Lowry could cost £25,000 pa

The sale of a Lowry painting could cost council bosses in Bury up to £25,000 a year. The 1947 painting, entitled A River Bank, is due to go under the hammer at Christie's later this month, with a reserve price set at £500,000. But if the painting is sold to help plug a £10m shortfall in the council budget, Bury Art Gallery could be de-registered by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council. And at a meeting of Bury council, it was revealed that de-registration could cost them between £20,000 and £25,000 in lost grants. For the full story - click the title Irish Art