How do I get involved?

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It is now too late to register a venue for 2024.
You will be able to register for the 2025 festival from 1st October until 31st December 2024.

Oxfordshire Artweeks is an artists' organisation which provides opportunities for Oxfordshire artists and designer-makers with a flagship event in May. This is a festival of open studios and pop-up exhibitions across the whole county: it is non-selective, and anyone can take part if they live or work in Oxfordshire or are part of an established Oxfordshire-based art group, society or guild.

In May 2025 the festival dates are as follows:
Oxford City May 3-11 (4th Bank Holiday)
South Oxfordshire 11-18
North Oxfordshire 17-26 (26th Bank Holiday)

If you would like to exhibit, you need to decide upon a venue for your May exhibition (unless you are choosing to exhibit on-line only). Next sign up as an Artweeks member for the appropriate calendar year and then register to exhibit either as a solo artist or as part of a group exhibition. If you represent an organisation, you can register either as a business or gallery or, if you are a school, charity or community group, as a non-selling exhibition. All Artweeks members are expected either to exhibit physically in May or to complete the Solo artist virtual exhibition entry form instead to appear in the on-line exhibition section of the festival guide.

DEADLINE ALERT: 31st December 2024
Registration for Artweeks 2025 opens in October and both membership for 2025 and your 2025 exhibition listing for the festival guide must be submitted by 31st December using the on-line registration system (or by the end of November for postal paper entries).

If you're thinking of exhibiting next year, read more about what Artweeks does for you below, find out about costs, key dates and look at the Artweeks regions map. If you don't have a place to exhibit, you can add yourself/use our FIND-A-VENUE map. Venues should be free to enter.

You can sign up here or scroll down for all the details.
If you would like to come along to a free 'Thinking of Taking Part in Artweeks' session on Zoom at 7pm on Thursday 26th September 2024 to hear about the options and ask your questions, then please contact Jo on artweeks@artweeks.org to book your place. A zoom link will then be sent out just prior to the event.

What does Artweeks do for you?

The details of all Artweeks members' May exhibitions are presented on this website and in the annual festival guide & art directory, 50,000 copies of which are normally distributed in April and May throughout Oxfordshire and beyond, through a network of local information centres, libraries and many other venues. The festival guide is also widely shared in pdf and flipbook formats. Wide-spread recognition of the strong Artweeks logo signposting a venue gives the public the confidence to venture into exhibitions.

In addition, Artweeks mounts an effective publicity campaign, placing Artweeks features in the media and on social media to ensure that the festival as a whole is brought to the attention of a wide audience. To help to you best take advantage of this 'umbrella marketing' and other opportunities, we offer a series of free Zoom workshops in early February and additional support and opportunities where possible throughout the year.

In addition to exhibiting, as a member, as a contribution to the event, you are expected to help distribute guides, put up posters, to signpost your venue and offer a warm welcome. To accompany your physical exhibition, annual Artweeks membership includes an online artist portfolio with the facility to upload an image of yourself at work and 12 additional images of artwork, to embed three videos and to link to an exhibition catalogue, live-streamed events, social media and selling sites.

Many Artweeks members who exhibit as part of the May festival also hold or participate in other shows throughout the year, details of these can be entered in an individual's artist portfolio. Artists can also include on the website workshops held all year round.

The website offers a year round search facility by name/artform. The Artweeks website also hosts a spring and winter on-line show for members and, in November-December, a listing of Christmas events in which Artweeks artists are participating.

THE FINER DETAILS

  • Artweeks is non-selective and open to all artists living or working in Oxfordshire or artists that have a studio in Oxfordshire. Artweeks is also open to artists that live outside the county but are members of an established Oxfordshire based art group, society or guild.
  • The application period runs from September to December each year.
  • All work must be original and made by the exhibiting artist.
  • Artists may enter Artweeks as individuals, small groups, large groups, non-selling groups or as a business/gallery.

What do I have to do?

1. Become a member

  • As Oxfordshire Artweeks is a not-for-profit members company, all artists wishing to exhibit must also be a member of Oxfordshire Artweeks, for the year they are exhibiting. Only artists who have paid the current membership and entry fees are permitted to exhibit at the Artweeks’ sites.
    Members are expected to exhibit physically in May - alternatively call the office to discuss your reasons for becoming a member.
    (There are a small number of exceptions including artists showing work but not selling it as part of a registered non-selling exhibition hosted by a charity/school/community group where an organisational membership covers all those taking part; those exhibiting no more than three pieces within an amateur art society large group exhibition where the group has pre-arranged this with the Artweeks office and those taking part within a 'business' with an organisational membership which has registered a 'gallery' exhibition for the festival. Your group organiser should be able to tell you whether you fall within one of these categories, or get in touch with us to confirm.)
  • A year’s membership runs from 1st Jan-31st Dec. (See membership details for more details)
  • Membership Forms and fees may be submitted from September for the following year. (See membership details)
  • All exhibiting artists must pay their membership before entering their exhibition details. (See key dates and exhibition options).

2. Submit your exhibition entry

  • Choose how you would like to exhibit: as an individual or as part of a small group or large group, non-selling group or as a business/gallery (see exhibition options for more details)
    NOTE: All groups must appoint a co-ordinator. This person will then be responsible for returning all completed Membership and Application forms for the group and will be our primary point of contact for the exhibition.
  • If you are not planning to exhibit in your home/studio, find a venue in which to exhibit.
  • Work out which region you will be exhibiting in: Artweeks is split into three Regions - North Oxfordshire, South Oxfordshire or Oxford City (see regions map) – and each has different core dates.
  • Opening hours should be from 11-6 with a 11-8 late night on Thursday or Friday, though an earlier start is often appreciated by visitors.
  • Choose one image (no smaller than 800 pixels by 800 pixels) and decide upon a brief description for the exhibition (approx. 12-15 words). Please note that we recommend your image is square, and colourful too if appropriate. This is your primary tool for attracting visitors using the festival guide to make their Artweeks plans so take care to choose a striking image that best represents your work. We suggest printing your image at ‘postage stamp size’ to test it on paper and if you have several options, ask friends and family for their popular choice.
  • Exhibiting artists must complete an entry form and pay the appropriate fees by the closing date to be included in the following year’s festival. (See exhibition options for up to date information)
  • Entry applications are accepted from October. The closing date is December each year. (See key dates)

NOTE: Exhibitors may not invite guest exhibitors who are not members of Artweeks to exhibit with them. Failure to comply will result in automatic disqualification from the event.