PRIVATE SPACES 

 

A moment of calm, a secret place, an idea, an ideal - a space that is yours can be so many things, to hide from others or to share with a select few.

 

SPUD is very excited to announce the title for this year’s spudOPEN - PRIVATE SPACES. Each year we look for a universal question that might resonates within our Spud Community, the New Forest National Park and with our wider reginal audiences. Our world has become ever more public, from social media profiles to being surveilled, from the forming of our identities to becoming celebrated, we are seen. To counter this, we all need to retain something for our private selves, a secret joy, our soul place, a thought, an ideal. As ever, we encourage artists to think widely and personally on this subject. We want to encourage and appreciated a range of views, materials, and artistic responses. We welcome a wide interpretation of the theme as it builds dialogue and discussion. Be a part of the conversation and enter this space.

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There are two prizes – £500 for the Open Winner and £200 for the Public Choice. Sponsored again by the New Forest National Park Authority.

 

Submitted work can be in any medium (Painting, Textiles, Photography, Print, Text based work, Jewellery, Video, Sculpture, Ceramics, Mixed Media, Poems, illustrations, sound etc.) There is a size limit for each work - maximum scale 100cm x 100cm x 100cm. Work exceeding this will be sadly rejected.

 

Applications are to be made online and the panel will be making its selection digitally. 

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Successful applications will be included in a group show to be held in our celebrated gallery over December/January 2025/26, with a gala public opening and the opportunity to win ‘Best in Show’. The very popular ‘Public Choice award’ will be voted on throughout the show and announced at the end of the exhibition in January. This is all made possible by our sponsor again this year, The New Forest National Parks Authority.

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You can make up to three applications through our online portal @spud.org.uk. Deadline for us to receive your applications is September 27th at Midnight. A successful application will be notified via email by Friday 31st Oct.  If you have not heard by this date, then you can assume that you have not been successful on this occasion. Successful applicants will need to drop off or send work to arrive at SPUD between 26th or 28th November 2025 (10am-4pm) and collect it between 12th - 13th January 2026 (10am-4pm). 

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Rejections

No one is rejected from our Open, we just can’t select everyone. Even if you do not make it into the final exhibition, you have been an important part of defining the discussions and emerging themes of the show, and your work has been seen by an important art panel. We do want you to feel that all can enter and be part of the SPUD family.

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To enter please follow the two simple steps below:

 

Firstly, complete the online entry form - this will open a new page.  

 

• Complete title of work, size of work and primary materials e.g. acrylic on canvas

• Fill out the description of your work, you have 30-words to tell us what the work conveys us or demonstrates.  

• If the work is for sale, please include a suggested price including commission (SPUD commission is 20%).  Leave blank if not.

• Upload one image of the work using the entry form only - a png or jpg will work

• If you are submitting a film or similar other, you can use the URL box on the entry form to submit a link to a video file, including YouTube, Vimeo etc.

• After submitting, you will be redirected to the Checkout page, where you will be requested to pay the fee of £10 per entry. Entry charge is per piece of work - maximum 3 pieces of work.  Any entries not paid for will not be accepted.