Beverley Art Gallery’s popular Open Art exhibition is closing on Saturday, 7 January 2023, so don’t miss it.
This year’s selectors, Neil Helyard and Mimi Claughton, well-known Beverley artists and tutors, selected over 100 entries from local artists, reflecting many different styles. The entries to be displayed were selected over the course of two days.
Neil Helyard said:
“The overall quality of the entries was very, very good. We were both very pleasantly surprised. We wanted to ensure the best quality for the exhibition.”
Mimi Claughton added:
“As there hadn’t been an Open Art exhibition since before COVID, it was good to see what people had been doing during the period when there were no classes or courses, which made it harder for people to choose what to paint or draw.
“Work during COVID was not influenced by external factors – we were all painting and drawing on our own.”
This exhibition still features the winning work, ‘The Times after Degas’, by local sculptor Gail E. Hurst. Both judges were keen to offer advice to future Open Art entrants; Neil Helyard said:
“Just because you like a piece of art doesn’t mean that everybody else will. It’s all about interpretation – don’t just copy a photo, do something unique with it!”
Mimi Claughton added:
“We would encourage anybody to take part in Open Art if they go and paint anywhere. It’s not necessarily about being taught or influenced, but just about getting involved.”
Beverley Art Gallery curator Hannah Willetts said :
“We are so grateful to Mimi and Neil for their efforts in judging and selecting from hundreds of entries to Open Art this year. The care, consideration, and time they took is clearly reflected in this stunning and memorable exhibition – please do come and see it before it closes in early 2023!”
There are a number of entries for sale in the exhibition.
Admission to the Beverly Art Gallery is free six days a week, and the Treasure House is on Champney Road. For the Open Art exhibition, there is no need to make a reservation.
From 25-30 December inclusive, and on Monday, 2 January, the Treasure House will be closed due to changes in the opening hours.
To find out more about the Treasure House and its opening hours, please visit www.eastridingmuseums.co.uk.
