See the very best contemporary portraits in Exeter

Art lovers will be able to see the best contemporary portraiture at Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) from Saturday 9th February when the winners and selected entries from the BP Portrait Award 2012 go on display.

From informal and personal studies of friends and family, to revealing paintings of famous faces, this year’s exhibition features fifty-five works selected from 2,187 international entries. These include the four shortlisted artists – Aleah Chapin for Auntie, Alan Coulson for Richie Culver, Ignacio Estudillo for El abuelo (Augusta Estudillo) and Jamie Routley for Tony Lewis – as well as the work of the BP Travel Award 2011 winner Jo Fraser.

For thirty-three years, of which the last twenty-three have been sponsored by BP, The BP Portrait Award exhibition has presented outstanding and innovative new work in a variety of styles and approaches, and it continues to be a highlight of the annual art calendar. The 2012 award exhibition was displayed at the National Portrait Gallery London (June to September 2012) and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery Edinburgh, and can be seen at RAMM from 9 February to 19 May 2013.

Visitors who want to learn more about the portraits in the exhibition can come to a talk by Sandy Nairne, Director of the National Portrait Gallery and Chair of the judging panel for the BP Portrait Award. On Tuesday 7 May, 6.30 to 7.30pm, he will present a lecture entitled What Makes a Great Portrait? £7 tickets are available in person or by phone using a credit or debit card on 01392 265858 during RAMM opening hours.

Young aspiring artists can apply for places at free art classes organised under the BP Portrait Award: Next Generation project. Taster sessions on Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 April are open to all children between 14 and 19 years old. Keen artists can also apply for a place at a 2-day spring school on Thursday 4 to Friday 5 April. Application forms can be downloaded from the RAMM website: www.exeter.gov.uk/RAMM.