NAPA 19th International Exhibition 2004
This exhibition was held at The Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, located in Birkenhead, Wirral. The exhibition ran from 13 March to 18 April.
A Letter from The President
Perhaps I should start this letter by saying on behalf of the society that we are proud and privileged to be holding our annual exhibition at the Williamson Art Gallery & Museum.
Our sincere thanks go to all those involved in the organisation and presentation of the exhibition including of course our association's Council members.
June and myself are disappointed not to be here. But as artists say - 'When a painting leaves the studio, it's like a part of me going'. Well June has three paintings and I have three paintings, so at least there are three parts of June and three parts of me with you in the gallery!
We wish the exhibition great success and a very big thank you to all the artists who have taken their time to exhibit today.
Happy Painting,
Alwyn Crawshaw - President
A Letter from The Founder
This is now almost the nineteenth year that the Association has been in existence. It is fitting that the exhibition is being held in the Williamson Art Gallery seeing that some of the Association's first members were members of the Wirral Society of Arts. So we have as an association kind of returned to home ground. The foundation exhibition in 1995 was held in Heswall Library Gallery when seven members joined in the event.
Since that time NAPA has grown beyond all recognition into an association that embraces membership from Brazil, France, Italy, Portugal, Cyprus, Israel, Singapore and a large membership from the USA, mainly due to the enthusiasm of Linda Gunn and those who help her. Since that time we have also toured the country. Firstly we had a base for some years in the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Gallery, then we went down to London and up to Durham, over to Flintshire and now down to St.Ives in Cornwall, which is proving to be an excellent venue right at the centre of art in Britain. Regional shows in addition to annual exhibitions have also been held at such places as Bath and Canterbury and elsewhere - organised by members in the particular locality.
When we were in the second year of existence I approached Adrian Henri, Liverpool artist and poet, to be our first president. This position he enthusiastically accepted and served the Association very well. When he retired as president he then served as a patron. For his services to NAPA the Association made him its First Fellow. He also well deserved his honorary degree of Doctor of Letters conferred on him by The University of Liverpool shortly before his death. We miss you Adrian! So we therefore count it a privilege to have a number of his paintings on show for the duration of this exhibition. They have been kindly lent to NAPA by Dr Catherine Marcangeli, who herself is a patron of NAPA.
The first Vice President of NAPA was Alwyn Crawshaw, and when Adrian retired from office Alwyn took his place and has served NAPA faithfully ever since. We have no Vice President at present, but it was firstly DR Sally Bulgin, editor of The Artist Magazine until she retired, due to work commitments. Sally was followed by Professor Arthur Hughes, who until his untimely death, showed great interest in what NAPA was all about.
I would like to mention that notable art based companies give their support to NAPA in prize form, namely - Daler-Rowney, Global Art Supplies (Golden UK), Colart - Winsor &; Newton, Liquitex, Spectrum Oil Colours, and ProArte. Other companies support us too - The Fine Arts Trade Guild, The Artists and Illustrators Magazine and The Artist Magazine. Others have helped from time to time in awarding prizes, but the above are consistent in their support of the Association and NAPA appreciates their faithfulness.
The international content of this exhibition is exciting and it's good to have such a global flavour. Thanks to all who have sent in work, be they from Britain or elsewhere. NAPA exists for its members.
Kenneth J. Hodgson