Winners Announced – Exeter Contemporary Open 2017

From left to right: Aimee Parrott’s Banner 2, Olivia Bax’s Blaaah

An exclusive awards ceremony and exhibition opening at Exeter Phoenix last night saw Aimee Parrott announced as the winner of the prestigious £1000 Overall Award for Exeter Contemporary Open 2017.

Aimee Parrot said, ‘I’m really surprised. It’s a privilege to be showing amongst so many good works. For me making art is a line of exploration. I’m always hoping I’ll make discoveries along the way. I hope the audience does as well.’

The £500 Additional Award went to artist Olivia Bax for her steel plaster and clay structures sculptures.

The exhibition launched with a VIP preview hosted by main sponsors Haines Watts Chartered Accountants at Exeter Phoenix. This year’s exhibition includes a shortlist of eleven artists, selected from several hundred submissions by Independent Curator Kristian Day, Founding Director of  VITRINE (London/Basel) Allys Williams and Exeter Phoenix’s Gallery Curator Matt Burrows.

Exeter Contemporary Open sponsor Haines Watts Chartered Accountants, believe it is important to provide a national platform for contemporary visual artists. Ben de Cruz, Managing Partner of the firm said, ‘The exhibition is a beautiful display of contemporary art. Haines Watts were pleased to support this exhibition as the main sponsor.’

A further Audience Choice award, voted for by visitors to the gallery will be announced at the end of the exhibition. Exeter Contemporary Open also received generous support from media partners Exeter Living and The Big Issue, and St Austell’s who provided wine for the exhibition opening.

Eleven artists have been selected to feature in this year’s exhibition; Nancy Allen, Olivia Bax, Gareth Cadwallader, Fiona Curran, Beth Fox, Ralph Hunter-Menzies, Sooim Jeong, Alistair Levy, Suzanne O’Haire, Aimee Parrott and Maryam Tafakory. Working across a range of visual artforms including sculpture, painting, collage and moving image, this year’s artists selection promises a fresh and diverse exhibition covering a range of exciting new work.

Exeter Contemporary Open runs in our main gallery until Sat 4 Nov. Find out more about the exhibition here >>