ARTISTS are busy putting the final touches to their paintings of Tavistock Parish Church, which will go on show in Gallery 26 at the Bedford Hotel this weekend.

The art exhibition, on Friday and Saturday, (October 7 and 8), is being run by the Friends of St Eustachius as one of a series in the run up to the church’s 700th centenary celebration.

Entrants have been asked to paint Tavistock Parish Church, or any part of it, and the event will include the work of both amateur and professional artists.

Eight schools are exhibiting, including Gulworthy Primary, Mount Kelly Preparatory and senior school, St Peter’s, St Rumon’s, Tavistock College, Tavistock Community Primary and Whitchurch Primary.

Among professional artists exhibiting will be Ian Pethers and Nick Collier.

A panel of judges will select the best entries by children under 13, with three prizes of £20 each, and between 13 and 18, with one prize of £50. The public’s favourite adult entry will receive a £100 prize.

Many paintings will be on sale, with a proportion of the sale prize going to the Friends group.

The free to enter exhibition will run from 7.30pm on Friday, October 7 and from 9.30am to 5pm on Saturday, October 8.