BP Annual Portrait Competition 2007

[Cynthia Daniel]

You can find information and enter online here:
http://www.npg.org.uk/bp/application/bpappform.asp

They have also published prior year catalogs:
http://www.portraitartist.com/bookst...traitaward.htm

[Tony Pro]

A point of note that everyone should know about this show, for anyone living outside of England, it is VERY difficult to enter this show.

I did last year and it was a drag, you have to send the ORIGINAL painting for judging just to see if you can get in, and you have to make special arrangements with the curator to get the painting sent to them and then when you have to get the piece back, DHL wouldn't go to the neighborhood where your painting is because of "high crime rate" in the area.

Unless you have a STELLAR CONTEMPORARY portrait, you should reconsider trying to enter the show, they are looking for very modern, contemporary portraits.

Just my two cents.
Tony

[Thomasin Dewhurst]

Do you, or anyone else, have any suggestions for reliable couriers and drop off points other than London for those of us who have already registered and paid our

[Bianca Berends]

I agree it is not all contemporary, I find the selection of portraits that are chosen for the exhibition very interesting each year, very divers.

I have entered three times (was selected in 2004 for the exhibition) and it is al very straightforward I think. You have a time frame of about 5 days to have your painting delivered; I always use DHL and have never had problems. If your painting is not selected you have a few days to pick it up and than it will be send to a depot. I would recommend waiting until the painting is there because it is almost impossible to contact the gallery where the paintings are the first week. They also don't have the possibility to wrap the painting. But you can have it picked up at a depot; they will wrap the painting for a small fee. They indeed did tell me that DHL didn't want to collect the painting (it was out of the way...???) and that I had to use an other courier (which was much more expensive!), but that was nonsense. When I contacted DHL myself they said it was no problem, the depot is located very central in London. I got it back save and sound.

I like the idea that you have to send the actual painting. It functions as a threshold, it takes a bit of energy to enter and that keeps out people that are not really serious and just want to try for fun. It will probably make the work of the jury a bit easier.