APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.
Being in a joint art exhibition is a great way for budding artists to get their work seen by a wider audience. At Three Storeys we want to encourage young artists as they develop their creativity, and give them a space to do this. We want to see the talent and imagination of the children, displayed for everyone to enjoy, on real gallery walls.
At a time of increasing challenges with mental health, the climate crisis and economic hardship, art can offer a means of distraction, escape and expression for all. It can be a tool to help children and young people through tricky times, or a way to celebrate good times. Art can bring people together, and we want to give children the chance to feel good about the work they create; who knows where it might lead in their future. This is why we are bringing back our hugely popular Next Level exhibition, soley for young people aged 4-19, living within 10 miles of Nailsworth.
The application to the exhibition is free; we want to make this as accessible as possible to all young people. There is no theme as such; perhaps there is a piece of art you have done already, or maybe you would like to create something new, especially for this exhibition. We would encourage you to think about what you would you care about, or what you are interested in. What do you want people to think about when they see your art? What might you be able to make them feel? You can use any media; paint, crayon, clay, collage, textiles… whatever you like. It is completely up to you as the artist. We would suggest you don’t focus on Christmas, because your work will be shown when it has passed.
We will be awarding an artist in each age category a ‘People’s Choice’ prize; we will ask visitors to the exhibition to anonymously vote for their favourite pieces of work. The winners will be announced on the last day of the exhibition.
How to apply
Entries can come from the parent/carer of the young person, or directly from the artist if they are old enough to do the following:
Please submit a good quality photograph of one piece of artwork via email, to info@threestoreys.co.uk by 31st December 2023. 2D or 3D work can be entered. It is essential the photo is high quality, as we would like to produce a booklet of entries to sell at the exhibition, so please take a photograph straight on, in daylight. This year we will only be accepting one submission per person.
Please include the following information in the body of the email…
The artist’s name and age, and title of the piece. If you would like us only to display your first name, please let us know this is your preference.
The media of your piece of art (eg. pastels, collage, watercolour paint, felt tip etc).
Dimensions of the artwork
Contact details of parent or carer (this information will not be shared). Please make sure we have a name, address and contact phone number so that we can communicate arrangements about collecting artwork etc.
We will then get back to you by email to confirm we can accommodate the artwork you have submitted. We will try to accept every child's artwork, but have some limitations on space. If we have lots of entries we will display some work on a screen/showreel. In our confirmation email we will let you know how the work will be displayed and therefore whether we need you to drop the physical work to Three Storeys.
If we confirm we would like delivery of physical work:
If we have let you know we would like to have your work, the gallery will be open for you to drop off artwork on Thursday 25th January 2024 1pm-4pm. If you need to deliver on a weekend, you can drop off a little early to the café, on Sunday 21st January 2024 10am-2pm, but you will need to let us know of this in advance. When we receive the artwork we will make sure we have all your details to display it correctly, and contact details to remind you when to collect it at the end of the show.
We can take artwork framed or unframed. Please note, to display your unframed 2D work we may have to attach it to another surface (such as a card backing). Your artwork may be hung by bulldog clips or be pinned to a fabric surface. We will always endeavour to return work undamaged but if you prefer to frame pieces in advance, please ensure you use picture wire or string across the back, rather than mirror plates, because the gallery has a hanging system using hooks.
We also have gallery plinths, tables and window sills to display 3D work.
Work must be of a good enough presentation standard to be shown; for example if submitting a drawing please avoid creasing the paper.
We are looking into producing a booklet of the work shown, which we will sell at the exhibition. Any money made from the sale of the booklet will go towards the cost of running the show. The photos you provide will be used in the booklet so must be of good enough quality to be included.
If you want to sell the artwork submitted you are welcome to indicate a sale price that we can display in the exhibition. However we will not handle any sales. If someone is keen to buy we will ask them to leave their details with us at the café, and we will pass these on to the relevant parent/carer to arrange a transaction between yourselves. It is our expectation that most artists will want their work back at the end of the show.
Items are left/displayed at the artist’s own risk. We have CCTV but will not be actively stewarding the exhibition. The adjacent café bar is staffed when the exhibition is open.
Work will need to be collected after the exhibition closes on Sunday 25th February 2024, from 3pm-4.30pm. After this time work that has not been collected cannot be stored, so please make sure you make a note of these collection times, or make a prior arrangement with us if these dates are not possible.