Invite to paint Padiham in a day

A call has gone out for artists '“ both amateur and professional '“ to take part in the second annual Painting Padiham competition.
Paint PadihamPaint Padiham
Paint Padiham

The inaugural event last year proved a great success – and organisers are confident they can build on that to make this year’s competition even better.

An array of artists is set to pick up their paintbrushes and descend on the town for the competition on Saturday May 12th. They will compete for cash prizes and artists’ materials by creating an original piece of art in any style or medium (apart from photography) depicting Padiham and its people, over the course of a single day.

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Artists must register by April 21st and pay a non-refundable registration fee of £10 for a place in the competition.

On the day artists will register at Storm Art Gallery with a blank canvas before moving out to their chosen location within a one-mile radius of the town hall.

Visitors to the event will be able to see the artists at work and enjoy seeing original art created before their eyes. Guides, including maps of the event, will be available for visitors to see where the artists will be located on the day. Each artist will have a number and a short biography on display to help visitors locate and find out more about the artists taking part.

Visitors will be able to take in the great shops and eateries in Padiham town centre as well as visiting as many artists around the town as they can.

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The completed work will be submitted at the end of the day and judged over the course of the following two weeks.

An exhibition of all the artists’ submitted work will be on display at the Picture House Gallery for two weeks, from May 26th. The prize winners will be announced at a launch event and will include a People’s Choice Award decided by social media.

Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase the original artwork during the exhibition.

Last year 52 artists took part in the event and hundreds of visitors flocked to the town centre and Gawthorpe Hall grounds to witness art in action. Winner Steve Rostron won the £1,000 cash prize for his painting of Padiham town centre looking down ‘the hill’ of Burnley Road.

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This year the organisers are planning on an even more interactive event with visitors able to take part in creative art workshops on the day.

Coun. Sue Graham, the council's executive member for regeneration and economic development, said: "This is a wonderfully imaginative way of putting Padiham in the picture, quite literally. Artists have an eye for detail and I know there’s plenty of material in Padiham for them to capture in all its glory.”

Catherine Price, Burnley and Padiham town centre manager, said: “Last year’s launch event was brilliant and attracted a lot of attention. This year we plan to make it even better and more immersive and ‘hands-on’. It will be a great opportunity to develop your skills, whatever level you’re at, by rubbing shoulders with a range of experienced artists.

“It’s a chance for less experienced people to paint side by side with professionals and there are not many places in the country where you can do that.”

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The event is organised by Burnley Council, Picture House Gallery and Storm Art Gallery, in partnership with Gawthorpe Hall.

For more information and to register visit www.padiham.org.uk/painting-padiham contact [email protected] or visit Picture House Gallery or Storm Art Gallery, Burnley Rd, Padiham to pick up a registration form.

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