The Whitaker Open 2026 - Art Exhibition
Saturday 17th October 2026 to Sunday 13th December 2026
The Whitaker Museum & Art Gallery, Rawtenstall, BB4 6RE
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The Whitaker Museum is hosting their Open Exhibition in Autumn 2026 and are calling artists from across the North West to submit up to 3 artworks in early October.
The Whitaker are inviting artists from across the North West region to submit up to three artworks for The Whitaker Open – a new exhibition celebrating the breadth, originality and diversity of contemporary art across the North West today.
Whether you’re an emerging artist, an established practitioner, or returning to your practice, we want to hear from you. We’re looking for work that reflects the richness of artistic practice in the North-West, in all its forms.
We are accepting artworks across a wide range of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, textiles, ceramics, installation, moving image, and mixed media. There is no set theme; instead, we’re interested in bringing together a dynamic exhibition that showcases different perspectives, ideas and approaches.
Selected artists will have the opportunity to exhibit their work at The Whitaker Museum & Art Gallery alongside artists from across the region, connecting with new audiences and becoming part of a vibrant celebration of contemporary creativity.
Exciting prizes are up for grabs including a paid commission, artist materials and a people's choice award.
Key Dates
- Submissions Delivery: Thursday 1st October – Sunday 4th October | 10am – 4pm
- Selection day with invited judges: Monday 5th October
- Unaccepted artworks collection: Wed 7th October – Sat 10th October | 10am – 4pm
- Exhibition opening: Saturday 17th October (2pm – 4pm)
- Exhibition dates: The exhibition will run from 17 October – 13 December
- Final collection of works: Wed 16 December – Sun 20 December (10am – 4pm)
The submission fee is £5.
Please visit the Whitaker Open webpage for the full terms and conditions for taking part.
The Whitaker Open sits alongside MADE IT 2026: The North West Graduate Art Prize.
This is presented by Short Supply in partnership with The Whitaker Museum and Art Gallery. MADE IT 2026 will bring together an ambitious selection of work by graduating and recently graduated artists from across the North West.
To find out how to submit to MADE IT, please follow this link:“MADE IT 2026” – organised by Short Supply on Zealous
