Amateur and Professional Artists Invited to Showcase Their Talents in Wrexham Open 2017

One of the region’s leading art competitions is to return to Wrexham this spring, with amateur and professional artists of all kinds encouraged to take part.

The eagerly anticipated Wrexham Open, which returns in April 2017, will bring together a diverse range of talents and ingenuity from both amateur and professional creatives.

Entires to this year’s competition are now being accepted – with artists across North Wales and the North West invited to take part.

New organisers of the Open, Wrexham-based THIS Project, are encouraging entries from artists of all kinds – including, paintings, sculpture, film & video, installations, ceramics, textiles, crafts and more.

Traditionally the event has been held at the Oriel Wrecsam. However due to the ongoing work converting the People’s Market into a new arts and cultural hub, this year’s exhibition will be held at Wrexham’s independent art centre, Undegun.

The pop-up arts facility, which is located in the town’s former JJB Sports shop on Regent Street, has quickly grown in reputation since its launch in summer 2013.

Since opening Undegun has hosted exhibitions from Wales’s hottest emerging talents alongside some of the best new work from around the globe, including art from Finland, the USA, Taiwan and Berlin.

In the three and a half years it’s been open over 70,000 visitors have been welcomed to the pop-up arts centre, and it is hoped the Wrexham Open will continue the trend of busy exhibitions.

With a top prize of £1000 on offer, a runner’s up prize of £250, a people’s prize also of £250 and prizes sponsored Coleg Cambria’s Regional Print Centre, it is expected that there will be a high level of entries to this year’s Open.

Nevertheless, organisers are hoping to exhibit at least one piece by every artist that enters, with work not selected for the Open, being offered a place in a fringe exhibition – also hosted at Undegun.

The judging panel, led by Elysium Gallery’s Jonathan Powell, who is the founder of last years successful BEEP Wales International Painting Prize, which was shown in North Wales (at Undegun) for the first time in its 8 year history, also features leading Welsh artists Thomas Goddard, and Rhian Haf.

Other new elements to the Open will include a Digital Entry Only policy, with multiple support sessions set up for those who may not be confident with online entry.

It is hoped that this new approach can create a year-round legacy for the competition, and events will be held throughout April to encourage artists to network and create opportunities for collaboration.

Online Applications for the Wrexham Open can be made at: www.wrexhamopen.com