Cheltenham Art
Art in the Park 2022
Art in the Park was cancelled in 2020 - an inevitable consequence of the pandemic and the landscaping of the part of the gardens adjacent to the refurbished Quadrangle building. Happily, Art in the Park returned to Cheltenham in 2021 with a set of new art stands and weather proof enclosures:
The new look Art in the Park made use of 30 metres of exhibition space, providing fifteen 2 metre stands. Each of these full screens could be spilt in two so that exhibitors continue to have the option to hire a half-screen. Because the 2021 exhibition was held in autumn, the weather inevitably played its part and a marquee was used for the second half of the exhibition:
The timing of the 2022 exhibition is reverting to high summer once again:
WEEK 1 8 days Saturday 18 June - Saturday 25 June 2022
WEEK 2 7 days Sunday 26 June - Saturday 2 July 2022
WEEK 3 7 days Sunday 3 July - Saturday 9 July 2022
WEEK 4 8 days Sunday 10 July - Sunday 17 July 202
Please contact Jo Hurlston by email if you would like to apply to exhibit in 2022.
About the Exhibition
The Cotswolds town of Cheltenham Spa is well known for its annual Festival, which incorporates Literature, Music and the Arts, as well as an acclaimed Science Festival. The Art in the Park Exhibition is an additional attraction in the town during the festival and has been running each year since 1969. It showcases the art of over 100 locals painters over a 4 week period, and is organised by an Exhibition Committee of eleven artists. The Committee is voluntary and exists only to organise Art in the Park (which was previously known as 'Cheltenham Open Air Art Exhibition', until about 2011).
The Exhibition is open to all local artists and is not based upon the individual merit of the artwork: Application forms are sent out in mid-March to artists who have exhibited recently or who expressed an interest in participating. The available screens are then allocated to applicants on a first come, first served basis. The work exhibited covers a spectrum of talent, incorporating professional artists and relative beginners alike. This format is very popular with the artists themselves, and the event is always over-subscribed.
The event is also very popular with the people of Cheltenham. It provides a colourful annual pageant of original artwork, and offers the potential for real bargains: the commission charged by the event is small compared with that charged by Galleries (who have far higher overheads), and this is reflected in the prices of the artwork on offer.
Typically you can expect to pay half the price you would be charged in a gallery!
Saying that, staging this event is becoming an increasingly expensive activity. The cost of the mandatory public liability insurance has followed the general trend in insurance premiums over the last few years; rapid escalation. The scaffolding is also expensive. The event is funded by fees paid by the artists themselves, and the levies taken from the sale of their paintings, which are currently 10%.
In effect, the Exhibition is reliant upon the commercial success of its exhibiting artists to maintain itself each year.
The economics of the event is thus market-led and driven by the art-lovers of Cheltenham and its environs. We owe them a debt of thanks for their support down the years, and hope to continue to offer them excellent quality and value for years to come.
We now have a Facebook page, to keep up with the latest news, paintings and features: www.facebook.com/cheltenhamartinthepark
Our thanks go to our sponsors, Midwinters Solicitors, for their continuing support.
Thanks also to Radio Gloucestershire and The Gloucestershire Echo for regularly mentioning us on air and on-line.
