BP wins award for dedication to arts funding

BP has been honoured with a special award for 35 years of sponsorship of arts and culture by Arts & Business, at its annual ceremony celebrating partnerships between the commercial and cultural sectors across the country. Presenting the award, winner of the BP portrait award Stuart Pearson Wright said: “This special award comes in part from Arts & Business and in part from the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Opera House, The British Museum and Tate Britain. It certainly comes from the many artists who, like me, have directly benefitted from this company’s investment in the arts in this country.” The oil company has recently supported a £45m refurbishment at Tate Britain which transforms the way masterpieces are displayed to show works in chronological order. Arts & Business Director, Philip Spedding, described the company as “an innovator in terms of how the arts, working alongside business, can achieve new goals”, pointing out that BP had been a steadfast investor in arts no matter the economic climate.
An award sponsored by BP, honouring long-term partnerships between businesses and the arts, was made to Australian investment bank Macquarie for its longstanding relationship with Streetwise Opera, while an award for corporate responsibility was made to Python Properties, which has installed and runs art galleries with Python Arts in four of its commercial buildings throughout the North of England.