The Harley Open 2022 is now on show, with 125 pieces by artists within 100 miles of The Harley Gallery on display.

The 2022 Harley Open Exhibition is now on show, with 125 works being exhibited by artists in the
region.
The open art competition received over 750 entries, with two rounds of judging needed to whittle the
artworks down to the final 125 which are on show until 23 October.
The grand prize of £2000, sponsored by The Harley Foundation, was jointly awarded to Verity Pulford
for her glass piece Untitled and Millie Welburn-Cowell for her painting Juna.
The exhibition features a wide range of artworks with an impressive variety of subjects, techniques
and materials. While many of the exhibiting artists are professionals, many are self-taught and there’s
even a massive collage of the Queen made by local nursery age children (unbeknown to the judges!).
Lisa Gee, Director of The Harley Gallery and Foundation, said
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“Deciding what works to choose as the final selection for an Open Exhibition is a difficult business. At
the start of the day you think that you’ll never make a selection and yet somehow it appears. You
stop worrying about judging apples and pears and look for pieces of work that make you smile, that
have a distinctive voice, a personal feel, or amazing technical ability.
These pieces were all made within the last two years and within 100 miles of the gallery. The
exhibition is a portrait of our region, our communities and inevitably, our experience of lockdown.
The winning works were selected for their technical ability and artistic flair. Verity has used a
tremendously difficult and ancient glass making method, Pate de Verre, to create her sculptural wall
work while Millie has created a sophisticated contemporary portrait which really grabbed our
attention.”
The Gallery’s curators were joined by artist Jason Wilsher-Mills as guest judge. Jason is a digital artist
who you might recognise from Sky Arts ‘Landmark’ series. His work is currently on show at the
Commonwealth Games and Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and his exhibition ‘Jason and his Argonauts’
will be at The Harley Gallery in November.
Visitors are invited to have a go at judging, too, by helping to choose the winner of The People’s
Prize. You can vote for your favourite exhibit to win this £750 prize, sponsored by The Welbeck
Estates Company, by visiting the gallery or heading to the website
[https://www.harleygallery.co.uk/exhibition/harley-open-22/].
Many of the works in The Harley Open Exhibition are for sale, providing an excellent opportunity to
buy original art and support local artists. Own Art is available for purchases £100 - £2,500, and lets
you spread the cost of your purchase over 10 or 20 months interest free.
- The Harley Open 2022 is on show 6 August – 23 October at The Harley Gallery,
Nottinghamshire.
- The exhibition is free to enter and there is free on-site parking. The gallery is open Tuesday –
Sunday (closed Mondays).
- Visitors can vote for their favourite work to win The People’s Prize in the Gallery and online.
- The Harley Gallery and Foundation is on the Welbeck estate, on the A60 south of Worksop. It
is 15 minutes from both the A1 and M1.
www.harleygallery.co.uk