Art exhibitions come back to Newarke Houses Museum

Newarke Houses Museum is holding the annual Leicester and East Midlands Open Art exhibition for the first time in 26 years.

The free exhibition, which has previously been held at New Walk Museum, was open to submissions from local and regional artists from 11-years-old upwards.

Hundreds of people submitted their work to the competition, from paintings to pottery and then 250 works are selected to be on display.

Kerem Cetindamar, Digital Access Officer for Newarke Houses Museum said: “It’s open to all artists; amateurs and professionals, young and old. That’s the best thing about it, it’s open to everyone.”

One piece is chosen and bought by City of Leicester Museums Trust which will be gifted to the museum.

This year the purchase prizewinner is Peter Rapp with Poisonous Back’d Toad.

Mr Cetindamar added: “It’s a Richard the III inspired piece which is topical and quite unusual. That’s probably why it’s been chosen.”

Five of the pieces are chosen by different companies sponsoring the exhibition to win a cash prize.

However the most prestigious is the Richard Attenborough Prize, which includes £2000, and a solo exhibition at the City Gallery in Leicester

This year’s winner is Claire Elizabeth Jackson with a portrait called “I Still Miss My Granny”.

Paige Uttley-Plunkett, 19, a Fine Art student at De Montfort University was visiting the exhibition today.

She said: “This is a great exhibition and some of the submissions are from artists as young as 11. My course friend, Jonjo Elliot had his oil and acrylic canvas painting chosen to feature, which is excellent for him.”

The exhibition is open to all from Saturday March 14 until Sunday March 4 and the museum is open 7 days a week.