The Grundy Art Gallery is calling on residents from across Blackpool and the Fylde Coast to enter into its forthcoming open submission exhibition.



The open show is part of a wider exhibition called the ‘Blackpool Art Fayre’, which will open at the end of January (28 January – 18 March 2017) and aims to be a celebration of the creativity and artistic work of Blackpool residents, as well as highlighting a selection of new and old favourite works from the Grundy’s collection.

Prospective participants are urged to get in touch with the gallery to obtain and submit an application form at the earliest opportunity as, although there is no selection process, once all the space is gone they will not be able to take any more artworks.

Alongside the open exhibition the gallery will be spotlighting the work of two Blackpool-based arts organisations: the Blackpool Art Society and the recently formed Abingdon Studios. This showcasing follows similar exhibitions such as ‘Rock & Pop: New prints from the Rock Factory’, held at the gallery in 2015, and offers further opportunities for locally-based artists to develop and display work.

In addition there will be a selection of new acquisitions and old favourites drawn from the Grundy’s own collection and an exhibition of works by schoolchildren from across the Fylde Coast.

Cllr Luke Taylor, Lead Member for Arts on Blackpool Council, said: “We decided to call this the ‘Blackpool Art Fayre’ with Fayre spelt in the old way to signal that this is a community celebration and site of exchange.

“It’s lifting the lid on what Fylde residents are up to artistically, and participants will also have the opportunity to sell their work if desired too.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the submissions that are sent over for the exhibition and I’m sure that we will discover some hidden artists who we can help bring their work into the public domain.”

The poster for the exhibition has also been designed locally by Blackpool artist Carlito Juanito.

The open call is available to Fylde residents with an FY postcode. Residents at the edge of the Fylde boundary with PR3 or PR4 postcode may also be eligible and are encouraged to contact the gallery to check.

There is a nominal £5 entry fee for administration and a submission limit of only one artwork per artist as we want to include as many people as possible.