• Background
• Developing the Open
• Selected Works
• Last year's winners

Background

The Open attracts a wide range of applications from artists of all backgrounds, ages, practices and abilities, resulting in an exhibition that responds directly to the type of application we receive; not restricted to 2D, wall based or traditional media, we have seen and increase in Installation, Video, Performance or Live Art, again reflecting the practices and trends from the artists within the region. Each year The Open is selected by an impartial, independent panel from outside the Midlands who are key towards creating a new, and evolving, exhibition.

As well as supplying more prizes than ever before (through the support of our generous sponsors), we're keen to build and develop the Open as a valuable vehicle for the region's emerging and established artists. Last year's winner of the Castle's own Solo Show prize, Alex Pain, will be presenting a unique installation of his sculptures in the Long Gallery to coincide with Annual Open exhibition.

Developing the Open

We're keen to build on the success of last year and have ambitious plans for The Open 2012. Now expanding the Open to applicants from all over the Midland's, the exhibition will bring larger crowds, audiences, buyers, curators and artists alike to the Castle, and to Nottingham. We've concentrated our focus on attracting even more craft makers in 2012.  Last years winner of the Castle's Solo Prize was ceramicist Anna Collete Hunt, and we're very excited to hear of the ways she is challenging her practice, utilising the architecture of the building to present an installation within our South Hall stairwell.The selection panel

Three impartial selectors are invited to Nottingham each year, each established and respected in their fields, and are key to the evolving nature of the Open selection. Changing the selectors keeps the exhibition fresh and diverse, drawing new applicants and artworks to the exhibition.

Laura Sillars (Artistic Director, Site Gallery) - Site Gallery is Sheffield's international centre for contemporary art. The gallery offers a changing programme of free exhibitions alongside regular artists' talks, conferences, workshops, screenings and  publications. www.sitegallery.org

Simon Roberts (Photographer) - Robert's award winning photographs have been exhibited throughout the world, with recent solo shows at the National Media Museum, UK, EX3 Centro per l'Arte Contemporanea, Italy, and Centro Brasileiro Britânico, Brazil. His work belongs to major public and private collections, including the Deutsche Börse Art Collection, George Eastman House and Wilson Centre for Photography. www.simoncroberts.com

Selected works

Work is selected on its own merits (from digital images or video), rather than in relation to other work in the exhibition and a fundamental principle of the show is that it is selected by an independent panel of experts from outside the city/region (to bring in a 'critical eye' from outside).  At the end of the selection, the panel will be asked to select five 'finalists' four of whom will receive a modest cash prize - we will then invite all the selected artists to vote for one of the five, to determine the overall winner of the top cash prize.

As ever, the prizes of the Open are a major draw to applicants, and this year we are delighted to announce the most comprehensive prize offer compared to all other 'open submission' style exhibitions in the region! For 2012, we welcome Broadway ,GreatArt, One Thoresby Street, Rufford Gallery and Axisweb who are all offering a variety of commission, residency, exhibition, art material and professional development prizes.

We are seeing an increased amount of applications from Artists working with performance, outdoor sculpture, video and installation, so we're working on ways to include more of this type of work around the exhibition's current format.  In addition, we're keen to include a strong Craft presence by working with organisations that proved vital to draw new makers to apply last year, namely Rufford Craft Centre and The Design Factory.  In short, The Open will serve the Artistic Community by responding to those Midland artists who apply, adapting to and representing the trends in their current practices.

Last year's winners

With 947 works of art and craft submitted by 304 artists and makers, the selectors spent a long and challenging day deciding which works to include in this year's Open exhibition. Their brief was to draw together a body of work that represented the wide range of creative practice taking place in our region, from style and medium, to subject and technical ability. From the large number of applications they finally drew together 127 works, including video, performance, collage, drawing, ceramics, painting, jewellery, installation, sculpture and printmaking.

And the winners for The Nottingham Annual Open 2011 prizes were:

• Tarpey Gallery Prize (a solo exhibition at the Tarpey Gallery in Castle Donington) went to: Nick Hedderly
• George Thornton Prize for Recent Graduates (George  selected an artist who has graduated in the last 3 years, for an exclusive 6 months representation by his gallery) went to: George Hardy
• The Ian Robinson Prize - a £200 cash prize - awarded by this company who specialise in lettering and graphics for exhibition and display - went to: Paul Crook
• The John E Wright Prize - £200 worth of John E Wright goods (fine art and graphic materials or services, printing) - went to: Serena Smith
• The People's Panel Prize* - £200 cash award and invitation to meet the panel to talk about their work. This prize went to: John Marsden
• Design Factory Prize - a year's free membership of Design Factory; went to: Sarah Turner
• New Art Exchange have partnered with us again on the Open this year, helping with promotion and the prize fund.  They also awarded the New Art Exchange Prize of a solo exhibition at NAE, to: Satta Hashem

Cllr Dave Trimble, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Tourism, awarded the The Castle Prize, of a solo exhibition at Nottingham Castle to: Alex Pain

Main cash prizes
5 artists were selected by the selection panel on the exhibition selection day.  Then at the preview, all the exhibiting artists were invited to vote for the one (of the 5 on the short list) they felt should receive the grand cash prize. 

The 4 runner-up prizes of £250 went to:

• Jackie Berridge
• Mirela Bistran
• Trish Evans
• Paul Newman

And the grand cash prize of £1,500 went to: Frank Kent

*The People's Panel are a group of 20 individuals drawn from across Nottingham, who meet regularly to get involved with the work of Nottingham City Museums and Galleries; some attend out of their interest in art; others attend because they represent a larger community or disability group.