaign to save a painting by L.S Lowry.

‘Going to the Match’ is due to go on sale in an auction at Christie’s London on Wednesday 19th October. The painting is owned by the Professional Footballer’s Association’s Players Foundation and is expected to sell for up to £8 million.

Going to the Match was painted in 1953 and depicts the former Bolton Wanderers ground, Burnden Park on match day.

Salford City Mayor said:

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“We need to do all we can to save this critically and important L.S. Lowry painting for people to access free here in Salford.

“If this work is bought by an international collector, I would urge the U.K Government to place a temporary export ban on this important piece of art to prevent it leaving the country. This will allow time for the campaign to gather momentum and help to raise funds to buy it.”

 

Last week the City Mayor also appealed to wealthy football clubs, players and individuals to help buy the painting.

In an open letter he warned the painting could be purchased by a private collector and moved out of the public eye, and potentially lost from our city or even our country forever.

Salford’s City Mayor continued:

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“A new owner may choose not to have it on display at The Lowry. It has been proudly on display in Salford for the past 22 years which also houses the world’s largest collection of his works.

“L.S. Lowry, Salford’s greatest and most iconic artist, made his name depicting working class life, reflecting our industrial history and heritage. In a world of celebrities and status, L.S. Lowry’s work  chronicles the mundane, the gritty, the coarseness and realism of life in northern industrial towns and cities.

“The very essence of L.S. Lowry’s work is to engage with the lives of the working people - it would be a travesty were this work to be removed from spaces where working people can see it.

“If our great pieces of art and culture, crucial to our social history, heritage and sporting communities can be privatised in this way, what becomes of our country - what binds it together?

“Salford City Council has always been proud of its approach to art and culture and has worked hard to retain artwork to enable the public to view and enjoy such historic pieces which captures our heritage. The continuing cuts and intense pressure on local authority resources have made it impossible for us to buy this iconic piece and that is why we are reaching out to influential people in the city who share our vision of providing access for all to historically important pieces of artwork such as this one.”

 

The letter reads as follows:

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Dear Colleague

I’m writing to you regarding the news that one of L.S. Lowry’s most significant painting - ‘Going to the Match’ from 1953, is to be sold at public auction by Christie’s London on 19th October 2022 following the decision by the Professional Footballer’s Association (PFA) to sell this iconic painting.

The painting depicting the former Bolton Wanderers ground Burnden Park on match day is taught about in schools and colleges up and down the country. For 22 years, it has been on long-term loan to the Lowry Theatre & Art Gallery, free to access on by the public and visitors to the City of Salford and Greater Manchester. With the announcement of this sale, there is no guarantee whatsoever that the paint will not be purchased by a private collector and moved out of the public eye, potentially lost from our city and city-region forever.

L.S. Lowry, Salford’s greatest and most iconic artist, made his name depicting working class life, reflecting our industrial history and heritage. In a world of celebrities and status, L.S. Lowry’s work chronicles the mundane, the gritty, the coarseness and realism of life in northern industrial towns and cities. The very essence of L.S. Lowry’s work is to engage with the lives of the working people - it would be a travesty were this work to be removed from spaces where working people can see it and more specifically from the largest collection of L.S. Lowry’s paintings and drawings in the world, held by the Lowry Theatre & Art Gallery.

I am writing to you as a person of means, and of known generosity and integrity, to ask you to join me and help to save this critically important and iconic L.S. Lowry painting for people to freely access here in Salford, Greater Manchester and beyond. As the Leader of Salford City Council my resources are limited, Salford like other Local Authorities continue to experience significant reductions in national funding - since 2010/11 we’ve had to cut £232m from our budget and are currently working on cutting millions from next year’s budget.  All this at a time of unprecedented energy costs and high inflation, which has significantly impacted revenue and capital budgets across the entirety of local government.  In short, we cannot do this alone!

But together with others, I believe we can preserve this iconic piece of L.S. Lowry’s work, with a commitment to keeping it free to access for people in Salford, Greater Manchester and beyond. The piece, depicting the crowds, the people attending the game on a wintry day, should be touring the country - not occupying the hallway of a private residence, available only to a select few.

If we save this painting, it will not sit idly in any basements out of view - or even static in a gallery. We will take the work around the country and beyond - and the story of how it was kept for the public will become part of its legacy.

If our great pieces of art and culture, crucial to our social history, heritage and sporting communities can be privatised in this way, what becomes of our country - what binds it together?

I sincerely hope that we can urgently work together to safeguard this iconic L.S. Lowry painting for the people of Salford, Greater Manchester, The North and beyond.

Please don’t hesitate to contact my office further if you can be assistance.

Yours sincerely, 

Paul Dennett                                                             

City Mayor of Salford