Exhibition
BP Portrait Award 2010 - National Portrait Gallery
The BP Portrait Award is the most prestigious portrait competition in the world, promoting the very best in contemporary portrait painting. With a first prize of £25,000, the exhibition has proved to be the launch pad for the careers of a number of successful portrait artists.
Now in its thirty-first year at the National Portrait Gallery and twenty-first year of sponsorship by BP, this year's exhibition will feature around fifty-five selected works, including the four prize-winners. From intimate and personal images of friends and family, to revealing portraits of celebrity sitters, the exhibition will present a variety of styles and approaches that together illustrate the vitality of contemporary portrait painting.
This year also sees the launch of the BP Portrait Award ‘Next Generation' project. Inspired by the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the project will extend engagement with young people around the Award. Annual Summer Schools and an interactive website will offer new opportunities for learning, inspiration and creativity through portraiture.
