Since autumn 2005, the charming Needhams Restaurant in Witchford, near the historic city of Ely in Cambridgeshire, has hosted a visual art exhibition programme specialising in and providing opportunities for new and emerging artists & photographers from around UK.

The exhibition programme is managed and promoted by Ovenden Contemporary and features work by many of the international artists, photographers and Illustrators represented by the agency.

In the true spirit of the now well-established exhibition programme, the Needhams Open Art Competition was launched in 2008 to create an exciting opportunity for new and emerging visual artists, culminating in an exhibition of the shortlisted work in April/May 2009. In that first competition we received hundreds of entries from some very talented new artists & photographers. It was won by Nash Francis with his painting ‘Human Nature: Untitled 16’. As well as featuring in the finalists exhibition, Nash was given a two month long solo exhibition at Needhams. He has since had his work exhibited several times over and is currently exhibiting inside Tower Bridge in London!

The second time round we have renamed the competition to Needhams Emerging Art Competition 2011 so that it is more clear that we are promoting new and emerging artists & photographers. The format though remains the same: the first prize, awarded to one of the shortlisted artists/photographers selected by our panel of judges, will be a solo exhibition at Needhams during 2011/12. The winning artist/photographer will also be offered a years free membership of Ovenden Contemporary, including an on-line portfolio on our curated website gallery. All shortlisted works will be included in a ‘finalists exhibition’ at Needhams during 2011.

The competition is open to all new and emerging visual artists & photographers from around the UK, amateur or professional, working in a 2D, wall hanging format. To qualify as a new or emerging artist you would have been practicing for less than five years or have graduated less than five years ago and be unrepresented by a major gallery, agent or publisher at the time of application.

With this competition & exhibition, we aim to bring exciting, innovative, contemporary art and photography to the district of East Cambridgeshire, whilst strengthening the position of Needhams in that district, as a venue renowned for supporting new and emerging visual artists & photographers of merit.