2025 Open Exhibition
Friday 10 October 2025 – Sunday 11 January 2026
The annual Open exhibition at the Ferens Art Gallery has celebrated the creativity of local amateur and professional artists since 1967. Each year the Open exhibition provides an exciting opportunity for artists to display and sell artwork.
Visitors can expect to see a fascinating array of artwork including impressive paintings, photographs and textiles, as well as a number of striking sculptures and ceramics, most of which are for sale.
Sponsored by the Friends of the Friends and BSB Architecture
Submit an Artwork
Online submissions open | 9am, Wednesday 23 April 2025 |
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Online submissions close | Midnight, Thursday 8 May 2025 |
Notification by email | Wednesday 25 June 2025 |
Delivery period | Wednesday 17 to Wednesday 24 September 2025 |
Preview | Thursday 9 October 2025, 6-9pm |
Exhibition display | Friday 10 October 2025 to Sunday 11 January 2026 |
Collection of artwork | Saturday 17 January to Sunday 25 January 2026 |
Need help with photographing your artwork or submitting your online application? Then you can book onto one of our free 30-minute workshops.
Free 2025 Open Workshops: Online Submission and Photography
Ferens Art Gallery, Studio
These simple sessions are designed for artists not familiar with using a computer, the internet or email. Staff will guide artist through the process of submitting an artwork online for the 2025 Open. The sessions will also support artists with photographing their artwork.
Friday 25 April 2025 30 minute slots between 10.30am and 3pm
Saturday 26 April 2025 30 minute slots between 10.30am and 3pm
Saturday 3 May 2025 30 minute slots between 10.30am and 3pm
Sunday 4 May 2025 30 Minute slots between 11.30am and 2.30pm
Wednesday 7 May 2025 30 Minute slots between 10.30am and 3pm
There is also a dedicated workshop to support disabled artists with their applications on 2 May.
During these relaxed sessions two artists will assist with the photography and online submission of artworks. There are only 3 available spaces per timing, support workers or caregivers are welcome to accompany artists.
Friday 2 May 2025
- 10.30 am
- 11.00 am
- 11.30 am
- 12.00noon
- 12.30 pm
All our submission workshop sessions will last up to 30 minutes, and they can cover all or some of the following areas:
- Getting online.
- Setting up an email account (if you do not currently have an email account, please set one up in advance of the workshop if you’re able to do so).
- Fill in and submit the Open Exhibition online application (if you have already taken images of your artwork then please bring these with you on a disc, USB stick or your camera or phone with connecting cables).
- Taking good quality digital photographs of your artwork (please bring any small and easily transportable artworks with you and these can be photographed during your timeslot. Ideally these should be unglazed for the purposes of taking good quality photographs).
- Uploading digital images from your camera or phone and saving them onto your computer.
- Uploading images from your computer onto the Open Exhibition online application form.
To reserve a place on one of these workshops please call 01482 614 290 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday or email ferensopen@hcandl.co.uk. Places are strictly limited and are reserved on a first come, first served basis.
2025 Open Exhibition Prizes

Friends of the Ferens Award
The following cash prizes will be given to winning entries, selected by the Friends of the Ferens board:
First Prize: £350
Second Prize: £250
Third Prize: £200
Prize money kindly donated by the Friends of the Ferens
Hallett & Future Ferens Young Artist Award
All young artists age 16 to 25 are eligible for this prize.
£200 will go to an artist selected by BSB Architecture and the Future Ferens young people’s collective.
Prize money kindly donated by BSB Architecture
Chair’s Award – Hull Culture & Leisure
£100 will go to an artist selected by the Hull Culture and Leisure Chair
People’s Vote Award
£100 will be awarded to an artist with the most votes from visitors to the 2025 Open exhibition.
Contact Us
01482 614290 (Mon to Fri, 9am – 5pm) / ferensopen@hcandl.co.uk
Read the terms and conditions: 2025 Open Exhibition Terms and Conditions (PDF)
Audio description:
An easy read document will also be available soon.
Keep up with all the latest from the Ferens Open 2025 on social media
Twitter @HullFerens
Instagram @ferensartgallery
Facebook www.facebook.com/ferensartgallery
Hashtag #FerensOpen
The Ferens Art Gallery Open Exhibition is made possible with thanks to kind sponsorship from Friends of the Ferens Art Gallery and BSB Architecture.