The Wales Contemporary Art Competition comes to Milford Haven

With three galleries located at Milford Waterfront, it is fast becoming a must-visit for art enthusiasts in Pembrokeshire.

During its 17 years at the Sail Loft, the Waterfront Gallery has showcased work from the best artists and craft workers in west Wales, and is now looking forward to hosting its most high profile exhibition yet. The Wales Contemporary / Cymru Gyfoes international art competition is a two-part concept which has been developed by the Waterfront Gallery, with support from Visit Wales.

Open to all artists aged 18 and over, the first part of the competition was launched earlier this summer, focusing on 2D art. The entries could be in any medium, besides photography, and needed to be inspired by Wales’ ancient history, its art history, its heritage and its landscape. By the deadline of 2nd September, the competition had attracted over 500 entries from countries including Japan, Canada the USA and Spain. Over 70 submissions will be displayed during the exhibition, including a good representation from Pembrokeshire-based artists – Ruth Sargeant, Adrian John, John Faulkner, Sian Jones, Nicola Schoenenberger, Philippa Sibert and Ann Kerr.

The exhibition will take place at the Waterfront Gallery between 5th and 30th October and will then move to the Mall Galleries, London between 5th and 10th November. The works will be judged by a panel of distinguished judges, including artists Catrin Webster and Janette Kerr, painter Ken Maycock, and Stan MacIlvenney OBE who is Chair of the Haven Waterway Enterprise Zone. The winning artist will be announced at the prize giving on 23rd October and will receive £5,000 plus a solo residency at the Waterfront Gallery, starting in February next year.

The second part of the competition will be launched at the Mall Galleries on 5th November.

Milford Waterfront is supporting both parts of the Wales Contemporary / Cymru Gyfoes art competition and looking forward to welcoming visitors to eat, shop and enjoy during their visit to the exhibition this month.

With the growing demand for space, the Waterfront Gallery is expanding to a second premises at Milford Waterfront, dedicated to craft and 3D art, including ceramics. This new space is located at 4 Agamemnon House and will will be opening in mid-October, from Tuesday to Saturday.

If you are visiting the Waterfront Gallery, why not take the opportunity to visit Pure Art gallery at 6 Vanguard House too? This hidden gem is beautifully curated to showcase the work from a wide variety of Welsh artists, including Beatrice Williams, Anna Waters and Bob Reeves, as well as a growing selection of sculpture and ceramics. A recent exhibition from Pembrokeshire artist, Sally Green, proved very popular.

The Wales Contemporary / Cymru Gyfoes exhibition takes place at the Waterfront Gallery from Saturday 5th to Wednesday 30th October. Keep an eye on our events calendar for details of future exhibitions at the Waterfront Gallery and Pure Art.