The prestigious Bath Society of Artists’ annual exhibition will open at Bath & North East Somerset Council’s Victoria Art Gallery on Saturday 20th May.
Now in its 112th year, this hugely popular exhibition showcases the best of the region’s artistic talent. Any artist aged 18 or over can submit work for possible selection.
Cllr Patrick Anketell-Jones, (Conservative, Lansdown) Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said: “The Bath Society of Artists exhibition is a highlight of Bath’s artistic calendar, showcasing paintings, drawings and sculptures by talented artists from across the region.
“Admission is free for local residents with a Discovery Card, and visitors can vote for their favourite artwork to win the People’s Choice Prize.”
Susanna Lisle, Chairman of Bath Society of Artists, said: “The Bath Society of Artists Annual Open Exhibition gives an opportunity to artists of all ages and disciplines to show their work alongside members of the Society.
“We are pleased to say that well over half the work accepted for the exhibition is by non-members, making for a very rich and varied show.
“Each year we invite well-known figures in the contemporary art world to be our judges for the extensive range of prizes. This year our judges are Anthony Hepworth, Mark Surridge and Jo Taylor. We also invite a well-known artist to show with us and this year it will be sculptor Michael Pennie.”
The Society was founded in 1904 with 26 members. It has grown over the years to a membership of about 120 diverse, talented artists.
Many distinguished 20th-century painters have exhibited with the Society including Walter Sickert, John Singer Sargent, Philip Wilson Steer, Gilbert Spencer, Patrick Heron, Mary Fedden, William Scott and Howard Hodgkin.
The annual exhibition, which is open to non-members, attracts more than 1,000 entries and 13,000 visitors. All the artworks are for sale, and sales have doubled in recent years.
The prizes on offer total more than £3,000, and include the Bath Society of Artists Prize of £1,000, the Bristol Guild Prize of £250 for a 3-D work, and the Harry Walker RWA Young Artist Prize of £250, awarded to artists aged 18 to 25.
There are also smaller prizes for prints, watercolours, small paintings and drawings.
During the exhibition, members of the public will be invited to vote for their favourite artwork, with the winner of the Bath Society of Artists Public Choice Prize receiving £500.
To enter, artists must submit their work at the Victoria Art Gallery on Saturday 13th May between 10am and 3.30pm. Exhibits may be paintings, sculpture, drawings, prints or mixed media. Digital prints and collaborative artworks can be submitted. No photography or Giclée reproductions will be accepted.
For more details and an application form visit www.bsartists.co.uk. Application forms are also available from the Gallery.