Access works extensively on projects with the university, and this is the fourth year the Group has collaborated with the University to display graduate artwork in its office buildings.
In addition to providing exhibition space, Access purchases artwork from the degree show each year. This year, Access has selected a piece entitled Tree of Life by artist Izzy Smith. Izzy creates fictional scientific illustrations of imagined animal hybrids. She combines her interest in art, history, science and the natural world to create unique illustrations that capture an audience’s imagination.
Izzy said, “I have been surprised and am incredibly grateful to The Access Group for selecting me for their award. I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to keep my work on display in their head offices. It is very fulfilling to exhibit my work publicly after the degree show. Their award has helped fund and encourage me to continue my art career as I leave university.”
Access also exhibits work by artists Isabel Jex, who depicts unique imagined landscapes untouched by human life, and Matilda Williams, who celebrates the natural world around us and unlocks the constant stream of creative inspiration that our environment provides.
Artist Holly Reed’s work also forms part of the Access collection and explores Haptic Aesthetics through ceramics, focusing on tactile experiences and organic forms drawing inspiration from natural landscapes. Artist Katie Wakefield is a geometric abstraction painter whose work questions the paradoxical nature of infinities, using repeating patterns as a form of escapism.
Lorraine Young, Programme Director for Fine Art at Loughborough University commented:
“We are delighted with our ongoing relationship with the Access Group, this symbiotic partnership continues to grow from strength to strength.
The annual purchase of a graduating Fine Art student's work into the Access Group's permanent and expanding collection offers our students the chance to be creatively ambitious, knowing that their large-scale works can be accommodated in corporate spaces with unique and engaging displays.
Additionally, a selection of graduates are given the opportunity to have their work exhibited throughout the year under an annual loan agreement, allowing them to showcase their pieces, potentially sell them, or take commissions. This initiative helps bridge the challenging transition from university to the wider art world and beyond.”
Caroline Fanning, Access Chief Employee Success Officer, commented:
“We are so fortunate to have such a wealth of artistic talent at our local university and are delighted to display their exceptional work. The collection always attracts interest from visitors to our offices and enhances our office aesthetic; offering the students a professional platform to display their work is great. We look forward to continuing this tradition of celebrating creativity and investing in the future of our artistic community.”
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About The Access Group
The Access Group is one of the largest UK-headquartered providers of business management software to small and mid-sized organisations in the UK, Ireland, USA and Asia Pacific. It helps more than 100,000 customers across commercial and non-profit sectors become more productive and efficient. Its innovative cloud solutions transform how business software is used, giving every employee the freedom to do more of what’s important to them. Founded in 1991, The Access Group employs approximately 6,800 people.