FAQs: Northumberland Open Exhibition 2027

Housed in Woodhorn Museum’s stunning Workshop Galleries, the annual Northumberland Open is the largest exhibition of its type in the region. 

Northumberland Open 2027 exhibition will be open to the public from Saturday 13 February 2027 to Sunday 9 May 2027.  

What kind of artwork can be submitted to the exhibition?   

• Artists can submit wall-based or sculptural artworks up to a maximum of 100 cm by 150 cm in dimension. 

• Artworks can be in any medium (for example painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, glass, mixed media etc). 

• Due to limitations of space, equipment and on-site technical support we do not accept AV /film/audio based works.  

• Submitting artists must be adults (18 years old or older). 

• Artworks must have been completed within the last two years. 

• Artists can submit wall-based or sculptural artworks up to a maximum of 100 cm by 150 cm in dimension. 
• Artworks can be in any medium (for example painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, glass, mixed media etc).
• Due to limitations of space, equipment and on-site technical support we do not accept AV /film/audio based works.
• Submitting artists must be adults (18 years old or older).
• Artworks must have been completed within the last two years. 

• Artists can submit up to two artworks to be considered for exhibition for a fee of £10 per artwork. We have space for 500 artwork submissions to be considered for exhibition, and we expect to be able to exhibit between 420 and 500 artworks.  

• Artists can purchase up to two submission tickets via TicketSource by following this link: https://www.ticketsource.com/n...  

• The TicketSource registration system will close when either all 500 submission spaces are booked, or at 11pm on Thursday 3 December, whichever comes first. 

• All artists who have booked submission ticket/s will receive an entry form to complete for the artwork/s they are submitting on Monday 7 December. This form must be completed and brought with the artwork/s on the submission days. 

• Artists choosing to submit work must be available to deliver their artwork/s to Woodhorn Museum on Thursday 14th,  Friday 15 and  Saturday 16 January 2027, 10am - 12noon or 1-3pm.  

• Artists must also be available to collect any unselected artwork/s from Woodhorn Museum on Saturday 6 February 2027, 10am - 12noon or 1-3pm. Alternative dates or times cannot be offered.  

• We will only accept artworks from artists that have booked and paid for their artwork submission/s through TicketSource. 

Due to the volume of submissions alternative dates and times cannot be offered. 

• Artwork/s must be brought to Woodhorn Museum on Thursday 14th, Friday 15 and Saturday 16 January 2027, 10am - 12noon or 1-3pm.  

• Artists must be able to collect any unselected artwork/s from Woodhorn Museum on Saturday 6 February 2027, 10am - 12noon or 1-3pm.   

• The exhibition will be open to the public from Saturday 13th February to Sunday 9th May 2027.

• After the exhibition closes, artists must be able to collect artwork/s that are not for sale or unsold on Thursday 13th, Friday 14th or Saturday 15th May 2027, 10am - 12noon or 1-3pm.  

• The artist panel comprises artists and art curators and features a different guest member each year. 
•  The number of submissions is limited to 500 and the Selection Panel expects to select between 420-500 artworks for exhibition. The Panel will also select a small number of Highly Commended artworks (awarded a prize of £50 each) and an Overall Winner (awarded a prize of £250). 
• During the exhibition visitors will have the opportunity to vote for the ‘People’s Choice Award’ (awarded a prize of £50). The winner of this award is announced after the exhibition has closed and all the votes have been counted. 
• The decision of the Selection Panel is final and, due to the high volume of submissions, no correspondence on the decisions will be entered into. 
• All artists will be contacted by email to inform them if their artwork/s have or have not been selected for the exhibition by Friday 29 January 2027. If you do not receive an email by 5pm on this date, please check your spam/junk folder. If you still find that you have not received an email, please do not contact us by telephone but instead e-mail us at programmeNld@northeastmuseums.org.uk. Please note this email address is not constantly monitored but you will receive a reply within 5 days. 

• Wall-based artwork should be framed to a professional standard, be securely fixed within the frame and include pre-attached wall fixings. Acceptable wall fixings include mirror plates and interlocking flush mounts. Please do not submit works fitted with domestic picture wire/string fixings. Woodhorn Museum reserves the right to refuse artworks and/or adapt the wall fixings if they are not appropriate for secure and professional public display.  

• Framing guidelines will be issued alongside the entry form on Monday 7 December. 
  
  
• Artworks must be finished and completely dry at the time of submission. We will not accept or handle wet artworks due to the risk of damage. 

• If you submit a framed work that is available for purchase, you must sell the work framed as exhibited (sold as seen). 

• Sculptural artwork will be considered but the presentation of sculpture may be limited by the available gallery space and display equipment which includes plinths, display cases and barriers.   

• All work must be clearly labelled at the back with the Title, Artist Name, Date, Medium, Insurance Valuation & Selling Price (including 30% commission to Woodhorn Museum) or marked as Not for Sale.  

• The artwork must be clearly labelled in the orientation that it is intended to be hung.   

• Woodhorn Museum is proud to present all exhibitions to a high professional standard, and the exhibition will be selected, curated and installed in line with this standard. Due to the high number of artworks displayed artworks can not be moved after the exhibition has been hung. 

• Woodhorn Museum is unable to make changes to the exhibition gallery guide, including the price and title of artworks during the exhibition, unless there has been an administrative error made by us.  
• Insurance of artworks will be covered by Woodhorn Museum's whilst the artwork is inside Woodhorn Museum’s premises.   

• Artists can choose if their artwork/s are for sale or not for sale.     

• If the artwork is for sale, Woodhorn Museum’s commission will be 30% of the selling price. Please take this commission into account when deciding your selling price.   

• No artworks will be allowed to be removed from the exhibition prior to its closing date by either artists or buyers. If a potential purchaser contacts you directly, please re-direct the enquiry to Woodhorn Museum.

• The exhibition will be photographed and/or filmed for marketing and press use, and as a record of the exhibition for Woodhorn Museum. By entering the Open Exhibition, you give permission for your artwork to be photographed for these purposes.   

• Visitors are allowed to take photographs of the exhibition for personal use, but they are not permitted to use specialist equipment such as tripods, stands or lighting. 

• If you would like to take professional photographs of your artwork/s in the exhibition, please contact the museum in advance.

We will only use your information to manage your involvement with the Northumberland Open Exhibition at Woodhorn Museum. This will include contacting you about the artwork(s) you have submitted and updating you on the progress of the exhibition.   

Woodhorn Museum is managed by North East Museums on behalf of Northumberland County Council. For further information on how North East Museums uses and stores your information, your rights to access the information we hold about you, and to learn more about who “We” are, please visit  https://www.northeastmuseums.o...  You can contact us about our privacy policy and how we use your data by email at corporategovernance@northeastmuseums.org.uk or write to us at Corporate Governance, North East Museums, Discovery Museum, Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4JA.