SHERBORNE OPEN ART EXHIBITION 2023

collection - come from the many skilful, imaginative and creative artists who choose to contribute to this special exhibition. The increasingly unusual submission process, allowing entrants to turn up with their artworks with no online pre-selection and no need to submit photos in advance, encourages spontaneity. The aim is to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible to enter and to encourage, help and advise new entrants. The prize fund for artists is now over £1,000 with a new prize this year to encourage 3D work.

Of course, this couldn’t happen without our volunteers – mostly participating artists but several who are art lovers and supporters choosing to give their time and assistance. A big thank you is due to them.

Again this year, the exhibition is organised under the ‘umbrella’ of Sherborne Arts. Local solicitors Mogers Drewett continue as lead sponsor, awarding the ‘Judges’ Choice’ artist prize. Other sponsors are Castle Gardens, Charterhouse Auctioneers, The Grange at Oborne, Knight Frank, Old Barn Framing, Platinum Skies and Symonds & Sampson. We truly appreciate our sponsors’ generosity and support.

This year we are introducing the concept of becoming a Patron of the Sherborne Open, allowing a donation of between £25 and £100 to be made towards costs. Patrons, businesses or individuals, will be invited to priority events like the exhibition’s Private View and their names listed at the exhibition in recognition (unless they wish anonymity) but their real reward is that of helping a worthwhile event. If you would like to become a Patron, please contact me via the website. A word about Sherborne Art Club and the Sherborne Open Art Exhibition, which came close to folding permanently during the pandemic, needing concerted efforts by a few dedicated people to resurrect them both. With Artslink folding and the cancellation of the Paddock Project, the loss of the Sherborne Open too would have been a serious blow to Sherborne’s creative community and to the town as a whole. Now, things look brighter all round. With the Sherborne House development well under way too it seems that Sherborne is recovering its creative mojo.

Our immediate aims for The Sherborne Open are: sherbornearts.org

For creatives – to stage a forum for all artists. As well as established artists, we seek to attract new and, hopefully, younger artists to participate and to attract a wide range of 2D and 3D visual art. Prize winners in 2022 included someone who had never entered an exhibition before, mistakenly worried about taking that one small step. Such things are key to what the Sherborne Open is about.

For Sherborne – to benefit the town’s artistic, cultural and social calendar. The exhibition is already well re-established but can develop further. Its return after four years was hugely welcomed and we see it bringing visitors, benefitting local trade and enhancing Sherborne’s attractiveness overall as a destination. In terms of promoting the town’s reputation in the visual arts (some of which has been lost both in absolute terms and relatively to other local towns) the Sherborne Open definitely has a part to play.

For all – to put back into the arts. A financiallysound and widely-supported major regional exhibition like this feeds back into the town, encouraging all sorts of artistic endeavours; education, workshops, youth and schools training, fun and creativity for all age groups.

For these things to happen, we need active and engaged people, as all clubs and non-profit making organisations do. If you can help, have particular skills or even have a vision, do get in touch: sherborneartexhibition@gmail.com.

If you’d like to show your work, there’s still time: online ‘fast-track’ registration for entries is available on the Sherborne Arts website: sherbornearts.org/sherborneopen-art-exhibition until 10th July. We very much encourage all artists reading this to register in advance but if you miss that deadline, you can still enter on the two hand-in days – 14th and 15th July.

For everyone else, do make a point of visiting this excellent exhibition. Enjoy it, support so many talented people and maybe even come away with an artwork to give you pleasure for years to come.

Overleaf – last year's prizewinning watercolour entry

Saturday 22nd – Sunday 30th July

10am-5pm (10am-2pm Sunday 30th)

Sherborne Open Art Exhibition

Digby Hall, Hound Street DT9 3AA. Admission free.