Derbyshire Open Art Competition Welcomes New Entries

Artists are urged to get creative about Derbyshire’s life, landscapes and people in the annual Derbyshire Open Art Exhibition.

The Derbyshire County Council run competition is fast approaching its 36th year and is open to artists of all ages, professional and amateur. The judges ask that entrants use Derbyshire to inspire their submissions.

Artists should use their entries to show what does this county means to them. The work could be a Derbyshire landscape, a town or streetscape, local people, still life or representations of local stories. Artists can use most media, including oils, acrylics, watercolours, drawing, print, collage, manipulated digital imagery or three-dimensional work.

Councillor Barry Lewis, Council Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Leadership, Culture and Tourism, said:

“This is an opportunity not to be missed for local artists. They can celebrate this wonderful county and show their work to thousands of visitors and tourists − and the winning entry will be added to Buxton Museum and Art gallery’s permanent collection.”

Artists can submit up to two works which must be handed in between 10.30am and 4pm on Friday 8 June and Saturday 9 June 2018, at the museum on Terrace Road, Buxton. An independent panel of four judges will select the works to be exhibited at the county council’s Buxton Museum and Art Gallery.

There are nine prizes to be won, totalling £2,150. Eight are selected by the judges and one by the public. First prize wins the Derbyshire Trophy and a £750 prize, with the bonus that this winning work is acquired for the museum’s art collection. Prizes will be announced at the preview on Friday 22 June 2018 at 6.30pm for the children’s prize giving and 7.30pm for the adults’ prize giving.

However, the public vote will select the Visitors’ Choice winner. Visitors to Buxton Museum can post their nomination for their favourite piece of work while the exhibition is on. The winner of this prize will be announced on the museum’s website and social media on Wednesday 8 August 2018.

Buxton Museum and Art Gallery re-opened its doors last September and since then the museum has welcomed a significant number of visitors due to improved accessibility and new displays.

The Derbyshire Open Exhibition runs at the height of the tourist season, through the Buxton Festival and summer holiday, when the museum is expecting to be busy, so this is a chance for artists to show their work to a large number of people.

You can find out more information and enter the competition here.

The competition is supported by Tarmac and the Friends of Buxton Museum and Art Gallery.