Image: New Art Exchange, Montreal
New Art Exchange will stage the sixth edition of 'NAE Open' from 22 May to 12 September 2026, presenting work selected from a competitive open application process for Nottinghamshire-based artists and Global Ethnic Majority artists living anywhere in the UK. The exhibition brings together painting, print, video, installation, photography, textiles and sculpture, with the gallery describing the result as an eclectic selection of artists at different stages of their careers.
According to the venue’s announcement, a panel of neighbours, artists and curators chose the show from a substantial number of submissions. The brief was to identify innovative, high-quality artworks that address key societal concerns and interests. New Art Exchange said the exhibition will include 44 artists: Adaqiying, Dafe Oboro, Ravi Modi, Naomi Williams, Farwa Moledina, Tanaka Mazivanhanga, Sean Cham, Ionie Richards, Johanna Yaovi, Adilson Naueji, Valerie Asiimwe Amani, Imarni-Jade Boyer-Nugent, Olatunbosun Harris, Natasha Awah, Komal Madar, Marcus Rowlands, Cassy Oliphant, Kialy Tihngang, Sam Wellington, Tanvi Kant, Shehzad Jaffer, Jessica Ajuyah, Faiza Butt, Faith Okorodudu, Harmanpreet Randhawa, Tianhui Wu, Iyesogie Ogieriakhi, Emeka Harker, Elahè Raofi, Yee Man Cheng, Sayra Begum, Sian Fan, Abraham Cole, Laine Tomkinson, Sophie Gresswell, Tonye Ekine, Jasmine Su Juanyan, Jessica Ashman, Eliza Rawlings, Kashmira Patel, Mallika Fraser, Gaylene Gould, Dan Jamieson and Craig Fisher.
The gallery defines Global Ethnic Majority as a collective term referring to people who are Black, Asian, Brown, dual heritage, indigenous to the global south and/or racialised as ethnic minorities. That definition frames the open call’s remit, which was limited to Nottinghamshire-based artists and Global Ethnic Majority artists across the UK. The event page says the exhibition is free and open to everyone.
'NAE Open' has become a recurring platform for the exchange, and the 2026 edition follows the same broad curatorial structure seen in previous years: open submission, external selection and a cross-media presentation rather than a single-theme solo project. New Art Exchange’s notice positions the show as a survey of current work emerging from different artistic practices and career stages, while keeping the focus on the concerns and interests raised by the artists themselves.
The exhibition is listed for New Art Exchange, 39-41 Gregory Boulevard, Nottingham, with opening times Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 16:00. The gallery’s online listing gives the dates as 23 May to 12 September, while the event notice and newsletter list 22 May to 12 September. No further public programme is described on the event page beyond the exhibition itself.
The open call appeared alongside other August programming in the gallery’s newsletter, including Saroj Patel’s 'Matrika: She Who Makes Worlds', but 'NAE Open 2026' remains the principal exhibition announcement in the material provided. The notice is the latest sign of New Art Exchange’s continuing emphasis on artist-led programming built through open access and selection across multiple disciplines.
