2027 Irving Open Call

Founded in 2019, Irving Gallery presents a year-round programme of contemporary exhibitions featuring emerging and established artists working across painting, works on paper, photography, textiles, sculpture and ceramics.

Situated within the domestic setting of a Victorian terraced house in Oxford, the gallery offers an alternative to the traditional white-cube experience, presenting contemporary art in spaces that encourage close looking and invite visitors to imagine living with the work.

The Irving Open is an important part of the gallery’s exhibition programme and one of the principal ways in which Irving Gallery discovers artists for future exhibitions. The exhibition is carefully curated from the submissions received, bringing together artworks that resonate with the gallery’s curatorial vision and with one another.

The aim of the Irving Open is not simply to select individual artworks, but to create a thoughtful and thought-provoking exhibition in which each piece contributes to a wider conversation. Previous Irving Open artists have gone on to exhibit in future group exhibitions, present solo exhibitions and become part of the gallery’s wider community of artists.

The exhibition celebrates ambitious contemporary practice while creating opportunities for artists to connect with collectors, visitors, and one another.

The 2027 Irving Open will present up to 80 selected artworks, curated and exhibited across Irving Gallery’s two gallery spaces.

The exhibition will open with three events, a drinks reception on Friday 5 February 2027 (evening) for Friends of Irving Gallery, and two artist parties on Saturday 6 February 2027 (early evening) and Sunday 7th February 2027 (afternoon). The exhibition will continue in the gallery until Sunday 28 February 2027, with all selected works remaining available to view online until 31 May 2027.

All submissions will be reviewed and selected by Vanessa Lacey, owner and curator of Irving Gallery.

One exhibiting artist will be awarded a solo exhibition at Irving Gallery in 2028.

Terms & Conditions

Eligibility

• The 2027 Irving Open is open to artists living in the UK and Ireland.

• All submitted artworks must be original artworks created by the submitting artist.

• All visual art media will be considered, provided the work submitted is a unique, one-off original artwork.

• Works submitted should have been completed during 2024, 2025 or 2026.

Submission Pass

Purchase of one Submission Pass entitles you to submit up to five artworks (or fewer). The Early Bird price of £25 is valid until 31st August; the price will increase to £30 from 1st September.

Artists may purchase more than one Submission Pass if they wish to submit additional works.

Submission Pass fees are non-refundable.

Irving Gallery is independently run by curator Vanessa Lacey, who manages every aspect of the gallery. Submission fees contribute towards the administration of the Open Call, together with the time and costs involved in curating, marketing and presenting the exhibition.

These fees help ensure that the Irving Open remains sustainable while supporting Irving Gallery’s wider exhibition programme throughout the year.

Scroll to the end of this email to buy your Submission Pass.

Artwork Guidelines

There are no restrictions on the type of artwork submitted, provided the work is an original, unique piece. However, artists are encouraged to consider the domestic character of Irving Gallery, which occupies two rooms within a Victorian terraced house, and artists should consider the scale of their submissions carefully.

While larger works may be submitted, the majority of selected works will be small to medium in size. Artists wishing to submit larger works are encouraged to include one or more smaller works within their submission. Larger wall-based artworks should be no larger than 85 cm in any direction, including the frame.

All selected artworks should arrive professionally presented and ready for exhibition.

Works on paper should be framed. Any framed glazed works must use glass rather than perspex, and artists are encouraged to use non-reflective or museum glass wherever possible. The gallery prefers works to be float mounted showing the whole page.

Wall-based works should arrive ready to hang. Sculptural works should be stable, suitable for display, and accompanied by any necessary installation instructions.

How to Submit

Purchase a Submission Pass before the submission deadline.

Submissions must be made by email only to:

vanessa@irvinggallery.com

Please do not send files via WeTransfer, Dropbox, Google Drive or similar file-sharing services, and do not send zipped folders.

If your image files are too large to send in a single email, please send multiple emails (for example, one email per artwork).

Please use the same email address for both your Submission Pass purchase and your artwork submission so that your records can be matched.

Please quote the order number received when purchasing your Submission Pass within your submission email.

For each artwork submitted, please include these details within the image file name, and also within your email:

• Artist

• Artwork title

• Medium

• Dimensions in cm (height x width for 2D works | height x width x depth for 3D works)

• Year completed

• Sale price in £

Image files should:

• be supplied as .jpeg or .png files

• be between 1MB and 3MB each

• accurately represent the colour and appearance of the original artwork

• please send at least one image for each work showing the entire work, uncropped, with white wall around it

• additional images might be included to show details, or a side view, for example

Please ensure that the title, dimensions, medium and price supplied with your submission are final, as this information may be used for exhibition labels and price lists, the online exhibition and sales records.

• Please also send an artist statement, written in the third person, ca. 250 words.

• Please send a condensed biography, again written in the third person, 250 words maximum, which includes your most recent and most significant exhibition history, awards/prizes, etc.

The deadline for submissions is 11.59pm (UK time) on Friday 23 October 2026.

Late submissions cannot be accepted.

Selection Process

All submissions will be reviewed by Vanessa Lacey.

Selection is based on both the individual quality of each submission and how each artwork contributes to the exhibition as a whole.

The Irving Open is a curated exhibition, and the final selection reflects Irving Gallery’s curatorial vision.

Artists will be notified by 1 December 2026 whether or not their work has been selected.

The curator’s decision is final.

Unfortunately, Irving Gallery is unable to provide individual feedback on unsuccessful submissions.

Key Dates

• Submission Passes available: Now. The Early Bird rate of £25 applies until 31 August; from 1 September the price per submission pass is £30.

• Submission deadline: Friday 23 October 2026 (11.59pm UK time)

• Selection notification: 1 December 2026

• Delivery of selected artworks: Thursday 21 or Friday 22 January 2027

• Exhibition opens: Friday 5 February 2027

• Exhibition opening events: Private View on Friday 5 February, 6pm-8pm (for Friends of Irving Gallery); Artists’ Parties on Saturday 6 February, 5pm-7pm and Sunday 7 February, 2pm-4pm - artists are welcome to attend on either Saturday or Sunday.

• Exhibition closing event and solo exhibition recipient announced: Sunday 28 February 2027, 2pm-3.30pm

• Collection of unsold works: Sunday 28 February (following the finissage) or Wednesday 3 March 2027, 10am-5pm

• Online exhibition ends: 31 May 2027

Delivery & Collection

Artists are responsible for delivering selected artworks to:

Vanessa Lacey
Irving Gallery
28 Essex Street
Oxford OX4 3AW

Artists are also responsible for collecting unsold artworks after the exhibition. As the gallery has no storage space and a rapid exhibition turnover, artworks must be collected (or collected by courier) on the published collection dates. Please plan to collect your work in person if you possibly can.

If arranging a courier, artists are responsible for making the booking.

Wherever possible, Irving Gallery will retain and reuse original packaging for return transport.

All delivered artworks should be clearly labelled with the artist’s name and artwork title.

Artists are responsible for ensuring artworks are adequately packaged for transport.

Artists are responsible for insuring artworks while in transit to and from the gallery.

Whilst every care will be taken in handling artworks, all artworks are exhibited at the artist’s own risk. Due to the number of artists and artworks involved, Irving Gallery is unable to provide insurance cover whilst artworks are in the gallery.

Sales

All selected artworks must be available for sale.

Please do not submit artworks that are committed to another exhibition or offered for sale elsewhere.

If a selected artwork becomes unavailable before delivery for the exhibition, Irving Gallery reserves the right not to accept a substitute artwork.

Selected artworks will be consigned exclusively to Irving Gallery until 31 May 2027. Works will be offered for sale online via the Irving Gallery website throughout the exhibition and consignment period .

Selected work should not be for sale on any other platforms during the exhibition and consignment period. 

Any sale of a selected artwork arising while the work is consigned to Irving Gallery - i.e. until 31 May 2027 - should be processed through Irving Gallery.

Irving Gallery retains 45% commission on all sales.

Artists will be notified of any sale within 14 days and asked to submit an invoice for the sale value less gallery commission.

Payment will be made within 14 days of receipt of a valid invoice.

Publicity & Copyright

Artists retain copyright in their artworks.

By submitting work to the Irving Open, artists grant Irving Gallery permission to photograph and reproduce images of submitted and selected artworks for purposes including exhibition promotion, press, marketing, social media, newsletters, the gallery website and future publicity relating to the Irving Open.

Artists should ensure that submitted images accurately represent the original artwork.

Solo Exhibition Award

One artist exhibiting in the 2027 Irving Open will be awarded a solo exhibition at Irving Gallery in 2028.

The exhibition will have a minimum duration of two weeks, with dates agreed between Irving Gallery and the selected artist.

Irving Gallery will cover the costs of installation, marketing and promotion of the exhibition, together with hosting an opening event.

The gallery’s decision is final.

General

Irving Gallery reserves the right to decline any artwork that differs significantly from the submitted images, arrives damaged, is not exhibition-ready, or does not comply with these Terms & Conditions.

Irving Gallery reserves the right to make all curatorial decisions regarding the placement and installation of selected artworks.

Thank you and good luck!

Thank you very much for your interest in the Irving Open Call.

I am excited to see your submissions, and wish you the best of luck with your entry for our 2027 Irving Open Call.

Vanessa Lacey
Founder & Curator
Irving Gallery

Email: vanessa@irvinggallery.com