Artists and makers are invited to submit work to Milestone Studios and Gallery for the third New Mills Open Art Exhibition (NMOA). The New Mills Open Art Exhibition is an annual, salon style showcase of original art, taking place during September and October 2026 at Milestone Studios.

Who can submit work:

• All UK artists over the age of 16 are welcome to apply. 

What can you submit:

• There is no theme, but submitted artworks must have been created in the last 5 years.
• You can submit a maximum of 2 artworks. 
• 2D artwork must be framed and strung ready for hanging on our Stas wire system. Please do not use mirror plates, e.g we recommend placing D-rings near the top of your frame so it doesn't tilt forward on our hanging wires. 2D artwork must not exceed 70cm x 70cm. 
• We do have space for some 3D artwork, including sculpture, jewellery, glass, textiles, etc. 3D artwork must not exceed 50 cm x 50 cm.

Prizes:

Artists selected for the exhibition will be considered for two available prizes.

• Milestone Studios Solo Exhibition Award - The recipient will be awarded a 2 week solo exhibition at Milestone Studios in 2027.
• Visitors choice - visitors can vote for their favourite artwork and the winner will receive £50.
  

How to Enter

To submit your work to the New Mills Open please complete the application form below.

If you require a plain text form please email milestonenewmills@gmail.com or pick one up from the studio.

Fees and Commission

This open call is completely free to enter. Selected artists will be required to pay a £5 hanging fee per artwork selected for the exhibition.

Work must be for sale during the exhibition, sales will be processed by the gallery with a gallery commission of 25% so please allow for this when pricing your work. Artists will be notified of any sales and paid by bank transfer after the exhibition has closed. These nominal charges support the work of Milestone Studios by helping us to continue operating as a creative space, contribute to essential running costs, and enable us to provide low cost hire, free community events and ongoing professional development opportunities and artistic support to our community.  

Important Dates:

• Deadline for submissions - Midnight on the 25th August 2026.
• Delivery of work - work must be dropped off on the 12th September 10am-4pm OR the 14th September 4pm-6pm at Milestone Studios.
• Exhibition Launch Evening - 
• Exhibition open -
• Collection of work- Work must be collected on the

Delivery and Collection of Artwork:

If your pieces are accepted into the exhibition then delivery must be made in person on the drop-off days, unless an alternative is arranged in advance with the studio.

We do not accept postal or courier deliveries or collections. 

Please attach a label to your work (or ask for one when you drop off) with your name, phone number, Title, Medium and Price of artwork.

Work must be collected on the collection dates listed, unless an alternative is arranged in advance with the studio. Uncollected work cannot be stored at Milestone and any works remaining uncollected at Milestone may be disposed of without prior notice.

Insurance: All pieces of artwork are exhibited at the Artist’s own risk. Milestone Studios and Gallery is unable to provide any insurance in the event of the artwork being damaged or lost during handling or display. The Artist is responsible for providing their own insurance for their artwork. 

Data handling and Copyright:

In accordance with our GDPR policy, Milestone Studios and Gallery will hold all personal data securely. It will be used in the process of administering the exhibition only. On the application form, if you tick that you'd like to join our mailing list, we will retain your name and email for this purpose only. By entering the Open Call the artist confirms that their piece/s are their own original work for which they hold the full copyright. Milestone Studios have the right to share images of the work to promote the exhibition online and printed promotional material.

By completing the application form and submitting your work to the New Mills Open Exhibition you agree to the terms and conditions of the exhibition as detailed above.

Any queries please contact Mandy Collins at Milestone Studios and Gallery by email: milestonenewmills@gmail.com