Three Counties Open Art Exhibition marks 30 years with biggest ever showcase

A regional art exhibition is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year with a record number of entries and the largest display of artwork in its history.

The Three Counties Open Art Exhibition, which brings together artists from Staffordshire, Cheshire and Shropshire, has returned to Fenton Town Hall with more works on show than ever before.

Organisers said this year’s milestone event attracted the highest number of submissions since the exhibition began three decades ago, reflecting growing interest from artists across the region.

The exhibition is organised by ArtsKeele at Keele University in partnership with ACAVA Spode Works, Appetite, Burslem School of Art Trust, the New Vic Theatre, Barewall Gallery, PiCL (Partners in Creative Learning), and Restoke.

Kerry Jones, from ArtsKeele, said: “To be marking our 30th anniversary with both a record number of submissions and the largest exhibition we’ve ever staged is a wonderful way to celebrate the exhibition’s legacy.

“The quality and variety of work on display demonstrates the strength of artistic talent across the three counties.”

This year’s exhibition, officially opened by Stoke-on-Trent Lord Mayor Councillor Joan Bell, has attracted a record 308 submissions, with more than 140 artists now showcasing their work – the largest number ever featured. The exhibitors range from 16 to 91 years old, bringing together artists from across different generations. It features a wide range of creative work, including painting, printmaking, drawing, photography, sculpture, textiles, moving image and installation pieces. Prizes will be awarded across 10 categories.

Among those exhibiting is Emily Galvin-Wilson, who became Staffordshire’s first female Poet Laureate in 2017.

Emily, who lives in Stoke-on-Trent, said: “I didn’t have the most straightforward introduction to art. At school, I was put off because I struggled with realism and wasn’t encouraged to develop my artistic side. It wasn’t until later that I discovered watercolour as a hobby, often using it alongside my poetry. Over time, creativity became an increasingly important part of my life, and I found myself drawn more deeply into making art.

“The piece I am exhibiting is called Take Me Out To Sea and is a mixed media abstract piece created as a response to music through synaesthesia. After having my daughter, I found it difficult to find large blocks of time to make art, and so I began to curate 15-to-20-minute playlists for myself, which created little pockets of atmosphere to complete a piece in bursts over the course of weeks. Most of my most recent work has been created in this way.”

Visual artist Laurel Gallagher, a former secondary school art teacher who now works under the name Feral State, is exhibiting a self-portrait diptych, digital photograph.

Laurel, who lives in Oakamoor, said: “Art is always the thing that carries me through change. Every period of transformation in my life, art has been there. Art connects me back to myself and builds community around that connection.”

The exhibition runs until Saturday, 29 August, and is open from Tuesday to Saturday, between 11am and 3pm. Entry is free, with a programme of creative events and activities taking place alongside the exhibition.

For more details, visit https://www.keele.ac.uk/about/artskeele/threecountiesopenart2026/