Manchester Open Exhibition 2024 at HOME

Manchester Open 2024 is its third iteration and will feature work from nearly 500 artists from across Greater Manchester. Earlier this year, HOME called for entries from people of any background and level of experience, and they have been inundated with incredible contributions across painting, print, photography, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, video, audio and performance. Also varied is the age and experience of the artists, with submissions open to all – a fact that is reflected in this year’s entrants, who range in age from 5 to 83 years old. As a celebration of art, Manchester Open brings together established professionals, students, graduates, communities, new and emerging talent, enthusiastic amateurs and first-time artists.

For visitors, it will be a fascinating experience, with the Manchester Open showcasing the wealth of creative talent across the city region, introducing striking and remarkable work, with many of the pieces listed for purchase. The Open might be a great way for visitors to start collecting art or adding to their collection. Accompanying the exhibition will be a series of events, which include artist tours, quiet opening hours, Audio Described and BSL tours, and Family Friendly activities.

Clarissa Corfe, HOME’s Creative Producer: Visual Art, says, “2024 is going to be a truly exciting year for Manchester Open. The breadth and quality of work entered has made for an inspiring and stimulating selection process and I’m convinced that in the exhibition there will be something for everyone.”

Nearly 2,000 people answered the call for the 2024 Open, the highest ever received, and it has been the job of the selection panel to consider every submitted artwork and choose those that will fill the walls and spaces of HOME Gallery. Made up of nine members, the judging panel reflects the scale and spectrum of the exhibition, with practising artists, contemporary art professionals and community members all represented.

The prizes that will be awarded testify to HOME’s commitment to championing art and creativity within Greater Manchester. HOME will be working alongside Castlefield Gallery, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024, to select the winners. Three Professional Development Awards are delivered in partnership with Castlefield Gallery: a HOME award leading to a solo exhibition in the Granada Foundation Galleries at HOME and the Manchester Open People’s Choice Award, which is voted for by exhibition visitors. Each winner will also receive a trophy, which ceramicist and designer Joe Hartley from Stockport has been commissioned to create especially for the exhibition.

Dave Moutrey, former Director and CEO at HOME, says, “Manchester Open is a wonderful celebratory event at HOME that signifies so much of what we are about as an organisation; encouraging art for all and making art accessible to all. This will be the last time I enjoy the Open in my role as Director and CEO at HOME, before I move full time into overseeing the development and delivery of the City’s new Cultural strategy in the spring, so I’m delighted to see that it has gone from strength to strength and is now a highlight on the Greater Manchester cultural calendar.”

The Manchester Open 2024 is supported by the Oglesby Charitable Trust, the Brian Mercer Trust and The Granada Foundation.

HOME would like to give special thanks in memory of the late Kate Vokes, Chair of the Oglesby Charitable Trust, for her contribution as a judge and champion of the Manchester Open exhibitions. Kate had been a keen supporter of HOME since its inception, and most recently as a judge, she dedicated many hours to the careful consideration and shortlisting of submitted artworks, playing a key role in selections from 2020 to 2024.

REMOVED ARTWORKS

On Wed 3 Apr, a number of exhibiting artists removed their work from the Manchester Open 2024 exhibition. This action was taken in protest against the cancellation of the event Voice of Resilience. This event has now been reinstated, please read our statement here.

Help celebrate Manchester artists

The Manchester Open is made possible through the generosity of visitors like you. Please donate today to support and celebrate creativity in Greater Manchester. You can donate here