On Thursday evening when the Hoxton streets buzz with Private Views our sponsor, Towry, The Wealth Adviser held a first night preview for friends and guests at The Prince’s Drawing School. The night was opened by Grayson Perry (or Clare) followed by a short speeches from Andrew Fisher, CEO of Towry and Neil Lawson-Baker, Chairman of the National Open Art Competition. The event drew a large crowd with over 300 guests visiting throughout the evening. People hugely enjoyed the diversity and quality of the works produced from artists from across the entire United Kingdom. Grayson stayed for a few hours chatting to guests and winning artists and the night was a great success. The Champagne flowed and I think it is safe to say everyone had a fantastic time.

The 16th National Open Art Competition show in Chichester was held at the minerva theatre. On the (need date) we held our First Night for Exhibiting Artists, Friends and Guests of The National Open Art Competition. With plenty of wine and drinks, a great variety of art and plenty of interesting Artist’s to talk to the night ran incredibly smoothly. With a speech’s from Lady …. (NAME) to open the Chichester Show and Neil Lawson-Baker, the Chairman of NOAC followed by the giving of prizes to a few of our 21 winners. The night was enjoyed by a few hundred people including the National Open Art Competitions youngest ever exhibitor Jem Negus aged 10.

From dawn til dusk yesterday 5 judges worked viewing all the images submitted for the 2012 NATIONAL OPEN ART COMPETITION.

On the big screen in The Arts Club, Dover Street cinema over 2200 works were shortlisted to just over 500 works.

Paintings, Drawings, Original Prints; Photographs and Digital Images were all judged by this year’s panel which included LISA WRIGHT (Chair) from FALMOUTH UNIVERSITY; GUS CASELY-HAYFORD well known for his BBC TV art programmes; FRANCIS HODGSON the art critic from The Financial Times the well known photographic specialist; ANDREW STAHL, Head of Undergraduate Fine Art studies at The Slade and CEDAR LEWISOHN, famed by his expertise on Street Art and Graffiti.

The next round of judging will see the real works at GOODWOOD, WEST SUSSEX where on September 17th the same panel will reduce the 500 to 100 works for the 2012 NATIONAL OPEN ART EXHIBITIONS.

THE MINERVA GALLERY. CHICHESTER THEATRE Oct 11th -21st. 2012
THE PRINCE’S FOUNDATION GALLERY. HOXTON Oct 24th – Nov 1st 2012
PALLANT HOUSE GALLERY CHICHESTER Nov 8th – Nov 18th 2012
THE WATERCOLOUR + WORKS ON PAPER FAIR. The SCIENCE MUSEUM  Jan 31st – Feb 3rd 2013.

Gus Casely-Hayford, Francis Hodgson, Lisa Wright, Andrew Stahl, Cedar Lewisohn

On Wednesday 22nd August our five 2012 Judges will spend all day seeing over 2180 images on screen to short list the work to around 500. The selected works will then be submitted for the second round judging on September 17th. Seeing images on screen and seeing the real work is a very different experience but to bring over 2000 paintings , photographs, prints,drawings from across the UK is such an expensive project for all the artists that the short listing is considered a fairer way. The transport for the chosen short list will be partly sponsored by a generous charitable grant. The judges are LISA WRIGHT from Falmouth Arts Faculty; Francis Hodgson Art Critic for The Financial Times specialising in Photography; Gus Casely Hayford well known for his recent BBC programmes; Andrew Stahl who is head of Undergraduate Studies at The Slade and Cedar Lewisohn of Street Art fame.

National Open Art Competition is privileged to be linked to Prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts.

“I created my Foundation for Children & the Arts because of a fundamental belief that everyone should have the opportunity at an early age to be inspired by the arts.” HRH The Prince of Wales

www.childrenandarts.org.uk

We are delighted to announce that David Whittaker, Winner of the Towry 1st Prize 2011 is to be given a solo show at the Millennium Gallery in St Ives.

“Millennium is proud to be hosting a major solo exhibition of new work from The National Open Art Competition first prize winner – David Whittaker. Opening on 21st September until 16th October, this exhibition will offer a powerful reflection of the human condition in an honest and uncompromising way, something that Whittaker has become renowned for.” Joseph Clarke, Director www.millenniumgallery.co.uk

2012 is looking good for Lisa Wright the Chair of the NOAC judging panel this year. She has just been invited to be an Academician at the Royal West Academy, and also had her work accepted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition for the 21st year.