The Wilson to host Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2013 exhibition

Between 7 June and 20 July, The Wilson, Cheltenham’s art gallery and museum, will host for the first time the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2013 touring exhibition from the National Portrait Gallery featuring prize winning photographic portraits from all around the world.

 The work on display is a unique opportunity to see 60 new portraits and is curated from submissions to the 2013 Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize competition. The 2013 competition attracted over 5,000 submissions from almost 2,500 photographers, ranging from talented amateurs to established professionals.


The portraits range from editorial work to advertising and fine art prints. They explore various themes, styles and approaches to the photographic portrait. Works range from formal commissioned images of famous faces to more spontaneous and intimate moments capturing friends and family.

Sophie Wilson, Exhibitions Team Leader, says:

“We’re delighted to have such a significant exhibition of photographic work on display at The Wilson. The variety of the work shown engages the viewer across a range of emotions and is striking and thought provoking.”

Entrance to the exhibition is free. The Wilson is open daily from 9.30 – 5.15pm.


ENDS

For more information please contact Alana Hopkins, Marketing & Information Officer at [email protected]



Notes to editor

The Wilson

The Wilson, Cheltenham Art Gallery & Museum re-opened to the public on the 5th October 2013, after a major new build costing in the region of £6 million. Designed by architects Berman Guedes Stretton, the new building offers something for everybody, whether they are local to the area, or coming to Cheltenham for the first time. The Wilson houses an extensive fine art collection, a re-interpreted Arts and Crafts gallery (showing the world-renowned designated collection), and includes two superb temporary exhibition galleries – for showing national and international touring shows, special highlights from the collections and fun shows for families.

The Wilson is also the new home for the town’s tourism services - with the re-location of Cheltenham’s Tourist Information Centre to the Art Gallery & Museum.  The Wilson operates as part of Cheltenham Borough Council.



For more details, visit www.thewilson.org and for tourist information, visit www.visitcheltenham.com


Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize

The selected works in the exhibition, many of which are on display for the first time, include the four prize winners and the winner of the John Kobal New Work Award, Hana Knizova – who will be commissioned to create a new work for the National Portrait Gallery.

This is the sixth year that the international law firm Taylor Wessing has sponsored the Prize.

John Kobal (1940-1991) was a collector and author, The John Kobal Foundation was set up just before his death to which he donated his archive and negatives.  The foundation continues to encourage emerging photographers mainly through the grant of discretionary awards.