A number of artists have signed a letter that criticises BP's continued sponsorship of Tate Britain following the recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of the US.

The letter - published by the Guardian newspaper - said the BP logo was a "stain on Tate's international reputation" and the other museums and galleries that accept sponsorship from the company. Oil companies, including BP, have also been accused of sponsoring arts institutions divert attention from "their impacts on human rights, the environment and the global climate".

A statement from Tate Galleries, the Royal Opera House, the British Museum and the National Portrait Gallery, however, said: "The income generated through corporate partnerships is vital to the mixed economy of successful arts organisations and enables each of us to deliver a rich and vibrant cultural programme."