Acrylic painters at Oxmarket
The National Acrylic Painters’ Association summer show runs at Chichester’s Oxmarket Gallery from July 13-August 1 (open 10am-4.30pm, closed Mondays).
NAPA honorary director Anthony Gribbin said: “We are pleased to be exhibiting in Chichester once again. We have had many shows since the association was formed in 1985, including Birmingham, Whitby, Cardiff, Liverpool, London and St Ives. We last had our show in The John
Rank Gallery in 2016. Our association’s shows always demonstrate a wide variety of skills and techniques using observation, experimentation and imagination, traditional and modern and hopefully this will provoke and inspire others to try the medium of acrylics. The National Acrylic Painters’ Association was formed in 1985 by Ken Hodgson. It evolved from the concept that acrylic paint was largely unrecognised in its own right. Oil and watercolour paints started from the same premise and it follows that acrylic paint should have equal status as a new and developing medium.
“Acrylic paint is the 20th-century’s positive contribution to painting. It is a medium that is capable of the widest range of approaches in technique and methods, thus stimulating creativeness and fresh thinking in theory and art ideology. As such it demands that maximum expression should be sought through its versatility. It was intended that the National Acrylic Painters’ Association should help to fulfil this demand by being a vehicle for collective exhibitions, which aim to promote the excellence and innovation of the medium.
“The first president of the association was Adrian Henri. He held the post from 1986 to 1991, after which he became its first fellow and a patron until his death in 2000. Adrian was an excellent president and a keen and loyal patron of the association, believing in its purpose from its foundation.
“The present president is the internationally acclaimed painter, writer and broadcaster Alwyn Crawshaw
“NAPA works as a cooperative. It is run for artists, by artists, on a not for profit basis. Many talented painters have contributed their time and efforts over the years to ensure the successful running of the association.”