BP Portrait Award 2011

If you’re in London before 18th September, you should make time to check out this year’s BP Portrait Award exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery.  This was my arty highlight of 2010, and it looks like it’ll be great this year too.

The exhibition is open to anyone over 18, and this year there were 2,372 entries from all over the world.  The final selection represents some of the best contemporary portraits you’ll see, painted in a huge range of styles.

It’s free to get in, so why wouldn’t you go and take a look?  And I’ll let you know what I think when I’ve been…

Headism by Philip Levine (and a bonus Banksy)

Readers of this blog will know I like the big galleries and big exhibitions that the Big City has to offer.  But occasionally London yields a few hidden gems, and the other day I uncovered two, thanks to tip-offs from two colleagues.

“Hope” at Farnham Baptist Church

This week my friends at Farnham Baptist Church hosted an exhibition of work by students at UCA Farnham.  The theme of this exhibition was “Hope”, which led to a really interesting range of work.  (The £250 prize probably helped too!)

Looking forward to an art-filled 2011!

"Yielding Stone" by Gabriel Orozco, 1992

Whatever 2011 brings, it promises to be packed with lots of exciting arty treats.  I’ve put together a list of just a few things on offer

in the New Year.  I’ll be trying to get to as many of them as I can, and, of course, to blog them.  You might not think all of them are blogworthy, but that’s the beauty of being the author - I get to choose!  But please feel free to leave a comment if you know of something which should be added to my list.  (Also, big thanks to a piece in the Observer for kicking this off).

“Be Be (The Nativity)” (1896) by Paul Gauguin

"Be Be (The Nativity)" (1896) by Paul Gauguin

Sorry if it’s too early to be talking about Christmas, but here’s another picture from Gauguin: Maker of Myth at Tate Modern.