Are you an artist living and/or working within the current boundaries of County Durham?
Our annual Open Art Exhibition, which will be hosted in the Gallery at Bishop Auckland Town Hall from Monday 9 December 2024 to February 2025, is now open for applications. This is a group exhibition for local artists to reflect local talent and creativity.
Last year saw an unprecedented demand for applications with 189 pieces of art displayed from 99 artists, including drawings, paintings, textiles, sculptures, digital art and photography.
Artists are invited to submit up to three pieces of artwork, wall mounted or free standing. All applications will be assessed by a panel to ensure we host a wide range of mediums and subjects. Any works submitted can be for sale, or for exhibit only. Depending on the number of applications we cannot guarantee all works will be displayed.
Young Open Art
Young artists aged 11 to 18 who live or study in County Durham are also invited to apply and can submit up to two pieces of artwork. As with the open call, artwork can be wall mounted or free standing.
Application Criteria
- You must live or work within County Durham.
- Application closes at 5.00pm on Tuesday 1 October. Applications received after this time will not be accepted.
- Photographic images of the artwork must be submitted with your application in JPEG or PNG format.
- Titles and sizes of all pieces must be submitted with your application in cm’s.
- All wall mounted art must be submitted with mirror plates already attached, and ready framed if necessary.
- Free standing sculptures will only be included dependant on size and stability. You may be required to supply a plinth/stand for your artwork, if they are not floor standing, as we do not always have suitable display methods in house.
- Your artwork should not be a direct copy of another artist’s work.
- If your artwork is a limited-edition print of your work this must be identified on application for correct labelling.
- Artworks can be for exhibition only or can be for sale. If you are selling your artwork, buyers would need to wait until de-install to collect their purchased piece. The Gallery will retain 20% of the sale price as commission.
- Completed application forms should be submitted no later than 1st October along with photographic images in JPEG or PNG format.
- We’ll aim to inform successful applicants by Thursday 31 October.
- Artworks on display in the exhibition will be photographed and may be used in promotional and marketing materials for the exhibition and gallery.
How to apply
For further information and to obtain an application form, please email BATHGallery@durham.gov.uk
