Date: Tuesday 26th March 2024 at Alon Zakaim Fine Art
ATTENDEES Confirmed:
Damian Lewis
The Mayor of Camden
Sadie Frost
Freddie Fox
Ben Kinglsey-Adir
Fay Ripley
Fenella Woolgar
Robert Mountford
Stephen Mangan
Frances Ruffelle
Reece Clarke
Press
DAILY MAIL
GETTY IMAGES
About
HvH ARTS McCrory Award Exhibition 2024 will be held at the Alon Zakaim Fine Art Gallery in Mayfair on Tuesday 26th March. This will be an invitation only event hosted by our Patron Damian Lewis and our Ambassador Sadie Frost. Together with our CEO – Founder Debbi Clark they will announce and present during the evening ’The McCrory Award’ 2024, in honour of our late great Patron Helen McCrory.
Fashion and Editorial Photographer Debbi Clark has collaborated for this exhibition with fellow photographers Charlie Gray, Chris Floyd, David Venni, Ian Derry, Ray Burmiston and Clive Arrowsmith. All of whom have photographed Helen McCrory during her extraordinary life & who have agreed to donate their signed photographs to be sold on the night. There will also be a 1/1 original signed artwork by prolific British artist Nina Mae Fowler available for purchase. 100% of all donations received will support HVH ARTS ’The McCrory Award’.
Debbi Clark will be exhibiting her photographs of Helen McCrory alongside a series of Portraits of Actors who have all generously released their image rights for their 1/1 portrait to be sold on the night. These include photographs of Damian Lewis, Sadie Frost, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jude Law, Eddie Redmayne, Freddie Fox, Dame Harriet Walter, Reece Clarke, Billie Piper, Stephen Mangan, James Purefoy, Andrew Scott and Harry Treadaway.
The Helen McCrory Award presentation will be awarding to two talented young beneficiaries of HVH ARTS ages 14+ whom have shown enormous potential, talent & resilience in following their art. This Award will financially support their continued education in their chosen medium of the arts, to support their fees and to gain access to resources needed. They will be mentored in one-to-one workshops with professional tutors giving them the advantages they would not have access to within their current environment & social background.
The exhibition will also showcase artwork by our talented HvH ARTS artists from ages 5-18 who have attended our free workshops & courses.
Quotes
Patron: Helen McCrory, OBE
“Picasso famously said that every child is an artist. And we at Sir Hubert von Herkomer Arts Foundation are passionate about ensuring that every child is given a chance to connect with and to express their inner artist in a time when funding for education is such that the arts are squeezed out of the mainstream curriculum in favour of more traditionally ‘academic’ subjects. All young people need positive outlets for their energy, and the arts can help children flourish in ways other subjects cannot.”
Patron: Damian Lewis CBE
“My late wife, Helen McCrory, was patron of HVH Arts until 2 years ago. She became patron because she saw in Debbi Clark a burning desire to give an experience of the arts, through different art forms, to the children of North London. She saw Debbi’s passion, her enthusiasm, her boundless creative energy and wanted to be part of it. Together they hatched plans. They were a fabulous pair of terrible twins. When Debbi asked me if I’d like to become Patron too, I didn’t hesitate. Together with Helen we’d been invited to partake in graffiti projects, seen a young band perform a concert in the back of Kentish Town, visited an exhibition of textiles, photography and art and seen what joy and confidence the charity gives to the young children who take part. These are kids who otherwise would have no access to the arts and no space in which to express themselves freely, fully, and joyfully. It’s brilliant what Debbi and HVH Arts does. It’s incredible what it achieves. And I’m extremely proud to call myself its Patron.”
Founder-CEO – Debbi Clark
“My reason for starting the charity was to give the gift of art through inspiring young people. I wanted them to have the skills and tools to develop lifelong artistic passions and to be able to express themselves and gain confidence in all areas of their lives. As a photographer, I knew from personal experience the transformational effect of having a medium that I can express myself through – I wanted children to feel this magic too. Helen believed that every child should have equal opportunities in the arts, advocating that the arts should be accessible to every child. Helen was the most phenomenal woman I have had the honour to call my friend, my patron, my inspiration.”
Co-Curator and Fashion Stylist – Marcella Martinelli
“Working with Helen McCrory as her stylist for many years was a privilege. Her talent, empathy and her ever provoking thoughts were a great inspiration to me and everyone else who knew her. I am grateful to be co-curating this exhibition for a second year with the wonderful Debbi Clark, who works tirelessly to make it all happen. I am supporting HvH ARTS because it is a significant way for me to contribute in some ways to this Charity which fuels creativity and pushes everyone involved, children and young people to reach new heights of artistic expression.”
British Artist – Nina Mae Fowler
“I spent one afternoon with Helen many years ago and we giggled like old friends might. She told me that she had long admired my husband’s portraiture and would love one day to be painted by him. I have since met her great friend Debbi Clark, whose work with the Sir HvH Arts charity I also admire profoundly. So working in collaboration with Debs to make this portrait of Helen has a synergy about it which feels almost predestined.”
Nina Mae Fowler (b.1981) is one of the UK’s foremost portrait artists. Having won numerous awards and exhibited on a global stage, her work has been acquired by The National Portrait Gallery and Oxford University, amongst numerous other public and private collections.
Past sitters include Jude Law, Sir Ridley Scott, Sam Mendes, Ken Loach, Richard Dawkins, Caroline Issa and many more. Nina lives and works in Norfolk with husband Craig Wylie and their two children.
Sponsors supporting the Private View “The McCrory Award”
MOËT & CHANDON Contact: chelsea@ivanagiachino.com
FORTNUM & MASON Contact: caroline.Kelley@fortnumandmason.co.uk
ALON ZAKAIM FINE ART Contact: gallery@alonzakaimfineart.com
OM DIGITAL SOLUTIONS Contact: mark.thackara@om-digitalsolutions.com
VIOLET CAKES Contact: bethan@violetcakes.com
REBEL REBEL Contact: mairead@rebelrebel.co.uk
GILPINS GIN Contact: kristina@kvgstyle.com
For press enquires please contact:
HvH ARTS
4 Hunter Street, London, WC1N 1BD
Mobile 07792 951104
Email: debbi@hvharts.org or info@hvharts.org
Press Photographer: Dave Benett. Contact: camille@davebenett.co.uk
