Surrey Open Art Exhibition 2008

This summer Woking finds itself at the heart of the Surrey art scene, as The Lightbox hosts the first biennial Surrey Open Art Exhibition. Displayed in the stunning double-height Main Gallery, the exhibition is a showcase of the best entries to The Lightbox's first biennial Surrey Open Art Competition.

The competition

In April The Lightbox invited artists of all levels to compete for a place in the exhibition and the chance to win £500 and £250 prizes. The 229 artworks submitted at the beginning of June reflect almost all disciplines and levels of practice from amateurs to art students and professionals. They include paintings, photography, sculptures, textiles, digital prints and mixed media.

“Surrey has a great variety of established and aspiring artistic talent,” said Marilyn Scott, Director of The Lightbox. “We are delighted to be able to offer these artists a platform to display their work and visitors the opportunity to enjoy it. We hope that this biennial competition will continue to inspire and support creative excellence in the county.”

The four judges for the competition were Roger Umney - Chairman of The Lightbox, Annabel Agace - Director of Chalk Hill Contemporary Art Gallery in Guildford, Christian Dettlaff - Gallery and Exhibition Manger at Guildford House Gallery, and Duncan MacAskill - a London artist.

The exhibition

Of over 200 entires, 51 have been chosen by the judging panel to go on display in the Surrey Open Art Exhibition. They represent the best of the diverse and prolific range of artistic talent in the county.

“I expect the Surrey Open Art Competition to become an important part of the artistic calendar” said judge, Annabel Agace, Director of Chalk Hill Contemporary Art Gallery in Guildford. “I hope it will become as well regarded as other regional open art competitions, such as the Sussex Open, and become a key fixture in the Surrey social calendar, much like the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition.”

The Hutley Art Prize

As well as deciding which works were displayed in the exhibition, the judging panel also decided the winner of The Hutley Art Prize. This £500 award, kindly sponsored by Hutley Investments Limited, was won by Anne Nolan of Woking. It was presented by the internationally renowned ceramicist, Professor Magdalene Odundo, at a Private View on Thursday 26 June.

The People's Prize vote

During the Surrey Open Art Exhibition members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite artwork. The artist with the most votes win a £250 People’s Prize at the end of the exhibition, donated by Chalk Hill Contemporary Homes.