LONDON.- Membership of the UK’s national fundraising charity, the Art Fund, has increased by 15% in 2011 to just fewer than 90,000 members, thanks to the enormous success of the launch of the National Art Pass in April this year. The National Art Pass gives membership of the Art Fund, and a wide range of discounts and free admission across the UK’s art venues. Sales of the Pass go directly towards the work of the Art Fund, which helps museums to buy and share great art. The Art Fund has been particularly active in supporting acquisitions of contemporary art, offering 71 grants for work made since 1965, more than ever before in its history. Works of art by Sir Peter Blake, Ai Weiwei, 2011 Turner Prize-nominee George Shaw, Jake and Dinos Chapman and Eva Rothschild have all joined the nation’s collections, in museums across the United Kingdom. 2011 also saw the