OCA North: Study Event Review
15 OCA students joined tutor Joanna Whittle to visit Contemporary British Painting Prize 2026 in Sheffield recently.
It was a really great study visit. It was lovely to see some of my past students in person and also all to see some familiar faces from past trips and new faces too!
The event included an introduction by the producer at Yorkshire Artspace, followed by an introduction and exhibition tour by me which included a discussion on materiality, paint application and themes and conceptual elements in individual works and the exhibition as a whole.
We then split into two groups to consider our own winners which allowed for an interesting discussion about how prizes are selected and judged but also what felt important to the group. In the end the group were fairly unanimous on the painters they were most interested in (who were not the same as those the judges selected).
We then went to Bloc Projects for a visit to my studio space and also popped by to see OCA tutor Bryan Eccleshall in his space. We ended with a visit to Bloc Projects gallery for Other. Absence and Making Public: Florence To which included an introduction by Gallery Director Sunshine Wong who talked about their public engagement programme and project themes as well as how one might show in the space which may be useful for those considering their Final Major Projects.
Following this, students went off to have lunch and to see other exhibitions in the City including those at Graves & Millennium Galleries.
OCA North student lead Linda reports;
OCA tutor Joanna Whittle gave us a fascinating tour of the exhibition, sharing her knowledge of each of the sixteen artists represented and giving us insights into their individual practices. She also encouraged a wider discussion about contemporary painting, including its materiality, versatility and the many different ways artists approach the medium.
The exhibition itself was excellent, with a wonderfully varied range of paintings and approaches. One particularly enjoyable part of the day was an exercise where we split into two groups and each chose our own prize winners. The discussions and very different opinions that emerged really highlighted just how difficult the processes of curating an exhibition and selecting prize winners can be.
As well as being a valuable opportunity to look closely at contemporary painting and discuss it with a knowledgeable tutor, the trip was a chance for students to meet, exchange ideas and spend time together. That social side of our OCA North events is really important, particularly when so much of our studying is done independently.
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