Salisbury Museum introduces a new annual opportunity for artists with the launch of the Salisbury Landscape Open 2025. This competition invites artists, both from the UK and internationally, to submit contemporary works exploring the theme of ‘Landscape’. Situated in a region renowned for inspiring generations of artists – near Stonehenge, Cranborne Chase, and the New Forest – the museum provides a fitting backdrop for celebrating artistic engagement with landscape. The Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 is notably open to interpretation across all artistic mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, printmaking, textiles, mixed media, and moving image. An estimated 75 works will be selected by a panel of judges for inclusion in a major exhibition hosted at the museum.
The core theme for the Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 is simply ‘Landscape‘, allowing for broad artistic interpretation. Selectors will be looking for compelling contemporary responses to this enduring theme. Whether representational, abstract, conceptual, or experimental, works across all disciplines are encouraged, provided they engage meaningfully with the landscape concept. The primary prize for the overall winner of the Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 combines a financial award of £1,000 with the significant opportunity of a solo exhibition at Salisbury Museum. A separate Mentoring Prize is also available specifically for student entrants.
Artists interested in the Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 should note the key dates and submission requirements. The online submission deadline is August 13th, 2025. Entrants can submit up to three works, with tiered entry fees starting at £17 for one standard entry (£15 for students). The submission process is entirely digital via an online portal managed by Artopps, requiring images of the artwork. Results will be communicated by September 8th, 2025, with the exhibition scheduled to run from October 18th, 2025, to January 25th, 2026. The Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 appears particularly well-suited for artists whose practice centres on landscape themes and who seek exhibition visibility in a respected UK museum setting.
The Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 Prizes
The prizes for the inaugural Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 focus on providing significant exhibition opportunities and support, particularly valuable for artists seeking to advance their careers and gain visibility within a museum context.
- Main Prize Winner: The artist selected for the top prize will receive:
- A cash award of £1,000.
- A solo exhibition opportunity at Salisbury Museum. This is a substantial prize, offering the winner a dedicated showcase within a respected cultural institution, potentially reaching new audiences and critical attention.
- Student Mentoring Prize: A specific prize aimed at supporting an emerging artist currently studying an arts degree. The details of the mentorship are not specified but represent a valuable developmental opportunity.
- Exhibition Inclusion: Approximately 75 works will be selected for the main exhibition at Salisbury Museum (running October 2025 – January 2026). Inclusion in this curated show itself represents significant recognition and exposure for all selected artists.
These awards position the Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 as a competition where the platform and potential for future development are key components of the available photography challenges and prizes.
The Categories of the Salisbury Landscape Open 2025
The Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 does not feature distinct categories based on medium or specific sub-themes. Instead, it is unified under the single, broad theme of ‘Landscape’. Artists working in any medium – including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, printmaking, textiles, mixed media, or moving image – are invited to submit work that interprets or engages with this central theme. The focus is on the quality and contemporary relevance of the artwork’s connection to the landscape concept, making it a notable event within the sphere of landscape photography competitions and landscape art contests more generally.
Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 Dates and Entry Fees
Participating in the Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 requires careful attention to the submission timeline and associated fees. The entry process is managed online.
| Event | Date / Deadline |
|---|---|
| Online Submission Deadline | August 13, 2025 (5:00 PM UK time) |
| Notification of Selection Results | September 8, 2025 |
| Delivery of Selected Artwork | October 9 – 11, 2025 (10 AM – 5 PM daily) |
| Private View | October 17, 2025 |
| Exhibition Open to Public | October 18, 2025 – January 25, 2026 |
| Collection of Unsold Artwork | January 27 – 29, 2026 (10 AM – 5 PM daily) |
Entry Fees:
Fees are tiered based on the number of works submitted:
- Standard Entry:
- 1 artwork: £17
- 2 artworks: £32
- 3 artworks: £45
- Student Entry: (Requires valid student ID; must be completing an arts degree)
- 1 artwork: £15
- 2 artworks: £28
- 3 artworks: £39
Entry fees are non-refundable once submitted.
How to Enter
To enter the Salisbury Landscape Open 2025:
- Access the online application portal.
- Complete the application form, providing personal details and information about the artwork(s) being submitted (title, medium, dimensions, weight, sale price if applicable).
- Upload digital images of your artwork (up to 3 works maximum). You can provide up to 2 additional supporting images for each work (e.g., details, different views).
- Images must be digital format (JPEG recommended).
- Maximum file size: 5MB per image.
- Images should be representative of the work and not digitally manipulated or enhanced for the submission.
- Pay the appropriate entry fee online within the application portal.
- Submit the completed application before the deadline: August 13, 2025.
Ensure submitted work meets eligibility criteria (e.g., size/weight limits, no AI) and be prepared for delivery/collection logistics if selected.
About the Jury for Salisbury Landscape Open 2025
The selection of works for the Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 exhibition will be undertaken by an eminent panel of judges with diverse expertise across history, heritage, art practice, curation, and art history. The selectors are:
- Dr Alex Langlands: Associate Professor of History and Heritage, Swansea University; archaeologist, author, and broadcaster with expertise in Wessex history.
- Akash Bhatt: Artist (painter) who has exhibited widely, including BP Portrait Award and Sunday Times Watercolour exhibition, focusing on people and habitats.
- Louise Balaam: Painter of expressive landscapes, member of the New English Art Club and Royal West of England Academy, influenced by British and abstract expressionist traditions.
- Adrian Green: Director of The Salisbury Museum, with experience curating exhibitions on major artists connected to the Salisbury area.
- Sam Smiles: Honorary Professor, University of Exeter; art historian specializing in British landscape painting and artistic responses to prehistory.
This panel will review the digital submissions anonymously to select approximately 75 works for the exhibition. Their decisions are final.
Why Enter Salisbury Landscape Open 2025?
The Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 presents a valuable opportunity for artists whose work engages with landscape themes. The chance to be selected for exhibition in Salisbury Museum, a Grade I listed building with strong historical connections to landscape art, offers significant prestige and visibility. For the overall winner, the combination of a £1,000 prize and, more notably, a solo exhibition at the museum provides a substantial career boost. The competition’s openness to all mediums allows artists from diverse disciplines to participate on an equal footing. For students, the dedicated Mentoring Prize offers a unique developmental opportunity. Being part of the inaugural edition of this annual open call could also be appealing. It features on the wider list of photography competitions that focus on thematic exploration rather than purely technical categories.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.
Rules
The Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 is open to UK and international artists aged 18+. All mediums are accepted, but AI-generated work is inadmissible. Submitted works must interpret the ‘Landscape’ theme. Size limits apply: 2D works max 2.4m largest side; 3D works max 50cm longest side. Maximum weight is 18kg. Video artists must provide their own display equipment (which must be PAT tested). Submissions are digital via an online portal; images must not be manipulated for submission. Copies or works breaching copyright are inadmissible. Works deemed unsafe, containing hazardous materials, or likely to breach hate speech laws will be refused. Selected works can be offered for sale, subject to a 40% + VAT commission. Delivery and collection of selected works are the artist’s responsibility and cost.
Copyright
Artists entering the Salisbury Landscape Open 2025 retain full copyright of their work. By entering, artists confirm they hold all intellectual property rights and have necessary permissions for any third-party material. Artists grant Salisbury Museum and the organizers permission to photograph and reproduce selected works for promotional purposes related to the competition and exhibition (e.g., catalogue, press, website, social media) across all territories. Copyright inquiries received by the organizers will be referred directly to the artist.
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For more information and to enter the competition, visit: the oficial website.
