Hampstead Art Society calls for works for West End exhibition

The society is a group of artists based in Pond Street, and oil painter and Belsize Park resident Mari Tskiria is behind the competition.

She pointed to the unequal playing field for those wishing to exhibit as her main motivation for creating the calling.

She said: “I myself have exhibited a few times but the competition is so fierce with big corporations continuing to dominate, as well as the growing costs associated with having your work on show.

“I wanted to create something that gives artists the chance to show off their work and provide a platform to get themselves out there.”

The exhibited work at The Fitzrovia Gallery will be selected by Hampstead artists Joshua Press and Alexander Debenham, as well as Tom Marsh from Kent.

Viaduct bridge - Hampstead (Image: Alexander Debenham)

Mari said when picking the judges, it was crucial the artists varied in style so that the winners were chosen based on a range of attributes of their pieces.

With Tom’s expertise lying in landscape art, Alexander’s in neoclassical artwork and Joshua being a figurative painter, Mari said knew she had three diversely talented judges.

The Hampstead Art Society's Pond Street studio formerly belonged to the celebrated graphic designer Henri Kay Henrion, who died in 1990.

His wife Marion, who is a supporter of the society, retained the studio and offers it for artists to pursue their work. It provides the chance for collaboration, as well as arts workshops for people of a range of abilities.

Mari, who has been part of Hampstead Art Society for six years now, hopes that the art calling she has put together will be the first of many, with the society working to continue to provide opportunities for emerging artists.

Entries are £10 and can be made via www.hampsteadartsociety.uk/call-for-entries with a deadline of May 1.