Opening today at London’s Strand Gallery is ‘Funny Faces’, a new exhibition of 40 portraits of celebrity stand-ups and comic thespian types. Jimmy Carr, Al Murray, David Mitchell and Omid Djalili have all donated autographed mug-shots, as taken by Paul Heneker, to the collection, which will be auctioned off when the show closes on 17 Dec. With limited edition prints of each photograph also available for a mere £30, all proceeds will go to homeless charity Shelter.

Also lending her image to the cause is Edinburgh Fringe favourite Izzy Suttie, aka Dobby of ‘Peep Show’ fame, who has these words of encouragement: “Christmas should be a time for giving, receiving and arguing over the last Quality Street – not worrying about a roof over your head. I hope that through the ‘Funny Faces’ exhibition we can help raise money to support Shelter’s work this Christmas – so get bidding now!”

So, if you’re stuck for something to get your loved one for Christmas this year, a signed portrait of… say, Simon Pegg, might just be the one. More info on the exhibition here.

The Turner Prize isn’t the only thing putting the art world in a spin this week, oh no; there’s also the matter of whether or not Team Tate will opt to extend their 21-year partnership with sponsors BP. Having first struck a deal with Tate Britain in 1990, the oil giant today spends over £1m each year on the Tate network of art spaces, and a number of other galleries, museums and arts institutions across the UK.

It seems, though, in this increasingly eco-aware age, and no doubt with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf Of Mexico still very in much in everyone’s minds, that a significant portion of the Tate’s members and visitors would rather do without BP’s help, thank you very much, after 8000 of them signed an open letter urging Tate Trustees against renewing the sponsorship deal.

There has also been dissent amongst the top Tate ranks, with trustee Patrick Brill criticising BP’s environmental record and branding the company a “disgrace”. Tate Director Nicholas Serota, presumably torn between wider public opinion and a need for funds, has acknowledged that the Trustees’ decision will be “very difficult”. Well he’s got that right, at least.

With a decision due from the Tate board any day now, Chris Sands of Liberate Tate, one of a number of organisations behind the aforementioned petition, has this to say: “Tate can no longer respond by simply stating that BP is an important sponsor of the arts. Tate’s visiting public and its own members are saying in large numbers that maintaining a relationship with an oil company like BP is harming both the reputation of Tate and the experience of enjoying great art in a public gallery”.