One of the island’s most popular art competitions opens this weekend, featuring more than 100 entries.

The Hodgson Loom Gallery’s Open Art competition 2017 carries the theme of ’space’, this year, and the Laxey-based venue is belatedly opening its doors on the competition this Saturday.

Julia Ashby-Smith, who runs the gallery, situated above the Laxey Woollen Mills, on Glen Road, said that this preparations for this year’s display were hit, partly by the wintery conditions, but also by the popularity of the competition.

’With the snow, we have extended the unveiling from Thursday (today) to Saturday,’ said Julia.

’But not just because of the snow. I have had so many entries that it has taken ages to get them all hung on the walls, and I have had to employ a lot of help and more space to get everything in.’

She said that she has so far been impressed by the many different interpretations on the theme of the Space, and that the work submitted is incredible in its variation.

’There are more interpretations of the word space that we could ever have thought possible.

’We have had over 100 entries, nearer to 110, maybe more, and a lot of them are quite big pieces, so they are themselves taking up a lot of space.

’We even have a little space to play in, which was created by some children. They were complaining that they were never allowed to play with anything, or touch anything in the gallery, so they made a rocket-tent for kids to get involved and muck about in.’

The competition is this year in it’s eighth year and, according to Julia, it remains as popular with the island’s creative community as ever.

’You never know how many pieces you will get for the competition, so it is difficult to gauge the scale of the exhibition,’ she said.

’Some of these ones were massive. We often get a lot of people who only ever create something for the open competition.

’Also, it gives you the chance to have your work hanging on the walls next to some pretty big names in the art world. We have pieces here by Colleen Corlett, which are fabulous, and she is a very well known artist.’

The exhibition is to remain open until January.

The winning creation will be judged by a panel of five independent judges and a public vote, and announced at the end of the display.

by Mike Wade

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