Wells Art Contemporary 2023
Deadline: 10/05/2023
Contact
Parker Harris
Wells
Details
Wells Art Contemporary (WAC) is an international art competition giving artists the opportunity to exhibit their work in Wells Cathedral and receive a wide range of prizes.
Now in its 13th year, WAC’s next exhibition will take place in August 2023. This annual showcase is a highlight of Wells cultural life and attracts thousands of visitors each summer. Selected artists’ works will be seen by a significant and attentive audience. Submissions can be in any medium or style.
The competition draws artists from around the world, wishing to show in such an inspirational, prestigious and unusual space. Its international reach and reputation has grown significantly in recent years through the exhibition’s online platform and WAC’s ongoing association with eminent artists. An Antony Gormley sculpture is currently installed in niche 338 on the Cathedral’s West front.
WAC provides two ways for artists to exhibit and sell work: the Gallery show, where artworks are shown in a temporary white-wall gallery within the Cathedral's cloisters; and the Installation Show which showcases site-specific installations in the main body of the Cathedral and its grounds. Both shows run concurrently.
The WAC Gallery is a unique exhibition space installed along three sides of Wells Cathedral’s Cloisters, where a white-wall gallery is built to display work. It forms part of the main visitor route round the Cathedral and can be very busy, especially in summer.
Artwork in any medium will be considered for exhibition in the Gallery Show, including painting, drawing, sculpture, print, photo, video, digital, textile, mixed media, and more.
The Gallery Show will be selected by three distinguished artists:
• Curtis Holder, working in pencil on paper, winner of Sky Portrait Artist of the Year 2020, with artworks in the collections of Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Soho House. His solo exhibition, The Makers: Portraits from Backstage, is open at the National Theatre, London, until November 2023.
• Nina Murdoch, a painter whose work is characterised by a meticulous technique resembling that of the early Renaissance, working in egg tempera on boards primed with gesso. Awards include the ING Purchase Prize, ING Discerning Eye 2019.
• Kelvin Okafor, known both online and offline for his life-like portraits in pencil, winner of the de Laszlo Foundation Award, Royal Society of Portrait Painters 2013. “I am delighted to be a judge at this year’s Wells Art Contemporary” says Kelvin Okafur. “Open exhibitions were a giant stepping stone for my art to gain visibility many years ago. It led to winning awards and being featured in several major media outlets, affording me the pleasure of being a full-time artist.”
Artists taking part in Wells Art Contemporary 2023 – both the Gallery Show and the Installation Show – will be entered for a wide range of prizes:
• Howden Art Award: £2,000 awarded to one artist selected by Howden Group.
• NG Creative Art Residency Award: a two-week placement at the NG Art Creative Residency & Gallery in Provence, France, including board and lodging, studio space, mentorship and outings.
• JGM Gallery Prize: works by selected artists will be showcased online by JGM Gallery.
• Student Prize: £1,000 awarded to a current fine art student aged under 26 by Tracey Grace.
• Parker Harris Mentoring Prize: a one-to-one mentoring session covering all aspects of professional development to a selected artist.
• Somerset Art Works Prize: a one-to-one mentoring session with Somerset Art Works.
• People’s Choice Prize: £500 awarded to one artist selected by visitors of the exhibition.
• St Cuthberts Mill Award: 20 sheets of Saunders Waterford 300gsm worth over £120.
• Artist residency in Provence, France
There will be an additional exhibition showing prizewinning works at GBS Fine Art in Wells immediately after the Cathedral show closes.
All artists, all styles, all techniques and all nationalities are encouraged to take part.
Up to 4 works or proposals for installations may be entered in any medium for either the Gallery Show, the Installation Show, or both. Media include painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, installation, video, textile, ceramic, mixed media and more. Installation artists are encouraged to visit or view Wells Cathedral beforehand to inform their proposal
The entry fee for both shows is £17.50 per work, or £10 per work for current fine art students aged under 26 who are enrolled on a recognised Bachelor or Masters Fine Arts course.
To enter the Gallery Show: https://new.artopps.co.uk/opportunities/Wells-Art-Contemporary2023
The deadline is Wednesday 10 May 2023, 5pm BST.
