Britain’s National Portrait Gallery ends oil giant BP deal

London’s renowned National Portrait Gallery said Tuesday it was ending a controversial sponsorship deal with BP, the latest British cultural institution to turn its back on the energy giant.

BP has sponsored the museum’s prestigious Portrait Award since 1989.

“The Gallery is hugely grateful to BP for its long-term support of the BP Portrait Award,” director Nicholas Cullinan said in a statement.

“Its funding for the Award has fostered creativity, encouraged portrait painting for over 30 years and given a platform to artists from around the world, as well as providing inspiration and enjoyment for audiences across the UK,” he said.

Recent soaring energy prices have brought massive profits to oil majors, including BP, along with fierce criticism from environmentalists and politicians at a time when consumers are left with rising bills.

BP Senior Vice President Louise Kingham said the company was “immensely proud of our role in championing British arts and culture for over 30 years”.

“As we transition to become net-zero by 2050 and help the world get there too, we must look at new ways to best use our talent, experience, and resources,” she said.

The National Portrait Gallery is currently being renovated and is set to reopen in 2023.

The Royal Shakespeare Company and the Scottish National Gallery have both also severed links with BP, while the National Theatre in London has ended its sponsorship deal with Shell, under pressure from artists and environmental activists.

The British Museum is also under fire over a sponsorship deal with BP for a recently opened exhibition about the prehistoric site at Stonehenge.

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