FAQ

What does Celf ar y Cyd mean?

Celf ar y Cyd loosely translates as ‘Art Together’. Through the national contemporary art collection our aim is to bring together the communities of Wales and beyond, showcasing contemporary art and giving access to the collection from the comfort of your own phone.

Who funds Celf ar y Cyd?

Celf ar y Cyd is part of the wider Welsh Government sponsored National Contemporary Art for Wales initiative in partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru, Arts Council Wales and the National Library of Wales.

Which collections are included on Celf ar y Cyd?

Celf ar y Cyd presents artworks from the National Art Collection at Amgueddfa Cymru. The National Library of Wales is in the process of digitising its contemporary art collection for Celf ar y Cyd.

What’s in the collection?

The collection you see on Celf ar y Cyd is part of the National Art Collection which is cared for by Amgueddfa Cymru. The collection ranges from paintings and sketchbooks, art installations, ceramics and sculpture, to photography, video and new media. The whole art collection contains around 45,000 artworks and is forever growing.

What do you class as ‘contemporary art’?

In order to keep the remit of this website as wide as possible and to digitise as many works as we can, we’ve kept our definition of ‘contemporary art’ broad. We are currently digitising artworks by artists who were and are alive from the middle of the 20th century. We’re also including digitised resources of a selection of modern and historic artworks. This offers a glimpse of the depth of our national collection and a context to our contemporary works. The digitisation process is ongoing, with priority being given to digitising contemporary works. More information about our digitisation process is available here, About Us.

How do I search the collection?

We’re hoping you’re able to find what you’re looking for if you’re using our search tools on the Explore page. You can amend your search using the filters that appear in the search options.

How can I contribute to the website?

Keep an eye on our latest announcements on Cynfas for any opportunities to contribute to Celf ar y Cyd.

Why isn’t there contextual information available for each artwork in the collection?

Celf ar y Cyd draws on the collections data of Amgueddfa Cymru. With over 45,000 artworks in the National Art Collection we’re continually reviewing and updating our records and are working on adding more contextual information all the time.

I’ve spotted something that isn’t available bilingually. Why is this?

This website draws on legacy collections data and we recognise that some of the information within our records may not be up-to-date. We're currently working to review them. If you’d like to get in touch with us regarding the information attached to an artwork, please get in touch with us via our Contact Us page.

I’ve noticed a description that uses out of date terminology, how do I request that this is updated?

We have a duty of care to all our audiences. This website draws on legacy collections data. We recognise that some of the information within our records may be outdated or discriminatory and we're currently working to review them as part of an ongoing process. If you’d like to get in touch with us regarding the information attached to an artwork, please get in touch with us via our Contact Us page.

Why are some artworks missing an image?

As part of a large ongoing digitisation project, Amgueddfa Cymru is digitising tens of thousands of artworks from the collection. If there isn’t an image, it may be because the artwork hasn’t yet been digitised, it’s being treated by our conservation team, is on loan to another gallery, or for copyright reasons.

There are film and video artworks in the collection. Is it possible to watch these on Celf ar y Cyd?

Artist films are often created with specific experiences or physical spaces in mind. As a result, and for additional copyright reasons, we’re currently unable to show the full work as it was intended online. Sometimes the artist will approve stills for use online and where this is available they will appear in place of the film.

Why are some images blurred in search results?

We have a duty of care to all our audiences. A small handful of our artworks contain imagery that some users could find upsetting and we feel it is important to blur these records in search results. If you have any comments on this content, please get in touch with us via our Contact Us page.

Can I buy a print of an artwork?

We aren’t currently offering a shop service as part of Celf ar y Cyd. If you are interested in buying a print, Amgueddfa Cymru offers a Print on Demand service.

Can I download an image of an artwork?

We’re keen for you to enjoy viewing the artworks on Celf ar y Cyd as part of our online experience. At the moment, we’re not offering a download option for artworks. Some prints of artworks are available to buy via Amgueddfa Cymru’s Print on Demand Service.

I have a question about copyright – who can I contact?

We have sought to identify copyright holders and obtain permission in all relevant cases, if we have inadvertently reproduced anything without permission or misattributed copyright please get in touch with us via our Contact Us page.

Can Celf ar y Cyd help with valuations or identification of privately owned artworks?

We can only answer queries directly related to the collection. We are not able to offer opinions on privately owned artworks nor can we provide a valuation service. You may like to try approaching auction houses for valuation information.

Do you offer any workshops about Contemporary Art?

We are hoping to offer live workshops about Contemporary Art in the near future and are currently working on a plan for this, keep an eye on the Learn page of the website for any future offers and information on how you can book.

Can I see these artworks in real life?

We try to keep our records of what is on display in our physical galleries as up-to-date as possible. However, with over 45,000 artworks in the art collection at Amgueddfa Cymru, not all can be on display at once. Many of our works are in storage and are also loaned to other institutions across the world. For artworks not on display in Amgueddfa Cymru galleries, you are able to request a visit to see them in our art stores. Please get in touch with us via our Contact Us page.