Scotland’s National Portrait Gallery is now home to a collection of new works – all painted by Scottish Sun readers.
The gallery directors hosted a champagne reception to unveil 36 portraits of Scottish women, including TV presenters Lorraine Kelly and Gail Porter, singer Annie Lennox, Five News’s Kirsty Young, author JK Rowling, and Ultimo bra designer Michelle Mone. Each portrait was painted by a Scottish Sun reader following a competition in the paper.
The Sun ‘s “Brave-arts” were welcomed by Miss Scotland, Lois Wetherup and Big Brother finalist Shell Jubin, along with Scottish Sun assistant editor Peter Cox.
Gallery director James Holloway said: “For centuries, portraits of important Scots have been predominantly male. Visitors always wanted to know where the women were. That’s when we decided to ask the Scottish Sun if they would help us redress the balance.”
Sun readers responded by sending in hundreds of their works of art, before a panel of art critics and experts picked a final 36 works which have gone on display in the gallery in Edinburgh.
Visitors to the Edinburgh gallery will be able to view the Scottish Sun exhibition until the end of February 2005.
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