LONDON.- For the fourth consecutive year the Art Fund is collaborating with the Crafts Council to run Art Fund Collect, a £75,000 initiative offering selected curators the chance to win an object for their public collections at COLLECT.

Art Fund Collect 2011 takes place on Thursday 5 May, the preview day of COLLECT. Shortlisted curators are granted special access to the fair, ahead of VIPs and private buyers. They will have just one hour to pick an object they wish to purchase, before presenting their selection to the expert judging panel.

Winners will be selected on the day. Look out for shortlisted and winning objects at the fair – each one will be marked with an Art Fund Collect plaque.

Thirty-seven galleries from around the world will be exhibiting at the Saatchi Gallery at this year’s exhibition, taking place from 6 to 9 May. Visitors will be able to view and buy new works by top makers including Tobias Mohl, Betty Woodman, Kate Malone, Wendy Ramshaw and Michael Eden. Major dealers returning for 2011 include Galerie Marzee (Netherlands), Clare Beck at Adrian Sassoon (UK), Galerie Besson (UK) and Blås&Knåda (Sweden). New exhibitors include the World Crafts Council (Belgium), Pärson Livén (Sweden), Antonella Villanova (Italy), Tyger Glyn Gallery (UK) and New Brewery Arts (UK).

To complement the fair, a new project space on the second floor will showcase installations by individual artists and creative collaborations.