Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts

Situated at the University of East Anglia in Norwich.
The Sainsbury Centre is one of around a hundred university museums in the UK.
Sir Robert (1906–2000) and Lady Sainsbury (1912-2014) donated their collection of world art to the University of East Anglia in 1973.  The Sainsbury Centre first opened its doors to visitors in 1978.

It was the Sainsburys’ hope that students, academic staff and the general public would grow to appreciate the works on display.  Aiming to avoid the distraction of too much museum-style text and labelling.

As a young man, Robert Sainsbury collected private press books.  Only later did he begin to acquire the objects around which he and his wife built the collection.

Over the next sixty years, he and Lady Sainsbury added works by both established and emerging European artists. With the advice and encouragement of a handful of dealers, the collection also grew to include objects from cultures around the world spanning more than five thousand years. The Sainsburys particularly enjoyed the friendships which they built with individual artists. Including Henry Moore, Alberto Giacometti, Francis Bacon and John Davies.  They are well represented in the Collection.

Almost all the works in the Collection are on permanent display and are used extensively for teaching by various UEA departments and many local schools and colleges.

See www.scva.ac.uk/ ‎    for up to date details of activities and exhibitions.