The Turnpike OPEN exhibition

23rd January to 31st March 2027

The Turnpike Gallery is calling for entries to its biannual Open exhibition to be held at the gallery from 23 January – 31 March 2027.

The exhibition will showcase artworks by people aged 16+ living or working in the borough of Wigan. It is open to professionals and amateurs – anyone who makes art!

This is a great opportunity to display your artwork in a professional gallery, maybe for the first time. Our goal is to provide an accessible opportunity to exhibit and to present the range of creative talent in Wigan borough.

The Open exhibition is free to enter.

KEY DATES

• Wednesday 21st October 2026 - Open exhibition announced and submission forms available from this date
• Tuesday 5th January 2027 – Deadline for submissions (a completed submission form and digital image)
• Friday 8th January 2027 – You will be informed by email whether your work has been selected by this date
• Monday 11th – Saturday 16th January 2027 – Selected artists will be required to bring their work to the Turnpike Gallery: 1st Floor Leigh Library, Civic Square, Leigh WN7 1EB
• Friday 22nd January 2027 6-8pm – Exhibition preview event – everyone welcome.
• Saturday 23rd January – Saturday 31st March 2027 – Open exhibition on show to the public
• Thursday 1st to Tuesday 6th April 2027 – Artists to collect their work from gallery

GUIDANCE FOR SUBMISSIONS

Eligibility

• To be eligible to submit, you must live, work or study in the borough of Wigan.
• The exhibition is open to professional and amateur artists, aged 16 or over.

Artwork specifications

• You may submit one work for consideration, using the submission form and providing all the information required including a short statement about your work.
• Diptychs, triptychs and composites will be considered as a single work.
• Your artwork should have been completed in the last 3 years.
• All artworks must be an original creation of the artist submitting.
• We will accept artworks in a variety of media, including paintings, drawings, sculpture, photographs, textiles, collages, digital, video and prints (including etching, screen-print, lithograph, linocut, etc.).
• There is no maximum size of work submitted, but the dimensions of a piece may be taken into consideration during the selection process. We aim to display as many works as possible without overcrowding the gallery. In addition to size, please be mindful of access for large/heavy works which is via our small passenger lift or up the stairs.
• If you have any concerns about the size or installation of your artwork, please contact the gallery.

How to enter

• Please complete the OPEN exhibition submission form and send it by email to theturnpikegallery@wigan.gov.uk no later than midday Tuesday 5th January 2027.
• Please attach an image/s of your artwork along with your submission form. Images can be up to 1 MB per file (jpeg/png) and need to show the content of the whole work clearly and, for three-dimensional work, the display method (such as a plinth or shelf).

Selection

• We are looking for art which demonstrates some or all of the following characteristics:
  • Artistic quality
  • Originality and imagination
  • Visual impact
  • Technical skill or ambition
  • Connection to contemporary local or global issues
  • Please ensure images of your work are good quality, as these will be used to select works for inclusion.

Further details and a submission form will be available here soon!