Bumper show and bursary launch at Beecroft

February 2, 2016 by Southend Borough Council

Bumper show and bursary launch at Beecroft

Tuesday 2nd February 2016

A forthcoming Beecroft Art Gallery exhibition will showcase exciting artworks and launch a scheme to help develop new creative talent.

The display is the result of a merger between the charity, the Foundation for Essex Arts (TFEA) and Basildon Arts Trust, (BAT) and features a wide range pictures and sculptures.

These will be on show at the gallery in the former Southend Central Library building in Victoria Avenue, Southend, from Tuesday 16th February until Saturday 12th March.

It is the first time many of the artworks in the BAT collection have been publicly exhibited.

There will be something for everyone amongst the modern art and landscapes by distinguished Royal Academicians and respected artists.

Of particular note are two lithographs by Dame Barbara Hepworth and Dame Elisabeth Frink - both Modernist sculptors.

There is also a beautiful landscape of a Kentish Oast House by the former President of the Royal Institute of Watercolour, Rowland Hilder (1905 – 1993), along with colourful paintings, etchings and screen prints.

Don’t miss Basil Spencer’s watercolour called ‘A proposed plan for Basildon Town Centre’ giving a glimpse of what might have been.

One of the stars of the show will be Nick Johnson’s Piglet, an appealing wooden statue now restored to mint condition after perilous adventures including being stolen and inadvertently auctioned.

This special exhibition is also the backdrop for the launch of a bursary scheme for local students wishing to attend one of the six colleges which make up the University of the Arts London.

These are: Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion and Wimbledon College of Arts.

Students who gain places there will be eligible to apply for the TFEA Bursary for help to support their studies.

This year there will be one bursary available for a Basildon student, and two for students from the rest of Essex – including Southend

Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development, Councillor Mary Betson said: “This wonderful collection of artwork will be a major attraction to our thriving Beecroft Art Gallery.

“We are delighted to host the exhibition featuring some more of the cultural gems in our region, and to host the launch of a beneficial bursary scheme to help nurture future artistic stars.”