Curtis Holder awarded The Tom Coates Memorial Prize at The Pastel Society’s 125th Annual Exhibition

I am honoured to have received the inaugural Tom Coates Memorial Prize for my drawing ‘The Puppet Maker’ at The Pastel Society’s 125th Annual Exhibition at Mall Galleries in London.

This new award was presented in memory of prolific artist Tom Coates PPPS PPNEAC PPRBA RWS RP (1941-2023), a former President of The Pastel Society. A ‘brilliant artist and draughtsman’, Tom’s contemporaries have described him as ‘a real character and showman who was greatly loved and admired’.

Artist Mary Jackson NEAC RWS, Tom’s wife, selected my work to receive the award which she presented the exhibition private view and award ceremony at Mall Galleries. 

The Society's 125th Anniversary exhibition presents a positive challenge to those with pre-conceived ideas about pastels. It is a vibrant and adventurous show which aims to open hearts and minds to works using pastel and other dry media.

Exhibitors include established and recently elected member artists, alongside accomplished non-members selected from an international open call.

You can visit the exhibition at Mall Galleries from 24 January - 10 February 2024 from 10am to 5pm.

The Puppet Maker, coloured pencil and acrylic gouache on paper, 150 x 120 cm, 2022