A popular annual art exhibition which showcases work from emerging artists in the East Midlands is now open for submissions.
The exhibition which runs from 14 March to 4 May 2015, will take place at Newarke Houses Museum, and will launch the museum’s new Garden Galleries. This is the first time in its 26 year history that the exhibition will be held there, after previously taking place at the New Walk Museum.
This years exhibition, called Open 26, is open to artists from Leicester, Leicestershire, Rutland, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Northamptonshire. Entries from Warwickshire and the West Midlands will also be considered.
The artists are being invited to submit their work in digital format and entries need to be made online. Works can be submitted from 9 January to 9 February 2015.
A drop-in session will be held at New Walk Museum on to help any artists who are uncomfortable with the technology required for online entry.
An independent panel will consider which works will be entered. The chosen artists which feature in the exhibition will have the chance to win a variety of prizes, including the annual award of the £2,000 Attenborough Prize. It will also see the award of the new Trevor Thomas Prize which has been named in honour of the former director of Leicester museums who established the city’s world-famous German Expression collection in the 1940s.
Young artists from across Leicester are also being invited to submit work for consideration for the Youth Open, now in its sixth year.
Assistant City Mayor for Culture, Heritage, Leisure and Sport, Cllr Piara Singh Clair said, “Leicester’s annual open exhibition always provides an inspiring snapshot of the wealth of artistic talent that exists in Leicester and the wider region.
“This year, we have simplified the process of submitting work for consideration and we hope that this will encourage even more artists to enter.”
The Open 26 exhibition is organised by Leicester City Council in partnership with De Montfort University.
