A Swansea art expert is following in the footsteps of Cheryl Cole and Jessie J by taking on an expert mentor role in a new BBC Cymru Wales series.

Karen MacKinnon, Swansea Council Exhibitions Officer at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, will be on hand to give top tips to contestants in a series called 'The Exhibitionists'. The programme will show the progress of five aspiring exhibition curators as they're set a number of tasks and challenges. Each contestant is given access to paintings, sculptures and ceramics at the National Museum Wales that include works by the likes of Van Gogh, Monet and Picasso.

The four-part series starts on BBC Two Wales on Wednesday June 27, 10pm. One contestant will be axed every week before two finalists get the chance to put their exhibitions on show at the National Museum's new wing for modern and contemporary art. Visitors will then be asked to vote for their favourite to determine an outright winner.

Osi Rhys Osmond, a painter and lecturer at Swansea Metropolitan University, is also a mentor on the programme.
Karen has curated shows all over the world in the past, including the Wales pavilion at the prestigious Venice Bienalle.

She said: "Art exhibitions can often take several years to plan by professional curators, but this programme gives contestants the challenge of planning and staging an exhibition in a matter of weeks.

"The challenges pose many trials and tribulations for the contestants and my role in the programme is to offer advice, share the benefit of my experiences over the years and help make decisions on who should be removed from the process before the final.

"I hope the programme raises the profile of the arts in Swansea and Wales and shows why the arts are still relevant to everyone in society."

The Glynn Vivian Art Gallery is now temporarily closed because of a major £6 million refurbishment project funded by the Welsh Government, the Arts Council of Wales and Swansea Council. A new dedicated reading and resource centre devoted to visitor research, Wi-Fi access and improved facilities for working with schools and colleges will be among the new features when the gallery re-opens in 2014.

Have a look at www.swansea.gov.uk/glynnvivian for more information or call 01792 516900.