Painting Aardman Exhibition at the Holburne

After two months of packing the Museum will re-open in June for a month of celebration and activities in its near empty building.

A final exhibition Painting Aardman will open on Saturday 7 June (until Sunday 6 July) 2008 where the prize commission painted by winner of the 2006 Holburne Dukes Portrait Prize, Vincent Brown will be unveiled. The prize is a portrait commission worth £5,000 to paint a figure connected to the arts in the south west: and Vincent Brown has chosen the three Directors of Aardman Animations, Nick Park, Peter Lord and David Sproxton.

The exhibition will show the development of this exciting portrait and the creative processes that led to the finished work. It will include other work by Vincent Brown and loans from the Aardman archive – including original models of favourite characters – which play a part in the painting. Admission to this exhibition and the Museum will be free of charge.

At the same time the Holburne will take advantage of its empty galleries to offer an exciting programme of art workshops and celebratory events for all ages. These will include from 6 – 11 June the exciting opportunity to see the exhibition of the final year art degree show, by the students of Bath Spa University’s School of Art and Design, within the empty museum.