The Black Swan Arts Young Open – the People’s Choice Award
The People’s Choice Award has been given to Ben Baldwin (17 at Downside School) for his portrait ‘Francesca’.

Hundreds of votes were cast for 163 different pieces of art in the People’s Choice in the Young Open 2013. There had to be a recount as the front runners were so close, but in the end Ben won by a whisker for his compelling portrait.

Ben, who wants to be a professional artist, is delighted “my brother Tom won the judges prize, but I think it is even better to have been voted for by the public. I’d love to do more portraits, I find the human face fascinating – everyone is so different”

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The opening the first ever Young Open Exhibition at the Black Swan Arts in Frome
On Saturday morning the Young Open Art Exhibition 2013 opened at the Black Swan. Over 120 children, parents and local artists poured into the gallery at noon for the announcement of the winners. The judging had been earlier in the day, with Pippa Goldfinger, the Mayor of Frome, Celia Bennett, portrait artist and Jane Worrall, Black Swan Trustee, performing the unenviable task of choosing just 12 prize winners from the almost 200 pieces of work on show.

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Words at the Black Swan
Keats did it - Auden did it - even Wendy Cope did it, and writers throughout the ages have found inspiration in visual art. In recognition of this cultural affinity, Black Swan Arts has launched 'WORDS at the BLACK SWAN', a group which will meet during each exhibition to express personal responses to the art work...

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The Bax Family Fine Art Award for the Black Swan Open Arts Competition
The Bax family is delighted to continue to support the Black Swan Open Art competition by awarding a prize of £250 to the winner of the Fine Art category. This will be the seventh time that the family has awarded this prize as they recognise the importance of this competition in encouraging the arts to flourish. They also recognise the vital role the Black Swan Art Gallery is playing in the artistic and cultural life of the area.

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Get on board for a curious journey through the Black Swan Gallery in its latest exhibition
A curious view of a model train journey is on offer during the latest exhibition to come to Frome’s Black Swan Arts Gallery.

London-based artist Robin Tarbet, who was born in Bath and studied at Royal College of Art, combines film-making and sculptural installation by using a small motion camera, a model city and a model train track to connect landscape and movement in his forthcoming exhibition ‘Monitored Landscape Series’ showing from Saturday October 20 to Saturday November 24 at Black Swan Arts.

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Aardman Animation Exhibition Children's Competition
Awards Ceremony Friday 12th October at 6pm

The Black Swan is thrilled to be able to announce the prize winners of our summer Aardman animation competition for children. There were three classes - 7 and under, 8 to 10 and 11 to 13 and the winners from each class will have a day out at Somerset Film where experienced film makers will help them realise their their animation ideas.

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John Moore Prize Winner paints special exhibition for Frome Gallery
Painter Michael Bennett, who has twice won one of the art world’s most prestigious prizes, is bringing a solo show of his latest work to Frome’s Black Swan Arts Centre.

Michael, who lives in Frome, is well known for his adoption of the tree as his ‘reason to make paintings’ and his latest exhibition, created especially with the Black Swan gallery in mind, will show ensembles of his latest tree paintings as large rectangular arrays.

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700 school children to visit Aardman at Black Swan
As part of Aardman at Black Swan: The Art and Craft of Animation, a special schools project is drawing in young people of all ages to the Black Swan Arts in Frome. From Reception classes to A level Media students, nearly 700 children from the Frome area and beyond will be making the most of a special opportunity to be guided through the exhibition and to get creative with workshop activities, with a specially appointed Schools Co-ordinator.

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Moving Portraits capture Somerset Craftspeople in new Frome Exhibition
This interesting new exhibition captures quintessential Somerset craftspeople in life-sized photographic portraits that ‘move’ as you look at them. Hear their stories as you enjoy the portraits in recorded interviews playing alongside the portraits.

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Local Landscape wins People's Choice Award at Black Swan Arts Centre
Local artist Annemarie Blake has been chosen as the winner of the People's Choice Award at the Black Swan Arts Centre with her winter landscape of Frome.

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Four Winners announced in Black Swan Open Arts Competition
A West of England University student who switched from architect to photography after a growing realisation she preferred to snap buildings rather than design them has been proclaimed the winner of a Somerset arts competition.

Mary Roe’s photograph “Mnemosyne” has been chosen as the winning entry to the bi-annual open arts competition held by Frome’s Black Swan Arts Centre.

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The Bax Fine Art Award for the Open Arts Competition
The Bax family is delighted to continue to support the Black Swan Open Art competition by awarding a prize of £250 to the winner of the Fine Art category. This will be the sixth time that the family has awarded this prize. In recognising the importance of this competition in encouraging the arts to flourish they have pledged funding for a further two competitions. They also recognise the vital role the Black Swan Art Gallery is playing in the artistic and cultural life of the area.

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Record Number of Entries to Black Swan Arts Open Competition
Judges for the Black Swan Arts Open Art Competition face an even harder task than usual after a record number of artists have submitted entries to the bi-annual creative contest.
More than 546 entries have flooded into the Frome-based arts centre from artists across the South West of England keen to see their work displayed – and possibly win the £1,000 in prize money that is up for grabs.

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Bag an Artistic Bargain and support Black Swan Arts at the same time
Frome’s Black Swan Arts in Bridge Street is offering the chance to bag an artistic bargain and help the charity towards its 25th year fundraising total in its special January sale.

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The Opening Night of The Twenty Five Years of Christmas at Black Swan Arts
On Friday night the Black Swan Arts welcomed almost a hundred people to the opening of its new exhibition ‘The 25 Years of Christmas’. Amongst the buzzing crowd were many of the renowned local artists who have most generously donated their art to raise funds for the gallery, including Michael Bennett, Kate and James Lynch, Angela Williams and Tim Mercer, most of whom had never shown together.

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Thank you to the people of Frome
We have already raised £11,000 towards our target of £25,000 from local sources in our 25th Year! Text of the letter to the Somerset Standard from Luke Wilde, Chair of Trustees.

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Statement by Chair of Trustees: Cuts to Arts Funding
Somerset and Mendip Councils are two of only three councils in the UK to have cut Arts funding completely. Black Swan Arts has had to take some difficult decisions in its 25th year in order to secure its long term future.

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