A Picasso for a tenner?

Well that got your attention. I can’t actually sell you such a piece of art for ten pounds but that is the cost of a year long pass that will give art lovers free access to some of the world’s great artists.

Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Victoria Art Gallery is encouraging people to sign up for an Exhibition Pass. The gallery has free entry but does host up to six special exhibitions each year for which there is a charge.

This coming year that includes exhibitions of work by the popular Beryl Cook as well as work by Matisse, Picasso, Dali and Warhol in the autumn. Entry to each of these is £3.50 but the £10 Exhibition Pass gives you free entry to all paying exhibitions all year round.

Cllr Paul Crossley renewing his twelve-month exhibition pass for the Victoria Art Gallery, with Volunteer Guide Judith Anderson.
Cllr Paul Crossley renewing his twelve-month exhibition pass for the Victoria Art Gallery, with Volunteer Guide Judith Anderson.

Cllr Paul Crossley (Lib Dem, Southdown), Leader of the Council, said: “I have just renewed my Exhibition Pass and to see some great works of art not just by the best in this region or this country but indeed the world makes the £10 worth every penny.

“Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Victoria Art Gallery has been a beacon of culture for more than a century – pick up a pass and discover its fantastic exhibitions for yourself.”

Admission to any charging exhibition, without the Pass, costs £3.50 or £2.50 to Discovery card-holders and £1.75 to holders of the National Art Pass. Entrance to the rest of the gallery is free.

Jon Bennington, gallery manager, said: “The Exhibition Pass was introduced in April 2013 because we recognised that we had a loyal local following who attended many of the exhibitions we put on. The pass was a way of thanking them and encouraging more people to visit our special events.

“We have some superb exhibitions coming in the next few months. You find out more about our permanent and touring displays by visiting http://www.victoriagal.org.uk or find us on Bridge Street in the centre of Bath.”

This year’s exhibitions include:

· ‘Modern Masters in Print: Matisse, Picasso, Dali and Warhol’, 6 September – 23 November, toured by the Victoria & Albert Museum;
· ‘Edwina Bridgeman: Ship of Fools’, 29 November – 11 January, an inventive 3D revisiting of an ancient theme by the creator of the giant ship suspended in the atrium of our local hospital;
· ‘The Jurassic Coast: Jeremy Gardiner’, 17 January – 1 March, comprising a unique artistic exploration of the geology of this World Heritage Site;
· ‘Beryl Cook (1926-2008): Paintings and Prints’, 7 March – 6 May, a show to tickle everyone’s ribs, sourced from the estate of this former Bristolian.