We are inviting applications from visual artists at any stage in their career to complete a solo show in our gallery space in Summer/ Autumn 2026. Our gallery is situated in among Maryport’s historic harbour, and we are seeking to exhibit artists whose work draws upon West Cumbria, our town’s vibrant personality and our local area’s maritime and coastal connections. We welcome submissions from artists regardless of whether they have studied professionally or exhibited in galleries prior to this opportunity as we will be selecting successful candidates based on the strength of their work and their relevance to our gallery’s interests. Although we are most interested in work relating to Maryport, you are also welcome to submit images of work outside of this theme as part of your application (seascapes, figurative work etc). If selected, you will present a solo show in our exhibition space for one month in 2026. Sales of work will be subject to a 40% gallery commission which contributes to the running of our small community gallery.

If you would like to apply for this opportunity, please contact us via email at admin@shippingbrowgallery.co.uk with a portfolio containing the following:

– 12-20 high resolution images of your work, labelled with dimensions and titles (optional)
– Your details including name, address, contact email, and any social media handles/ links
– Up to 2 sides of A4 including a bio or artist statement; you may like to include some information about your techniques, practice, inspiration and any relevant information about your career and previous projects

– Please label your application clearly with the subject formatted as follows: (Your name)- Open Call Application
– Please ensure that your portfolio is sent in either PDF or Word document format

– This opportunity is open to artists based in the UK and age 18+
– We are interested in visual art including paintings, drawings, pastel work etc
– To make the most of the exhibition space, we are most interested in artists able to display at least 30 pieces of work
– Successful applicants will agree to deliver their work to the gallery ahead of their exhibition preview, to aid with installing the work, and to collect any unsold pieces at the end of the exhibition
– Applicants do not need to be from West Cumbria but as a gallery we are interested in work which explores Maryport, the Solway and themes relevant to our local area

Please see the news page on our website and download our applicant information pack for full details and how to apply.