OPEN CALL: Letchworth Open 2026

Submissions Open: Monday 20 April 2026, 10am.

Be part of the biggest celebration of Hertfordshire's creative talent at the Letchworth Open Exhibition! From Wednesday 17 June to Saturday 25 July 2026, the Broadway Gallery’s walls will be filled from floor to ceiling with artworks created by our amazing creative community.

About the Exhibition

The Letchworth Open Exhibition welcomes artists from all disciplines, including painting, printmaking, photography, sculpture, applied arts, and digital media. Whether you are an established artist, an emerging talent, a student, a graduate, an amateur, or a first-time exhibitor, you are all invited to participate.

Entry Details

The entry fee is £12.00, allowing each artist to submit a single artwork, guaranteed to be exhibited. To ensure that this fee is not a barrier:

• Entry is free for anyone under 24 as of 1 September 2026.
  
• You can volunteer in exchange for your entry fee. Volunteer slots are 3.5 hours long (Wednesday to Saturday, 10am-1:30pm or 1:30pm-5pm) and are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis at the point of entry.

Condition of entry

Full guidelines can be found in the document linked below.

• Artists can submit work from any medium
• 2D works should have a total surface area no larger than 4800cm²*
• 3D works should have a base no larger than 50 x 50 cm, its weight should not exceed 35kg.
• Multipart 2D works will not be accepted (e.g. diptych or triptych)

*This corresponds to approximately a 60 x 80 cm canvas (or 24 × 32 inch). We will accept work on A1 paper at our discretion, which is slightly larger that 4800cm².

Awards & Opportunities

Broadway Gallery will award three artists a bursary of £1,200 each, along with an invitation to present their work at the Gallery the following year. Selected artists will also receive in-kind support through mentoring and the chance to work with our ‘Meet Critique’ CPD development programme, run in partnership with Eastcheap Studios.

The popular People’s Choice Award will return, along with various discipline-specific prizes.

Key Dates

• Submission Open: Monday 20 April 2026
  
• Submission Deadline: Monday 18 May 2026, Midnight
  
• Delivery of Work:
  • Wednesday 27 May 2026 – Sunday 31 May 2026, 10am - 5pm

• Exhibition Opening Weekend:
  • Saturday 13 June 2026, 2pm – 8pm
  • Sunday 14 June 2026, 2pm – 5pm
    
• Exhibition Dates: Wednesday 17 June – Saturday 25 July 2026
  
• Collection of Work: Wednesday 29 July – Saturday 2 August 2026, 10am – 5pm

We’ve also set up a Facebook group to help you connect with fellow exhibitors (found here)

Application Form

Below is the link to the Letchworth Open Application Form.

Additional Information

Please remember to read the submission guidelines and terms of entry (found below) before starting your application. We have also included a document outlining some helpful tips that may help you with your application. You will need to upload a JPEG image of your artwork during the application process. Once you have submitted your application, you will not be able to amend your form or artwork details. If you would like to receive an application form in a different format, please contact the Gallery at theopen@letchworth.com or phone the Gallery on 01462 476110.