Ellesmere art exhibition draws in record numbers
An annual national art exhibition at Ellesmere College has been hailed the best yet after a record number of people visited the event featuring more than 300 works of art.
Now in its eighth year, more than 1,000 visitors were welcomed to the four-day exhibition, which included work by War Horse set designer Rae Smith.
Nick Pettingale, director of external relations at Ellesmere College, said: "The exhibition has become a well-established event in the art calendar.
"We are delighted with how popular it has proved to be again this year as we aim to provide a showcase to profile both local and national artistic talent in the region and there was something for every taste and budget.
“We are now looking forward and are very excited about next year's event being bigger and better than ever before.”
The exhibition ran from May 30 to June 2, with a VIP preview evening on May 29 which gave more than 300 dignitaries and art lovers the chance to chat to the artists.
On display throughout the exhibition were a range of paintings, drawings and ceramics from notable artists including John Alford, Jane Brookshaw, Barbara Goolden, Graham Cox, Rebecca Pells, Mark Warner and members of the Royal Cambrian Academy.
Olivier, Tony and OBIE award-winning British designer Rae was this year’s feature artist.
The exhibition included a selection of Rae’s sketches used on the National Theatre stage show sets of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse - one of the most successful theatre productions of all time, seen by more than 11 million people worldwide.
She officially opened the exhibition alongside patron Carolyn Trevor-Jones, Area Chair of West Midlands NADFAS (the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies), and Brendan Wignall, Headmaster of Ellesmere College.
Visitors were also encouraged to vote for the ‘People's Favourite’ piece of art or sculpture at the exhibition with the artist with the most votes winning £100.
This year's winner was Maximillian Baccanello with ‘Zorba’ - a detailed study of a gentleman in a flat cap in oils on canvas.
