Adopt an Artwork

Care for our Collection

The De Morgan Foundation is an independent registered charity that looks after the De Morgan Collection of 60 paintings, over 600 drawings, and 800 ceramics.  Our work includes sharing this unique collection and ensuring its care and conservation.  As we receive no regular or Government funding, we rely on your support to house, conserve, and protect this unique artistic legacy of William and Evelyn De Morgan.

Lasting Legacy

Adopting your favourite De Morgan artwork gives you the opportunity to enjoy a more meaningful connection to the Collection.  Whether you’re treating yourself or giving a special gift, the Adopt an Artwork scheme offers a way to make a lasting impact, and your donation will support the ongoing care of our collection, ensuring that these extraordinary pieces continue to inspire.

Personal Connection

Showing your support for a specific ceramic or painting allows you to demonstrate a personal connection to the De Morgans’ artwork. With so many ideas explored in William and Evelyn’s artworks, there are any number of ways to connect with their legacy as two of Britain’s leading Victorian artists.

Why Adopt an Artwork?

  • Preserve and Protect: Your adoption helps fund essential conservation efforts, ensuring the collection is cared for.
  • Create a Personal Bond: Adopt your favourite piece and have your name displayed alongside the artwork – in the gallery and online – showing your support.

All Adopters Receive:

  • A beautifully presented welcome pack, including a thank you letter from the De Morgan Foundation, a detailed dossier of information on your chosen artwork, and postcards of related works.
  • Recognition as an adopter besides the artwork (when on display) and on the De Morgan Foundation website.
  • Access to the exclusive Friends’ area on our website.

How to Adopt an Artwork

  1. Select your artwork from the list below and get in touch to let us know you would like to adopt an artwork: director@demorgan.org.uk
  2. Complete the online payment for the annual adoption donation.
  3. You’ll receive a welcome email from us confirming your adoption and with details of how to access the exclusive Friend’s area of the website.
  4. Enjoy your benefits and help us protect the De Morgan legacy.

If you would like to talk to us to discuss your adoption of an artwork, please email the Museum Director, Sarah Hardy, director@demorgan.org.uk

Artworks for Adoption

Exclusive adoption for £500 per annum

Cadmus and Harmonia by Evelyn De Morgan (1877)

Galleon Tile Panel by William De Morgan

The Dryad by Evelyn De Morgan (1885)

Dragon Cabinet by William Morris and William De Morgan

Ariadne at Naxos by Evelyn De Morgan (1875)

Multi Lustre Dodo Tile by William De Morgan

Lux in Tenebris by Evelyn De Morgan (1875)

Displaying Peacock Plate by William De Morgan

Angel of Death I by Evelyn De Morgan (1880)

Seahorse Tile Panel by William De Morgan

Phosphorus and Hesperus by Evelyn De Morgan (1881)

Ruby Lustre Dragon Tile by William De Morgan

Waters of Babylon by Evelyn De Morgan (1883)

Bedford Park Daisy Tile by William De Morgan

Pastel Study by Evelyn De Morgan (c.1905)

Green Monochrome Snake Tile by William De Morgan

FAQs

One year from the agreed start date.

We hope that you will have enjoyed adoption and want to continue. We will write to you ahead of the end of your adoption period and ask if you would like to renew. If you would prefer to cancel, we won’t take any further payments and your benefits will end on the last day of the one-year period from the start of the adoption period.

We understand that this is a generous donation and can therefore facilitate monthly payments by Direct Debit upon request. Please get in touch director@demorgan.org.uk

Yes. No one else will be able to adopt the same artwork as you for as long as you decide to adopt the artwork.

Yes. Please get in touch and we can personalise the welcome pack and send this to your preferred address. We can also contact the adopter directly to give them access to the Friends’ area of the website and collect their details to be placed next to the artwork.

Yes. We offer a tailored service so please get in touch to let us know any specific requests.

The De Morgan Collection is displayed in museums, galleries, and exhibitions across the UK and internationally.  Please check beforehand where your artwork will be on display. If possible, we will organise for you to visit.

This is a tailored service so please let us know which artwork you would like to adopt.  Adoptions are limited to artworks which are the legal property of the De Morgan Foundation and included in the De Morgan Collection.

Your payment will be a general donation towards the De Morgan Foundation (registered charity 310004) and its work to maintain the De Morgan Collection. It will not be allocated to any specific artwork or activity relating to any specific artwork.

Tax Relief on Your Donation

As a UK taxpayer, you may be eligible to receive tax relief on your donation through our Adopt an Artwork scheme. Here’s how you can make your donation go even further:

Gift Aid

If you are a UK taxpayer, you can increase the value of your donation by 25% at no extra cost to you through the Government’s Gift Aid scheme. For every £1 you donate, we can claim an additional 25p, meaning your support goes even further to help preserve and protect our artwork.

To qualify, you must pay at least as much UK Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax in the current tax year as we will claim on your donation. Simply fill in the Gift Aid form we will send you when making your donation.

Higher and Additional Rate Taxpayers

If you are a UK taxpayer and you pay tax at the current higher (40%) or additional (45%) rate, you can also claim back the difference between the basic rate of tax and your rate through your Self Assessment tax return. This means you could reclaim 20-25% of the total donation amount.

Corporate Donations

Businesses can also benefit by deducting the value of charitable donations from their total profits before tax is calculated, thereby reducing their Corporation Tax.

Please email Sarah Hardy, Director of the De Morgan Museum, director@demorgan.org.uk

The following terms and conditions apply to the adopt an artwork scheme:
1.     When you adopt an artwork, this shall be for a period of one year subject to receipt to receiving your one-off payment (or regular monthly payments by prior agreement). We will endeavour to send you a ‘welcome pack’ to the address provided once we have received your first payment.
2.     All payments to adopt an artwork are a donation to the De Morgan Foundation.
3.     You will either be charged in full at the point of adopting an artwork through our website or you can set up monthly payments by Direct Debit. If a Direct Debit mandate is cancelled before the full amount has been paid, we reserve the right to require payment be made in full for the remaining amount.
4.     If you are a UK tax-payer and meet the relevant criteria, you are encouraged to complete a Gift Aid form so we can claim an additional 25% of the amount of your donation.
5.     By adopting an artwork, you gain no rights to the artwork whatsoever and are simply making a charitable donation to the De Morgan Foundation.  We shall retain all rights to such artwork, however you may reproduce the image of the artwork you adopt to promote the adopt an artwork scheme provided your use is limited to non-commercial purposes. You shall be entitled to state that you have adopted the artwork in question, and this is very much welcomed.
6.     We do not guarantee that the artwork you have adopted will always be on public display and we are not under any obligation to provide access to the artwork. Likewise, we have no obligation to notify you if an artwork is moved or taken off display, for example for the purposes of a loan or conservation.
7.     We reserve the right to reject your donation for any reason in our sole discretion. If we choose to reject your donation, you will be notified and any funds returned.
8.     Whilst we will use reasonable endeavours to ensure the benefits we have stated will provided in return for your choosing to adopt an artwork and making your donation to us, we make no assurances that any such benefits will be provided. We reserve the right to change or not provide any benefits from time to time.
9.     We reserve the right to change and update these terms and conditions from time to time in our discretion. We will notify you as soon as is reasonably practicable following any such change using the email address provided at the point of making your donation.
10.  How we use any personal data you give us is set out in our privacy policy – demorgan.org.uk/privacy-policy/.
11.  This contract is personal between you and us and is not assignable.
12.  Should you have any reason to contact us, please do so by email: info@demorgan.org.uk.
13.  These terms are governed and construed under the laws of England and Wales.