Belinda takes home Banbury Museum's Ironstone People's Prize award

Barry Whitehouse, owner of the Artery art shop in Parsons Street, pictured with Belinda Moore, winner of the Ironstone People's Prize Award. NNL-160224-113732001

Belinda Moore’s painting entitled ‘Chromatophore Bug’ received the most votes from visitors to the exhibition and she was given a £100 prize from Barry Whitehouse, owner of the Artery in Parsons Street and who sponsored the competition.

Mr Whitehouse said: “It is an honour to sponsor the People’s Prize. To see how many people appreciate art in its many forms in the area is a joy and is what I have spent my career in art retail and education hoping to help achieve. “The People’s Prize is a very prestigious award as it shows what the public - the buyers and lovers of art - enjoy looking at; and so being chosen as the favourite by the general populous is quite an accolade for any artist.”

In the last two years, since moving back from Cornwall to Oxfordshire, and after a brief painting assignment in the studios of Damien Hirst, Belinda has been involved in various artistic projects.

She has exhibited in two group exhibitions in London, with ‘The Culthouse’ in Hoxton, and with ‘Exhibit Here’ at The Bargehouse, Oxo Tower.

As well as selling her intricately painted decorative boxes at various Oxfordshire music festivals during the summer months, such as Cropredy/Fairport Convention, Bodfest, Chacombebury Festival, Banbury Museum shop, and Leamington ‘Art in the Park’, she has also designed textiles for fashion.

Looking forward, Belinda has further London exhibitions, at The Menier Gallery in March, and two events with The Culthouse in Hoxton and Hackney in April.

She is also involved in the ‘Sacred Art Show’ at Aberglasney Gardens, Wales in April/May, which is a touring exhibition going on to Malta and Croatia.

More than 400 votes were cast with each voter only allowed to vote for one artwork. There was a wide range of artistic taste with 80 per cent of the paintings and sculptures being somebody’s favourite.

The exhibition at Banbury Museum continues until 12 March allowing people to come and see the People’s Prize winner for themselves. Entry is free.