Holt Festival

This year’s Holt Festival may have been cancelled but Sworders are still keen that its annual art exhibition goes ahead almost as planned. With the support and enthusiasm of the artists that take part, we have extended the entry deadline for the Sir John Hurt and Sworders Art Prizes until midnight on 1 September 2020, by which time it is hoped it will be possible to reschedule the Exhibition of Shortlisted Works.

Open to all artists over 16 years of age, the winner of the Sir John Hurt Art Prize will receive a cheque for £1,750 and their winning entry will be exhibited at the prestigious Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts in Norwich. The Sworders Art Prize is specifically aimed at younger artists aged between 16 and 23 years with the winner of this competition receiving a cheque £750 together with a commission-free exhibition at The Gallery, a new contemporary art space in Holt.

Entries for this year’s Sir John Hurt Art Prize will be judged by art and architectural historian, Nichola Johnson; curator and publisher, David Case and award-winning artist, Susan Gunn. The Sworders Art Prize entries will be judged by Susan Gunn and publisher and gallery owner, Adrian Hill.
Submissions must be suitable for wall-hanging and can comprise various art forms including painting, drawing, photography, textiles, printmaking, mosaic, sculpture, collage etc. 

In addition to the online show, we are supporting the outdoor shortlist exhibition, to be held in marquees in a spacious garden near Melton Constable, Norfolk. The exhibition will run from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 September (all possible steps have been taken to ensure compliance with current social distancing requirements).  We will also have our own marquee, displaying a selection of Norwich School paintings, including significant works by pioneers Cotman & Crome, as well as Sir Cedric Morris, founder of the influential East Anglian School of Painting, coming up for auction later this year.

Keep an eye out for further details on booking arrangements for the show, which will open on Monday 7 September.  Visitor numbers attending at any one time are limited, so booking will be essential.

We hope you are keeping well and to see you at the exhibition….

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