Oxmarket hoping lockdown show will signal July opening
Art
Chichester’s Oxmarket Gallery is looking for entries for its Knockout Lockdown Art exhibition as it starts to plan for a possible July reopening.
Oxmarket chairman Sophie Hull wants the gallery to reemerge from the crisis with a major artistic exploration of all that we have been through.
“We’re installing all the recommended guidelines. We hope visitors will return. It’s never very crowded. The doors will be left open and visitors directed to go round the galleries clockwise. We expect guests can’t wait to responsibly get out.
“Millions of people worldwide are currently practising social distancing or have been under stay-at-home orders by their governments to stop the spread of the coronavirus. This extra time at home has led to a flurry of lovely, homemade, selfcrafted window displays of rainbows and butterflies, along with messages of support for our amazing
NHS, care workers and all the essential workers.
“These send out strong messages of hope. This time in lockdown made me think about how we are going to come out of this, lift our spirits and celebrate rediscovering the many things we’ve taken for granted. Many of us have discovered Zoom as a way to continue working or keeping in touch with friends and family.
“I felt, at the Oxmarket, we needed to do something to stand up and use this time effectively by creating an exhibition which will celebrate and explore lockdown art and encourage people old and young to start making work that reflects the shutdown and what they are going through. Many of us, for very good reasons, have been finding lockdown difficult and many people have turned to art to help them through this challenging period where they are not able to see and hold loved ones.
“Art and making things have huge therapeutic benefits, like gardening. The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross (BBC Four) has shown me how to paint beautiful scenes in just 30 minutes. He makes it look so easy and has me absolutely hooked. Many artists will have been spending more time in their studios. Grayson Perry is hosting a hugely successful series in Channel 4’s Grayson’s Art Club, which suggests we are all hungering for more creativity in our lives or at least permission to try. The aim of the series is to ‘unleash our collective creativity during lockdown.’ Perry shows everyone can have a go.”
Sophie added: “We are a volunteer-run charity, and this is a wonderful opportunity for you to get involved in your local community gallery. The Oxmarket would love as many people as possible to have a go and unleash their collective creativity!
“Put your self-doubt to one side, don’t worry that it might not be impressive and have a go at a piece that shows your feelings and what this period symbolises for you. It could be a street of neighbours clapping or seedlings that you’ve had the time to grow. It can be any number of things. It is the introspection that counts and what it means to you.
“Enter our Knockout Lockdown Art competition and see your work exhibited at the Oxmarket Gallery. Submissions are beginning to come in. The closing date will depend on ever-changing Government guidelines, so start now. A week or so after reopening we will hold an exhibition of all the entries, which will be for sale. The work can take any form – paintings, photography, collage or sculpture. It can be anything you like.
“More information on the competition can be found on our website www.oxmarket. com where you can get an entry form or by emailing info@oxmarket.com. The Oxmarket would like entrants to donate their work with proceeds of their sale going to charity. There will be cash prizes and one for under-12s and three big prizes.”