£30 million gift boosts The Courtauld Institute
The Courtauld Institute and Gallery has received a landmark £30 million donation from the Reuben Foundation — the largest in its history.
The funds will support a major redevelopment of its Somerset House campus, including new contemporary art spaces and a library.
This underlines how philanthropic giving is playing a growing role in sustaining and expanding UK cultural institutions.
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Sustainability: New Art Gallery Walsall gets a green upgrade
The New Art Gallery Walsall is undergoing a significant sustainability retrofit, with funding to make the building more energy efficient.
The project includes installation of air-source heat pumps, solar panels, new double glazing, and other eco-friendly improvements.
The funding comes from the UK government’s Department for Energy Security & Net Zero and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
These upgrades are projected to reduce the building’s carbon emissions substantially (the gallery estimates saving ~ 89 tonnes of CO₂ per year).
Why it matters:
It demonstrates how art institutions are integrating environmental responsibility into their long-term planning.
Such retrofits can reduce operating costs — which is especially important given tight arts-sector budgets.
It sets a precedent for other regional galleries to combine arts making with sustainability goals.
Source: https://thenewartgallerywalsall.org.uk/news/
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Artist support: Henry Moore Foundation awards £100K to sculptors
The Henry Moore Foundation is distributing £100,000 in unrestricted grants to UK sculptors through its Artist Award Scheme.
This year, 50 sculptors were awarded £2,000 each, giving them flexibility to use the money as they choose.
The scheme aims to help artists face financial pressures, especially given the cost-of-living crisis and broader funding cuts.
Why it matters:
Unrestricted funding is rare and very valuable — it allows artists to invest directly in their practice.
It shows that foundations are still playing a key role in keeping creative practices sustainable.
For sculptors (who often face high material and production costs), such support can be transformative.
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Exhibition highlights: What’s coming in and around London
“The Flesh of Space” — a show at The Sunday Painter (London) from 12 Nov to 20 Dec 2025, featuring installation, photography and architectural work by artists such as Marco Bizzarri and Varvara Uhlik.
Edwin Austin Abbey: By the Dawn’s Early Light — opening 20 Nov 2025 at The National Gallery. This is a rare UK exhibition dedicated to Abbey, featuring his monumental designs and preparatory works.
Sources:
https://www.flolondon.co.uk/all-posts/art-exhibitions-opening-in-london-in-november-2025
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