I am excited to announce the next call for artists submissions for the forthcoming show ‘Ordinary’.
‘Ordinary’ - Exhibition opens 15th June - 3rd August 2025
Again I stumbled upon the theme for this show during my last exhibition (Sanctuary) here at the gallery during April this year when I came across a song called ‘Ordinary’ by Alex Warren - it filled me with excitement listening to the words and singing along with the track.
This theme has a similar feel to the ‘Precious Little’ show that was held here at the gallery in Nov/December last year: which explored glimmers..
but this has a slightly different take - in that it reminds us that within the ordinary we find the extraordinary and remarkable: that we are surrounded by the ordinary.. which is full of beauty, wonder, joy.. and a certain richness. everyday mundane things can get overlooked and finding the beauty in them can help us develop a deeper connection to the world around us.
It’s a practice of mindfulness.
It is seeing the beauty in the ordinary, in the tiny details, in the things that make up our days, and our lives. Embracing a simplistic life – releasing the need for materialistic goods. because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. - Polly Jemima.
‘Too often we miss the beauty of ordinary things by wishing for something better.
It is a gift to yourself to see the beauty of ordinary things. To not constantly look around you and your circumstances and dwell on all the ways your life would improve if it were upgraded.
Our world encourages discontent at every turn and our minds too often embrace it. Even though it seems unwise to discount the beauty right in front of us, we do it all the time.
We wish the house was bigger, the restaurant was fancier, the vacation was more exotic, or the television was larger.
We wish the furniture was fancier, the clothes were more fashionable, the phone was upgraded, or the mode of transportation was more luxurious.
But when we live life constantly desiring more and better, we miss the beauty of the ordinary right in front of us.
It is one thing to work to improve your lot in life. It is something completely different to miss the beauty and blessings of the life you are currently experiencing.
Wise is the man or woman who chooses to see them.’ - Joshua Becker
I would love to receive an array of work which you as artists feel explores the beauty to be found in the ordinary: work that is created with gratitude for the ordinary, those everyday things that you do and experience - and where you personally find the extraordinary that life is rich with: pretty much anything that fits seamlessly with this theme: both literally and metaphorically.
‘Ordinary’ - Exhibition opens Exhibition opens 15th June - 3rd August 2025
Submissions Criteria & Information:
Please ensure that you read all of the information below before submitting your work. Any missing info from the list below will not be considered for the exhibition.
Open to all artists resident within the UK.
Open to all disciplines including ceramics and sculpture.
Open to artists aged 18 and over.
All work must be available for sale
No reproductions/giclee prints of originals accepted. However we do accept photography and digital work etc.
Maximum number of pieces submitted per artist - 3.
Maximum measurements: including framing - 75x75cm
Maximum price including gallery commission £750
Submission to the call out is free/no fee - however if selected to exhibit in the show there will be a £20 per artist exhibition fee payable on selection.
If selected you will need to deliver & collect your work to/from the gallery prior to the show or send via courier/post. And this includes any unsold work at the end of the show too. All costs incurred re; delivery/post/collection will be covered by the artist.
Artists will be solely responsible for insuring their artwork whilst it is in transit prior to and after the show.
A submission form must be completed and emailed to: theoldlockupgallery@gmail.com - you’ll find the form at the foot of this webpage. Along with JPEG’S: See below.
Submission forms can be downloaded, printed off and handwritten/completed - and a photograph sent as a jpeg if you prefer/find it easier. Please make sure any photographs are easy to read/decipher.
PDF’s/JPEG’s of your work/embedded into a document will not be accepted.
CV’s and artists statements are not required. Selection is based purely on the work that you submit.
Good quality JPEG’s of your work: with no blurring and cropped to size - with no background showing must be emailed along with your submission form to the above email address: attached in one email only - please don’t send separately.
File names for your JPEGS will need to be the title of your work or an abbreviation of the title.
You must be able to deliver work on Sunday 8th June 5.30-6.30pm or Monday 9th June 3-5pm.
We accept postal deliveries of work - work must be scheduled to arrive on 6th June.
We are able to return unsold work via post - however this option is only available to artists who live outside of a 1.5 hour travelling radius of the gallery.
If selected the gallery commission on any sales is 50%.
All artists will be contacted re; selection etc by approx 28th May.
All works will need to be framed - unless on a box frame/stretched canvas or board. All pieces ready to hang with D rings and chord as appropriate. No mirror plates.
Due to the high volume of submissions received no feedback will be available at any point throughout the submission/selection process.
We are now OPEN for submissions to the call out for the show and we warmly welcome you to step forward and submit your work up until the deadline of the callout on 26th May at 11pm.
It’s advisable that you download the form prior to this - as the webpage will be deleted at 10pm on 26th May.