New Light Prize Exhibition comes to Newcastle

The long-awaited New Light Art Prize Exhibition is arriving at The Biscuit Factory in Newcastle from 29 June until 22 September. A celebration of Northern talent, the exhibition shines a light on the incredible artistic flair that the Northern region has to offer, rewarding local artists with grants, solo exhibitions and mentoring. The exhibition features the FIVE winning pieces, as well as those from 121 shortlisted artists who impressed the judges with their unique artwork.

The Biscuit Factory will also play host to the winners of the first ever New Light Sculpture Prize generously sponsored by The Biscuit Factory Foundation. Sculptors submitted their very best 3D artworks and 25 eclectic pieces have been selected by judge, Sam Waters, Curator of The Biscuit Foundation as shortlisted finalists. The winner will receive £1000 and the opportunity to showcase their work on display at The Biscuit Factory. The winner will be unveiled in the VIP preview evening on Friday 28 June.

All winners have strong connections to the Northern region, having studied in the area, been brought up in the area or are living there now.

“The North of England has a huge wealth of artistic talent and we are very proud to celebrate and promote our winners’ incredible achievements. This is the first time we have incorporated the Sculpture prize into the New Light Prize Exhibition and we had a fantastic response to the call for entries meaning that it was an incredibly hard – though rewarding – task for the judge,” says Rebekah Tadd, CEO at New Light Art.

 The exhibition is free to attend and will then move onto The Mercer Art Gallery in Harrogate (12^th October – 31^st December 2024). It will include award-winning pieces including ‘Lockdown’ by Frances Bell, winner of The New Light Valeria Sykes Award and £10,000. Frances has lived in Wooler in Northumberland, for the past 20 years. Born in 1983, after developing an early interest in drawing and painting, she pursued art and art history, making her way to Florence to pursue classical training at Charles H. Cecil Studios in 2001 for three years, where she taught sporadically for the further seven summers.

“I feel so optimistic for the future of northern art in being part of this show. Such an ambitious exhibition, over so many wonderful venues, and months in which to tour the country, with such a rich crop of work to show alongside. There is great depth in the artistic community in the north and this show demonstrates so much of that. To have won the Valeria Sykes Award is beyond my wildest expectations, I’m really delighted. The painting was made at the tail end of the second lockdown, which so affected us all. My sitter is another Northumbrian and a great friend of mine. The atmosphere of that time comes through for me when I think about the painting, almost like a time capsule from the past,” says Frances Bell.

The New Light Prize Exhibition, established in 2010, has become one of the UK’s largest open touring exhibitions and offers some of the region’s best awards and opportunities for aspiring and established artists.

The judging process began in May and included some of the UK’s best art experts including Olivia Heron, Curator of The Whitworth Gallery, Matthew Hall, Director of Panter and Hall, London, Nan Perell, New York Collector specialising in contemporary British paintings, Mark Demsteader, renowned figurative artist and Rebekah Tadd, CEO of New Light Art.

“It feels balancing that a painting which stems from being compelled by circumstances to remain in one locality through a hard moment in our recent history, should be shown in an exhibition celebrating that same area, and those who live and create art there.”