The Riverside Journals - Festivals Issue 38 - FULL

Emerging artists invited to exhibit alongside the UK’s most respected artistic co-operative s the UK’s longest-running and most prestigious artist co-operative, The London Group has furthered the careers of many of Britain’s best-known artists, including David Hockney, Barbara Hepworth and Henry Moore. Founded in 1913 by members of The Camden Town Group and English Vorticists, including Jacob Epstein, Wyndham Lewis, and Walter Sickert, it has, over the course of a century, been committed to supporting diverse and emerging artistic talent across Britain – largely though its biennial Open Exhibition. For this year’s Open, the group is inviting artists to submit their work for exhibiting alongside its esteemed members. In a nod towards today’s increasingly diversiﬁed art scene, the Open welcomes innovative, challenging works in any medium, including painting, sculpture, print, photography, mixed media, video and performance. Successful entrants will see their work hung in one of two exhibitions, staged during October and November 2015 at The Cello Factory, near Waterloo Station. Anyone thinking of applying should do so soon via the website: www. thelondongroup.com – the deadline is 24 August. The London Group’s archivist, David Redfern, reﬂects on the long history of the Open: “In 1917 London Group members extended an invitation to fellow artists to join them in exhibition. Over approximately one hundred years the Group has repeated this invitation eighty-one times, and this year the tradition is continued as present members invite contemporary artists to join them in The London Group Open 2015.” Susan Haire, the Group’s President, remarks on the beneﬁts of the Open for emerging artists: “The London Group’s mission statement is to advance public awareness of contemporary art and the Group is seriously committed to offering artists the opportunity to show, giving them a boost in a tough career, and thereby nurturing and supporting the development of the art of the future. The Group feels privileged to be able to offer a number of valuable prizes and takes pride in acknowledging excellence through these awards. Past exhibitors have gained a great deal from showing alongside members, beneﬁtting from the interaction, and have thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie for which the Group is well-known.” With roughly 120 non-member works chosen to show, the resulting exhibition will offer an insight into the calibre and diversity of the British art scene today. The ﬁrst exhibition will take place from 13 – 23 October and the second from 27 October – 6 November 2015. Prizewinners will be announced in a ceremony on the evening of Friday 6 November. Chosen exhibitors will have the chance to win various cash and material prizes, worth up to £5000, as well as a three-person show at the Cello Factory in 2016. For further details about submitting your work, including entry costs, please see www.thelondongroup.com 98 the riverside journals A

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