Budding artists could see their work included in a major art trail set to take place on Wearside this summer.
The free, self-guided, Sunderland Arts and Culture Trail is returning to the city from 5 to 21 July displaying the work of around 40 local artists in more than 30 locations across the city.
In conjunction with the Culture House Sunderland, the organisers have opened a competition to give artists of all ages the chance to see their work displayed in a special exhibition at Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens for the duration of the trail.
Culture House Sunderland is working with Sunderland BID and The Art Room Sunderland on an exhibition that will be titled Local Landscapes: Favourite Spaces in Sunderland and a panel of judges will select 30 entries to be displayed.
They hope these will “explore the beauty of Sunderland in all its forms, illuminating the city’s urban transformation, green spaces, coastal scenery, and refreshing attitude to life today or in the future.”
The competition is open to anyone living in a Sunderland postcode and all types of artwork are welcome, from paintings and sculptures to installations and digital art, with A4 digital entries enlarged to A3 mounted boards on stakes to exhibit.
Judges include Kerry Cook, The Art Room Sunderland, Zoe Breeze, Breeze Creatives, Fiona Duncan, Diego’s Joint and Jennie Lambert from Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens and there are three age group categories: up to 10, 20 and 100+-years-old.
The Sunderland Arts and Culture Trail is a project created and curated by fine artists Dale Hardy and Su Devine and is partly funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Su Devine said: “We have been overwhelmed by the support and enthusiasm for the Sunderland Art and Culture Trail this year.
“With the diversity of artists and host venues involved, we hope to attract as many visitors as possible to The Trail to benefit everyone.
“The Community Art Competition will mean that everyone has a chance to have their creativity celebrated and allow us to connect with all the amazing talent within schools, higher education, and community art groups.”
Leanne Littlewood, Director of Culture House Sunderland said: “As a dedicated supporter of youth creativity and expression, we hope this unique opportunity also fosters a sense of pride, confidence, and accomplishment in aspiring artists.”
Sharon Appleby, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID said: “The trail was a huge success last year and we are delighted to be supporting it once again.
“By entering this competition, you can help us celebrate the vibrant canvas of Sunderland’s creativity, expression, and community spirit like never before – justlet your imagination run wild and create something truly extraordinary.”
To enter, email an image to arttrailcompetition2024@gmail.com by the closing date of Friday 14 June with the subject Art Trail Competition Entry.
Each submission must include the artist’s full name, age, address details, contact number (with a name of parent or teacher where applicable) and an artwork title and narrative if there is one.
Winners will be announced on Monday, 24 June, and more information is available at https://sunderlandartstrail.co.uk/