Blyth Open Call Exhibition

Stained blue palm and fingers against a lighter blue wall. Text reads OPEN CALL.

Headway Arts’ Blyth Open Call Exhibition aims to showcase contemporary art by bringing together creators living & working in Blyth Valley. Designed to be inclusive and promote local talent, Blyth Open Call Exhibition will give local artists a free opportunity to show & sell their work.

Artists will receive 100% of the proceeds from any of their artworks sold – Headway Arts will not add commission.

Join us for the Blyth Open Call Exhibition Preview and Art Auction on Tuesday 20th June from 6pm – 8pm.

There’ll be drinks and nibbles, music, a raffle and the charity art auction of work kindly donated by Blyth Open Call artists.
And then the The Open Call Exhibition is open:

🗓 Wednesday 21st June 2023 — 1pm-5pm
🗓 Thursday 22nd June 2023 — 1pm-5pm
🗓 Friday 23rd June 2023 — 1pm-5pm
🗓 Saturday 24th June 2023 — 2pm-9pm

FREE ENTRY.

If you’d like your artwork to be considered for the exhibition the deadline for submissions is 12 noon on Friday 9th June 2023.

Before you make your submission please ensure that you are able to commit to attending the Preview event, and delivery & collection dates for artwork – details below.

Blyth Open Call Exhibition is curated by Fran Castle, Allie Walton-Robson & Paul Denton of Headway Arts and supported by Arts Council England.

Submission Information

Artists must live or work within Blyth Valley constituency: view the Blyth Valley map.
Entrants must be at least 16 years old.
Artists can submit up to five (5) artworks for the exhibition. Each artwork will be considered individually.
It is not guaranteed that work submitted will be exhibited.
Artists may submit collaborative pieces.
Artists are asked to donate a small artwork for the charity auction (see dates below). This can by one of the artists’ submitted works or an additional piece.
Previously exhibited or published works are eligible.
There are no thematic limitations but the work must not be overtly obscene, sexually explicit or otherwise offensive, or be inconsistent with Headway Arts’ Equality & Diversity Policy.
Artistic disciplines include (but are not restricted to) works on canvas/ board/ paper/ other supports, mediums such as oil/ acrylic/ collage/ watercolour/ mixed media, photography, digital art (but no AI assisted art), video art, sculpture, fibre art and installation.
AI assisted art is not eligible.
All work must be presented framed and mounted and ready to hang on to nails, hooks or with wire. 3D works must be presented on a plinth.
Video pieces may be submitted but video artists must provide their own display equipment.
2D artworks can be no larger than 193cm (76 inches) in width, length or depth (including frame). If an intended submission is wider than 250cm (98 inches) please contact us prior to submission.
3D artworks can be no larger than 193cm (76 inches) x 71cm (28 inches).
If a single artwork has numerous elements which are integral parts of the same artwork – such as a diptych – it is considered as one piece.
Artists must complete a Submission Form on delivery of work. The price list and exhibition labels will be created from the Submission Form you submit. Please ensure you enter the correct information about your work/s.
All works must be labelled with artist name and artwork title in order to be identifiable during the hanging process.
Artworks will be curated and hung by the Headway Arts team. Decisions about placement of work are final.
Exhibited artworks must be for sale. All sales are private transactions between buyer and artist. No arrangements or money is handled by Headway Arts who take no responsibility for the selling process. In order to facilitate the sale of works, artists must supply Headway Arts with business cards (or equivalent) for potential buyers to take – you must give Headway Arts permission via the Submission Form to pass on the business cards (or equivalent) to others.
By submitting your work for consideration, you are giving permission for photographs of your work to be used on social media, printed materials and in press publications, at the discretion of the Headway Arts team.
Headway Arts cannot store any works. Artworks that are not collected after 2 weeks are donated to Headway Arts by the artist and offered to charity, local hospitals, nursing homes or other care givers.
No postal entries.
Headway Arts reserves the right to close the submission window early.
Headway Arts shall have no liability whatsoever for any loss, damage, deterioration or wear, including damage to frames.

Dates

Submission/ Delivery window: Monday 5th June (9.30am) to Friday 9th June (12 noon) 2023 to Headway ArtSpace (Mon, Tues, Weds, Thurs 9.30am – 4pm & Fri 9.30am – 12 noon.)
By Friday 16^th June 2023 we’ll let you know whether your work will be exhibited as part of the Exhibition.
Approved artists are required to be personally present during the Blyth Open Call Preview and Art Auction event to sell and introduce their work – Tuesday 20th June 2023 from 6pm – 8pm.
Blyth Open Call Exhibition opens on Tuesday 20th June at 6pm.
Exhibition ends on Saturday 24th June 2023 at 9pm.
Artists must collect their works on Monday 26th June 2023 between 3pm – 5pm. Proof of ID will be required in order to collect your work.

Download Blyth Open Call Exhibition submission details [pdf 210 kb] (but remember to check this page for any updates.)

If you need this information in another accessible format and/ or help with the submission process please email us: hello@headwayarts.co.uk or telephone 01670 351962.

FAQ

WHEN CAN I DELIVER MY WORK?

You can drop off your artwork at Headway ArtSpace during these times:

Monday 5^th June 2023 between 9.30am and 4.00pm
Tuesday 6^th June 2023 between 9.30am and 4.00pm
Wednesday 7^th June 2023 between 9.30am and 4.00pm
Thursday 8^th June 2023 between 9.30am and 4.00pm
Friday 9^th June 2023 between 9.30am and 12.00pm (noon).

You will need to fill in the Submission Form when you drop off your work. You can download the form here if you’d like to complete it in advance and bring it with you.

Make sure your work is labelled with artist name and title or we won’t know whose it is!

WHERE IS HEADWAY ARTSPACE?

We are in the old United Reformed Church at the corners of Waterloo Road and Cypress Gardens in central Blyth. Our address is:

Headway ArtSpace
The Old Church
Waterloo Road
Blyth
NE24 1BY

Find us on Google Maps.

HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY ARTWORK HAS BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE EXHIBITION?

We will contact you via email by Friday 16^th June 2023 to let you know whether your work will be exhibited as part of the Blyth Open Call Exhibition.