KEELE IN THE COMMUNITY
The Three Counties Open Art Exhibition is an annual exhibition organised by ArtsKeele at Keele University with local partners Burslem School of Art Trust , City Learning Trust , Barewall Gallery , Association for Cultural Advancement through Arts ( ACAVA ) and Appetite .
26 | FOREVER Keele
KEELE IN THE COMMUNITY
Three Counties Art Show
The Three Counties Open Art Exhibition is an annual exhibition organised by ArtsKeele at Keele University with local partners Burslem School of Art Trust , City Learning Trust , Barewall Gallery , Association for Cultural Advancement through Arts ( ACAVA ) and Appetite .
Having originated on campus at Keele , it now takes place at the stunning Burslem School of Art , in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent , every summer . Featuring artists from Staffordshire , Cheshire and Shropshire , the exhibition spans various mediums from painting to printmaking , drawing , photography , sculpture , textiles , installation , and animation . In addition , there is a wonderful display of artwork from local schools , including students from Haywood Academy , Trentham Academy , and Smallthorne Primary School .
It is the only large-scale opportunity for artists in the local area to come together , share and celebrate their work with each other and the visiting public and , with over 48 % of submissions coming from those who had not previously exhibited before , it made for a refreshing and unique exhibition .
This year , the Three Counties Open Art Exhibition received a donation in support of developing a programme of accessible workshops and creative opportunities for the public during the summer . This generous donation was made possible by Chris and Val Ensor . Chris studied at Keele in 1973 and said :
“ My social work studies ( Class of 1973 ) encouraged a fellow student and I to move off campus to Hanley and from there support Keele ’ s outreach to benefit the Potteries . When I returned to Keele in 2023 , I was delighted to find that not only has the campus grown greatly , but so too has Keele ’ s outreach to the surrounding towns . The Three Counties Open Art Exhibition attracted both my wife Val and I as an example of positive outreach and we wanted to support it with our donation , to ensure the exhibition can take place each year and continue to grow in size and impact .”
The donation has enabled the team to organise a range of sessions in Trentham and Haywood Academy schools with the Character Arts Foundation and ArtUK , and to offer free workshops and activities for the local community and visitors during the summer holidays . A total of 21 freeto-access workshops and drop-in activities were