Now in its 13th year, the Wells Art Contemporary exhibition will take place in August 2024. It will showcase 121 works by 119 artists from across the globe.
This annual showcase of cutting-edge contemporary art is uniquely installed in one of Europe’s greatest Gothic architectural masterpieces. It puts thought-provoking and sometimes challenging new work in direct dialogue with Wells Cathedral’s remarkable art, sculpture, and architecture.
Wells Art Contemporary 2024 will run in Wells, Somerset, from Saturday, August 3, to Saturday, August 31, 2024.
The exhibition is available with ticket admission to the Cathedral and includes an Installation Show of site-specific works located throughout the Cathedral and its grounds and a Gallery Show of artworks in painting, sculpture, print, photography, drawing, and more displayed in a white-wall gallery in the Cathedral’s Cloisters.
A Global Competition and Exhibition
The open call for this year’s exhibition received nearly 2,500 submissions from artists across the globe. In addition to artists living and working across the four nations of the UK, entries were received from 31 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Korea, Norway, Peru, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
The Gallery Show
After rigorous deliberation, the selection panel, comprising artists Tessa Coleman, Katherine Jones RA, and Shanti Panchal, distilled the thousands of entries into a shortlist of 121 artworks by 119 artists for display in the Cathedral’s cloisters.
This shortlisted work represents a diverse array of artistic styles, mediums and voices, from intimate portraits, expressive landscapes and hyper-realistic drawings to contemplative interiors, dynamic sculptures, intricate ceramics, large-scale and tactile textile works and, thought-provoking photography and more.
Harriet Mena Hill, Within And Without These Walls, shortlisted for Wells Art Contemporary Installation Show 2024.
The Installation Show
Running concurrently with the white-wall gallery exhibition, 19 site-specific works by 20 artists have been selected for the Installation Show by Mary Branson, Jacquiline Creswell, and Victor Ehikhamenor out of almost 300 submissions.
As the first English Cathedral to be designed in the revolutionary new Gothic style of architecture in the 12th century, Wells Cathedral was recognised for pushing boundaries then.
Today, these 19 installations spanning across sculpture, repurposed materials, sound, film and mixed media, will stand as responses to the architectural, spatial and spiritual aspects of Wells Cathedral allowing visitors to see the majestic medieval building with new eyes.
Established in 2012 by artists for artists, Wells Art Contemporary is an open competition for innovative visual art. Based in the beautiful cathedral city of Wells, Somerset, this yearly exhibition aims to support creatives, stimulate debate, and push the boundaries of the visual arts scene both nationally and internationally.
The WAC 2024 exhibition will be on display from Saturday, August 3, to Saturday, August 31, with a Private View on Friday, August 2. The shortlisted artworks will also be available online through a virtual exhibition with corresponding dates.
Entry to the exhibition is included with a £14 ticket admission to the Cathedral. Attendance to the Private View is free of ticket charge.
For further information, please visit www.wellsartcontemporary.co.uk.
Eleni Maragkaki, A Universe, plywood, shortlisted for Wells Art Contemporary 2024.
As part of its ongoing education and outreach programme, WAC recognises the power of visual art for mental health and wellbeing. This year, WAC will be collaborating with three local community groups to create unique pieces of art for the Installation Show:
- Imagine, Learn & Create, offering art and craft tutoring for groups and individuals with learning disabilities,
- The Mendip School is for pupils with a primary diagnosis of autism (ASD) and speech and language communication needs.
- The Hive at Orchard Vale Trust runs daily specialised sessions for adults with learning disabilities.
There will also be an opportunity for budding artists to be involved with DRAW! Taking inspiration from the Wells Cathedral West Front, a series of public drawing sessions will take place on the Cathedral Green, with professional artists on site to share their knowledge and skills.
The following prizes will be awarded at the Private View to outstanding works in the Gallery and Installation 2024 exhibition:
- Howden Art Award: £2,000 awarded to one artist selected by Howden Group.
- NG Art Creative Residency Award: a two-week placement at the NG Art Creative Residency & Gallery in Provence, South of France, including board and lodging, studio space, mentorship and outings.
- JGM Gallery Prize: works by selected artists will be showcased online by JGM Gallery.
- Student Prize: £1,000 awarded to a current fine art student aged under 26 by Tracey Grace.
- Parker Harris Mentoring Prize: a one-to-one mentoring session covering all aspects of professional development for a selected artist.
- Somerset Art Works Prize: a one-to-one mentoring session with Somerset Art Works.
- People’s Choice Prize: £500 awarded to one artist selected by visitors of the exhibition.
- St Cuthberts Mill Award: 20 sheets of Saunders Waterford 300gsm worth over £120.
Wells Art Contemporary is a unique open competition for UK and international visual arts that has gained praise and respect in the UK and abroad. Established in 2012 by a group of artists in Wells, the beautiful cathedral city in the Southwest of England, WAC is dedicated to promoting and supporting innovative and challenging visual artists at all stages of their careers.
Lead image: Frances Featherstone, Solitaire, oil on linen, shortlisted for Wells Art Contemporary 2024.