Cheltenham Art
The Cheltenham Open Air Art Exhibition
The Cotswolds town of Cheltenham Spa is well known for its annual Festival, which incorporates Literature, Music and the Arts, as well as an acclaimed Science Festival. The Open Air Art Exhibition is an additional attraction in the town during the festival and has been running each year since 1969. It showcases the art of over 100 locals painters over a 4 week period, and is organised by an Exhibition Committee of eleven artists. The Committee is voluntary and exists only to organise the Cheltenham Open Air Art Exhibition.
The Exhibition is open to all local artists and is not based upon the individual merit of the artwork: Application forms are sent out in mid-March to artists who have exhibited recently or who expressed an interest in participating. The available screens are then allocated to applicants on a first come, first served basis. The work exhibited covers a spectrum of talent, incorporating professional artists and relative beginners alike. This format is very popular with the artists themselves, and the event is always over-subscribed.
The event is also very popular
with the people of Cheltenham. It provides a colourful annual pageant of
original artwork, and offers the potential for real bargains: the commission
charged by the event is small compared with that charged by Galleries (who
have far higher overheads), and this is reflected in the prices of the artwork
on offer. Typically you can expect to pay half the price you would be
charged in a gallery!
Saying that, staging this event is becoming an increasingly expensive activity. The cost of the mandatory public liability insurance has followed the general trend in insurance premiums over the last few years; rapid escalation. The scaffolding is also expensive. The event is funded by fees paid by the artists themselves, and the levies taken from the sale of their paintings, which are currently 10%.
In effect, the Exhibition is reliant upon the commercial success of its exhibiting artists to maintain itself each year.
The economics of the event is thus market-led and driven by the art-lovers of Cheltenham and its environs. We owe them a debt of thanks for their support down the years, and hope to continue to offer them excellent quality and value for years to come.
2006 Cheltenham Festival
37th Open Air Art Exhibition
There will be four separate one week exhibitions to run consecutively. The dates will be as follows:
WEEK 1 Saturday 24th June to Sat 1st July inclusive (8 days)
WEEK 2 Sunday 2nd July to Saturday 8th July inclusive (7 days)
WEEK 3 Sunday 9th July to Saturday 15th July inclusive (7 days)
WEEK 4 Sunday 16th July to Sunday 23rd July inclusive (8 days)
Applications will be considered from any local artist or group (approximately 20 miles radius around Cheltenham) to hire a screen for one week.
There are still some screens available for Week 2! Please contact Frances Arrow for details.
The screens are approximately 6 feet high. It is suggested that new exhibitors apply for a half screen. The hire charge will be £22 per screen and £11 per half screen per week. In addition a commission of 10% will be levied on each picture sold.
Pictures should be priced in multiples of £5, e.g. £35, £40, £45 etc, a with a minimum price of £15.
There will be stewards on duty to deal with sales and queries.
Contact Details
If you have any enquiries about the event, please contact Frances Arrow, who is the Committee member in charge of screen allocations:
Frances Arrow (01242) 243673
2005 Newsletter
"Once again we welcome old and new patrons to the Cheltenham Open Air Art Exhibition in the Imperial Gardens. This being our 36th year we hope that you enjoy your week and have a successful showing".
Clive Lawrence, Chairman
The Margaret Spear Memorial Prize
"For those of you who may not know, the Margaret Spears Memorial Prize for the best Landscape painting in the Exhibition last year (2004) was awarded to Carole Hemmind for her painting "Clenches Mill". The prize was presented by the Chairman Clive Lawrence and Committee members, at the last night of the Exhibition, to a stunned Carole. It was her first time in the Exhibition and she was not expecting such an accolade. Well done Carole."
Your Committee:
Clive Lawrence (Chairman, newsletter), Christine Smith (Treasurer), Audrey Pollard, Frances Arrow (Allocations), Brenda Warren (Stewards, Wk3), Mike Kingston (Stewards Wk4), Bev Perry (Stewards, Wk2), Peter Boydell, Colin Clark, Alan Haylock, Andy Lloyd (Publicity), Jane Ware and Trudi Ochiltree.
Regulations
We would remind you that the levy system again this year will be a straight 10% on each picture sold. Please help the Duty Committee Member by making sure that you have plenty of change with you each evening. Your envelope may have to be withheld until you have paid the levy if you do not have any money with you.
Please note that there are no parking facilities for exhibitors within the gardens, and pictures have to be put up by 10.00am and taken down before 8.30pm each evening. See below:
Regulations for Artists
1) The paintings exhibited must be the artist's own original work. Pictures involving and reproduction process of any description are not allowed; for example - no prints, no photocopies, no hand coloured prints. In addition, no copies of the work of other artists are allowed except in the case of the 'old masters' when suitable attribution must be made on the label and the back of the picture.
2) Pictures must be properly framed and suitable presented for hanging. Clip frames are allowed but should not exceed approximately 14" x 1" for safety reasons. Block canvases of the sort used for oils and acrylics will be accepted without frames. These must be the type with staple-free edges which permits the picture being continued round the edges of the canvasses. All other canvasses must be framed. Artists will be asked to remove any pictures not considered to be framed properly.
3) Pictures must be labelled with the labels provided and in the manner which will be specified in the acceptance form.
4) Screen must be occupied by 10am at the latest each day. Failure to do so may result in the screen being re-allocated.
5) Exhibitors will be responsible for hanging their work each morning by 10am and removing each evening at 8.30pm or, under conditions of adverse weather, at such other times as determined by the Duty Committee Member. On days of severe weather it may be possible to mount a limited exhibition. On the last evening of each week all pictures must be taken away.
6) Exhibitors must not display advertising material on the screen or labels, e.g. commissions taken.
7) Each exhibitor is responsible for filling the screen adequately for the full period. In order to maintain a balanced effect on the screen pictures must not touch each other or overlap. Please make sure your pictures do not overlap onto another screen.
8) Individual permission must be sought from the duty steward for the removal of any pictures from the screen.
9) Neither the organising Committee nor the Cheltenham Borough Council can be held responsible in the event of loss, damage or theft. Your attention is drawn to the notes on security on your paintings on the form which will be sent to you if you are allocated a screen.
10) The decision of the Committee, or of the duty steward acting on behalf of the Committee, is final on all matters related to the hanging or removal of pictures and the allocation of screen space.
11) When a picture is sold the artist, or representative, is responsible for collecting the payment from the Duty Committee Member or duty steward and for paying the appropriate levy due on the date the sale is made.
12) If you are allocated a screen you will be expected to steward. This is a condition of exhibiting at the exhibition.
