Twenty-two artworks from the Dartington Hall Collection will remain in public ownership after an £815,035 grant secured their acquisition by two Devon museums.

The deal follows the closure earlier this month of the Elmhirst Centre on the Dartington Estate, just a year after it opened.

The Trust described its exhibition as “too niche” after visitor numbers fell well below the level needed to make it financially viable.

The acquired collection includes paintings, works on paper and ceramics by influential 20th-century British artists, including Bernard Leach, Ben Nicholson, Winifred Nicholson, Lucie Rie and Christopher Wood.

The Box in Plymouth and the Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery (RAMM) in Exeter will share the works, with plans for public displays, research and educational activities across Devon.

National charity Art Fund provided the full acquisition funding following an urgent fundraising campaign supported by individuals and trusts.

Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst bought Dartington in 1925 and developed the estate as a centre for the arts, education and rural regeneration.

It attracted artists, craftspeople, musicians and writers from Britain and abroad, helping shape the development of British Modernism.

The museums will now work with Dartington and other Devon partners on exhibitions, talks and research, with works also available online through RAMM’s Collections Explorer and Art UK.

The sale will provide funds for the Dartington Hall Trust to support the preservation of the estate.

Jenny Waldman, director of Art Fund, said the works documented Dartington’s influence on British Modernism.

Olivia Thornton, Deputy Chairwoman and Head of Modern and Contemporary Art at Phillips, said: ““Keeping the group together in public ownership is a wonderful outcome, honouring the vision of Dorothy and Leonard Elmhirst and ensuring that their legacy continues to inspire future generations.

“This private sale represents the best possible result for all involved: benefiting the Dartington Hall Trust, supporting the preservation of the Estate, and ensuring that the public can continue to enjoy this exceptional group of British Modernist works.”