The National Acrylic Painters' Association was formed in 1985. It evolved from the concept that acrylic paint is still largely unrecognised in its own right. Oil and watercolour paints started from the same premise, with the origin and the history of each giving them distinct characteristics and goals, as well as their own organisations and societies. It should therefore follow that acrylic paint should have equal status as a new and developing medium.

Acrylic paint is the 20th Century's positive contribution to painting. It is the only medium that is capable of the widest range of approaches in technique and methods, thus stimulating creativeness and fresh thinking in theory and art ideology, and as such demands that maximum expression should be sought through its versatility. It is intended that the National Acrylic Painters' Association should fulfil this demand, by being a vehicle for collective exhibitions, which aim to promote the excellence and innovation of the medium.

The first President of the Association was Adrian Henri. He held the post from 1986 to 1991, after which he became its first Fellow and a patron until his death in 2001. Adrian was an excellent president and a keen and loyal patron of the Association, believing in its purpose right from when Ken Hodgson founded it in 1985. Adrian was an acclaimed international painter and poet. The present President is the internationally acclaimed painter, writer and broadcaster, Alwyn Crawshaw. He having been Vice President from 1986 took over the post when Adrian retired and Dr Sally Bulgin took over his position. She was in post for some years until she stood down due to pressure of work. She was succeeded by Professor Arthur Hughes, who was until his early death in 1999, head of Art at the University of Central England. At present no one has been appointed to the post of Vice President.

The present patrons of NAPA are Dr. Sally A. Bulgin, editor of The Artist Magazine, The Master of the Fine Art Trade Guild, and Dr Catherine Marcangeli. A Mrs Kay Greenwood-Casey POA (France), an art, drama and opera critic was until her death in 2002 a patron and a loyal foundation supporter of the Association.

Since the inaugural exhibition in December 1985, there have numerous international exhibitions held at prestigious venues such as the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Gallery, the Westminster Gallery (London), and the Durham Art Gallery. Since 2002 the Annual International Exhibition has been held in St Ives, Cornwall, which is the acknowledge centre for art in Britain. This is mounted at the Mariners Gallery, which is right in the centre of St Ives close by the Tate Gallery. All exhibitions have been very successful. Last year in addition to the Annual International at St.Ives NAPA also mounted a major show at the spacious Williamson Art Gallery and Museum, Merseyside. This is a local authority venue, second only to the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. In the future periodic shows will be mounted at this venue. This year two exhibitions have been planned. The first has already been held at St David’s Hall Cardiff South Wales in January - February and the other once again will be held at the Mariners Gallery in St.Ives in November. Over the years other shows have been held at various locations up and down the country, places such as the Black Sheep Gallery (Hawarden Castle, Flintshire), and Rooksmoor Gallery (Bath). Members’ individual and joint shows since NAPA’s inauguration have been mounted by Associates at venues of their choosing and endorsed by NAPA.

Since its beginning NAPA has been supported by various companies who have donated a variety of prizes of material nature. The Association has received awards from: Art Review, Artists & Illustrators' Magazine Ltd., Artists Newsletter, Daler-Rowney Ltd., Forsline & Starr International Ltd, Great Art, International Artist Magazine, Liquitex UK, Modern Painters, Pro Arte, R.K. Burt & Co. Ltd. (Fabriano), Royal Sovereign Ltd. (Rembrandt), Spectrum Oil Colours (Spectracryl), St Cuthberts Mill, Thames & Hudson, Global Art Supplies (Golden UK) - formerly The Artist, The American Paint Co. Ltd. (Golden), Tollit & Harvey (Canson, Goldline, Isabey) Winsor&Newton and Colart (Winsor&Newton/Liquitex) . Harper Collins, Sun Valley Ltd, and the Voluntary Arts Network. Members can be listed in the Art Trade Press publication - Who's Who in Art. In 1998 NAPA became a member of the Fine Art Trade Guild. NAPA is supported by Barclays Bank PLC (Liscard Branch, North Wirral Group), Design and Artists Copyright Society (special registration rate).

The Association has further received substantial coverage in art journals and magazines, in Britain, but also Europe, America, and Australia. Membership is international and it includes not only British artists, but also members from America, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Singapore and Spain.

At the NAPA’s Annual Exhibition in 1995 the concept of a NAPA USA Division was discussed and Linda Gunn an American member was given permission to formulate a forum for acrylic art in America. On the 1st December 1995 an American Division of NAPA was established and Linda became its first Director and a Gerald Brommer NAPA NWS, became its first Honorary President. Gerald is a highly respected international workshop instructor, juror and author of several art books. A Sandra Carpenter who is the editor of The Artist’s Magazine (USA) held the post of Honorary Vice President. There has been an Annual Open Exhibition arranged by the American Division in the autumn of each year to date since its development. In January 2005 NAPA USA changed its name and is now known as the International Society of Acrylic Painters’. Members of either organisation, NAPA or ISAP, can apply to each other’s executive councils for election into membership.

The National Acrylic Painters’ Association is a professional organisation. Professional is taken to mean that it accepts as members those persons who either earn a regular living by painting, or those who although not living by art, adopt a professional attitude toward the subject, exploiting creatively the acrylic medium, using experimentation and imagination. It welcomes all painters be they traditional or modern in their approach to art, and either fine or graphic artists Painters are accepted solely on the strength of their expressed work. The Association is lastly non-discriminatory concerning age, disability, gender or race.

Revised: 01. 06. 2005