Scottish Portrait Awards, A 2012 Idea of Sara McBean, Moves to New Home : George McBean

Scottish Portrait Awards moves to the National Portrait Gallery of Scotland

Just wanted to share this news- with colleagues who know Sara.

I’m super proud of my wife Sara Cameron McBean… who on our retirement to Edinburgh in 2012 had the idea of launching a Portrait Award for Scottish Artists (At the time most artists in the UK entered the BP Portrait Awards). 

Then several years ago, along with the Scottish Arts Trust and a few local artists she started the ‘Scottish Portrait Awards’. Last week in the Glasgow Herald her idea was celebrated by all the artists who have helped her manifest this award- and announced in the future the exhibition would be displayed at the National Portrait Gallery of Scotland. (The world’s first purpose built gallery for portraits which opened in 1889.) A tribute to the success of this competition- and credit to all the artists who have taken part.

Attached- news item plus one of my (many) portraits of Sara- and a photo of proud husband and wife.

Hope this finds you well. Best wishes to you and the SN crew for 2025.

George

The Scottish Portrait Awards will be shown at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in 2026.
L-R are Imogen Gibbon Curator of Portraiture at National Galleries of Scotland, Gordon Mitchell RSW RSA RGI, Director, Scottish Portrait Awards and Fine Art Chair, Kirsty Wark Guest Judge, television presenter and journalist, Sara Cameron McBean, Scottish Arts Trust trustee who had the original idea for the Scottish Portrait Awards and Calum Stevenson Scottish Portrait Awards Fine Art Judge and former shortlisted artist. PHOTO Julie Howden

Click here for the article in the Edinburgh Reporter

Sara Cameron McBean, who is a Scottish Arts Trust trustee and had the original idea for the Scottish Portrait Awards, said. “Ten years ago, a group of us were sitting around a table planning the creation of this new platform that would celebrate and promote portraiture in Scotland. We had no money and no staff. Our dream was always that the Scottish Portrait Awards would eventually come to the Portrait Gallery.”