Image: Orleans House Gallery, Wakefield ; Anne TetzlaffDSC00103 1 scaled
Orleans House Gallery has opened applications for 'The Winter Show 2026', its annual open-call exhibition for artists living or working in the Borough of Richmond upon Thames. The gallery says the show is intended to give local artists a platform to develop their practice, present new or existing work, and sell pieces if selected. Applications are free, and the deadline is 11.59pm on Wednesday 23 September 2026.
According to the gallery’s notice, the exhibition will run from 4 December 2026 until 7 February 2027. The opening weekend will coincide with Orleans House Gallery’s Christmas Shopping Weekend on 5 and 6 December, linking the exhibition’s launch with a separate seasonal sales event for makers, designers and artists. The gallery says the shopping weekend is designed to showcase and sell products in the run-up to Christmas and attracts local audiences as well as visitors from further afield.
The call is open across visual and contemporary artforms in both 2D and 3D. Artists may submit work they have already made or a new work created in response to the open call. In selecting artworks, the gallery says it will be looking for work that reflects the diversity, creativity and ambition of artists in Richmond upon Thames, with attention to local perspectives, creative exploration and exhibition potential. It also says it is seeking work that can connect with visitors and collectors during the busy winter season.
Orleans House Gallery says it welcomes applications from artists at all stages of their careers and particularly encourages submissions from individuals and communities that are currently underrepresented in gallery spaces. The gallery also states that there is no fee to submit. Selected artists will have their work shown in a modular exhibition setting, and the gallery will handle exhibition space, installation, publicity, invigilation and sales processing.
The selection panel will be made up of the Orleans House Gallery team and invited local artist or artists. Each artist may submit one artwork only, even if they work under multiple names or as part of a collective. If an application is successful, the work submitted with the application must be the work exhibited; the gallery says it cannot accept alternative artworks after selection has taken place.
Orleans House Gallery, on Orleans Road in Twickenham, describes itself as offering free admission and opening Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. The Winter Show forms part of its artist opportunities and community-facing programme, which also includes peer feedback sessions, networking gatherings and meetings with Arts Council England representatives. For 'The Winter Show 2026', artists must apply by 23 September 2026, with the exhibition to follow in December and remain on view through 7 February 2027.
