Hastings Museum and Art Gallery is looking for visual artists and makers to enter its new open call exhibition, Hastings Open 2020

The exhibition is for UK and international visual artists working in painting, sculpture, drawing, print, photography, digital, audio, mixed media, and video.

This new opportunity is part of a programme to open up Hastings Museum & Art Gallery and its collections to contemporary artists as both a resource for supporting their careers and as a source of inspiration.

To enter, artists are invited to upload images of their work to the online portal for a first round of judging by the selection panel. The entrants who are successful in this round will then be invited to bring their work to the museum for the second round of judging for the final exhibition selection.

Entry starts at £5 for one artwork up to £20 for a maximum of five. Artists can enter by following the link on http://www.hmag.org.uk/events/open between now and midnight on February 23rd next year.  the Hastings Open exhibition will run from May 2nd until July 5th 2020.

Kim Forward, lead councillor for culture said: “Hastings Open 2020 shows how Hastings Museum and Art Gallery is continuing to re-establish itself as one of the leading cultural venues in East Sussex.

“This will be an exciting exhibition which  offers a prize of a residency at Hastings Museum and Art Gallery, a solo show at blackShed Gallery and £500. Thanks to Kate Adams, Ellen Prebble, Kenton Lowe, Phoebe Cripps and Adam Jones, who will make up the selection panel for Hastings Open.”

Hastings Open 2020 Key Dates

• Online submission closes – February 23rd 2020 (23:59)
• Selection notification – by March 1st 2020
• Shortlist submission: March 17th – 21st 2020
• Final selection: by April 3rd 2020
• Exhibition:  May 2nd until July 5th 2020

Entry Costs

• £5 for one artwork
• £20 for up to 5 artworks

Prize

• A solo exhibition at blackShed Gallery in 2021
• A residency at Hastings Museum & Art Gallery in 2020/21
• and a cash prize of £500

Selection Panel

• Kate Adams – artist and CEO of Project Art Works, Hastings East Sussex
• Ellen Prebble – artist, Project Art Works, Hastings, East Sussex
• Kenton Lowe – blackShed Gallery, Robertsbridge, East Sussex
• Patrick Adam Jones –  Project 78 Gallery, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex”
• Phoebe Cripps – Hayward Gallery, London

Terms & conditions

• Only works submitted through the online portal will be considered for inclusion
• Please submit single images only. Digital slideshows or PowerPoint presentations will not be accommodated in the selection process.
• Moving image file attachments, DVDs, Blu-Rays, VHS or Video CD will not be accepted.
• Work must have been produced since Jan 2017
• 2 dimensional work must not exceed a height of 150cm due to gallery display area.
• Maximum floor space for sculptures is 80cm x 80cmx 200cm due to door widths.
• Sculptures need to be easily portable.
• Art works need to be labelled on back of work with label provided once registration & payment is completed
• Prints must be one-off pieces, signed, numbered & limited edition
• Framed work should be suitably framed & will be hung with mirror plates
• Unframed work must include clear instructions for display with relevant fixings
• Art work must be for sale (Maximum price £10,000)
• The sale price will include the Museum’s 15% commission + VAT
• Payment will be made to the artist at the end of the exhibition
• Overseas submission need to ensure all customs paperwork is complete with return documentation.
• Overseas work should be packaged for international transport
• The Museum will not cover costs associated to transport of work
• Exhibitors are responsible for arranging their own insurance to cover damage or loss to their artwork either in transit or whilst at the Museum.
• Images of selected art work will be used for promotional purposes only on Museum social media, print and website.