37th Annual Open Exhibition

We are delighted to present the 37th Annual Open Exhibition at Southwark Park Galleries, supported by Breckman & Company. The Annual Open Exhibition exists to encourage artists at all stages of their career to present work as part of a large scale democratic salon show. Since the gallery opened in 1984, the Annual Open Exhibition has been a highlight of Southwark Park Galleries’ calendar. This year brings together over 250 works from a diverse community of artists working in the UK.

Following the success of last year’s online exhibition, the 2021 exhibition will be held both online and in Southwark Park Galleries, Lake Gallery, with all artworks available to purchase through our online shop or in person in the gallery

The exhibition showcases the wide range of practices and themes artists are working with today, with drawing, painting, photography, print, sculpture & video work represented. From its inception, the ethos of the Annual Open Exhibition has always been to be open without hierarchy, and to this day there is no selection panel.

All artworks are for sale and we endeavour to keep prices of artwork affordable. A small percentage of sales and the admission fee goes towards Southwark Park Galleries, as a charity. This helps to keep our galleries free and open to the public and offer people of all ages and from all backgrounds excellent creative experiences. We aim to continually inspire everyone to celebrate their own cultures through creative participation, and the Annual Open Exhibition is crucial to this mission.

Each year there is a ‘Best in Show’ prize, selected by an artist who has participated in the Annual Open Exhibition or is involved in the galleries’ programme. The cash prize of £500 is generously donated by Breckman & Company and will be awarded on the last day of the exhibition by Anne Ryan, who had a solo exhibition The City Rises at our Dilston Gallery earlier this year.

Events // 

Winter Gathering: Saturday 11 December 1-4pm

Join us for carols and mulled wine to mark the close of this year’s exhibition, and hear the announcement of this year’s ‘Best in Show’ on the afternoon of Saturday 11 December at Lake Gallery with the Rotherhithe and Bermondsey Choral Society. This family-friendly afternoon will feature carols sung by our friends at The Rotherhithe & Bermondsey Choral Society, with thanks to the Southwark Park Association 1869.