The Ropewalk’s biennial open exhibition has again attracted artists from throughout our region. We had a large number of entries and limited space proved to be a bigger consideration for the selectors than lack of quality:
Being a selector for this open exhibition was both a terrific privilege and a challenging role! Terrific – as we were surrounded by work of extremely high quality, presenting many different styles, techniques and glimpses into the artists’ worlds. And challenging, of course, for all the same reasons!
No-one should underestimate the creative force and dynamism there is in this area, from the Humber to the Wash, and I, for one, will be recommending this exhibition highly as THE place to visit.
Ann Wallis, Selector.
I have been involved with selection and hanging exhibitions for the past 40years but this was my first ‘Open’. How would I describe the experience? I liken it to my one and only roller coaster ride, exciting but terrifying, hurtling along, wanting to get off, and then wanting to start all over again as soon as it stopped!
An Open, I believe, should show a cross section of work, something I hope we have managed to do, but in the doing of it we have had to consider space, I think we could have easily selected another exhibition with as much quality and diversity as is being shown. How wonderful then that we have so many and such gifted artists practising in our area, how sad that there are so few places large enough to show the work, how much we owe to those at the Ropewalk for developing this excellent space.
I hope that everyone who visits the exhibition finds something to enjoy, something to hold within and remember.
Carol Butler, Selector.
The exhibition is kindly sponsored by The Proudfoot Group and Cooke Webster & Co
Prize Winners to be announced shortly.
