CATALOGUE IS AVAILABLE FOR PRE ORDER ONLY UNTIL MIDNIGHT ON THE 19th OCTOBER
A catalogue comprising all 79 Baltic Open Submission 2026 artists and 43 Youth Call Supported by Fenwick artists, showcasing painting, sculpture, photography, video and more by artists, makers, self-taught creatives and hobbyists based in the North East of England. Catalogue design by Millie Carmel Jobson.
Baltic’s Open Submission initiative, now in its third iteration seeks to give visibility to arts practice from individuals and collectives that may not previously have been seen by a public audience. No training, qualifications, or experience of exhibiting publicly is necessary to submit an artwork.
Over 1100 artists and makers based in the North East of England submitted artworks to be considered. The artists were selected by a panel comprising panel internationally renowned artists Laura Lancaster and Rachel Lancaster, Tees Valley Artist of the Year 2025 Will Hughes, and Baltic Assistant Curators Rose McMurray and Rosie Coleman Collier.
The exhibition, supported by iconic department store Fenwick, will open on Saturday 19 September and present up to 120 works drawn from the submissions.
This year, Baltic also launched a Youth Open Call supported by Fenwick, inviting artwork submissions by young people aged between 11–17 years old. Budding artists in this age range were invited to consider the theme of Local and for submissions to consider local places, local stories, and local viewpoints.
The Youth Open Call, supported by Fenwick, also sees the achievements of three young artists further recognised through the prestigious Fenwick Art Award. Elizabeth, aged 17, is awarded first place for her skilled oil painting Riverside, showing the autumn light on a walk in Wooler with her best friend. Henry, aged 11 and Jason, aged 14 have been named runners-up of the Fenwick Art Award. All three recipients will be exhibited inside Fenwick’s flagship department store on Northumberland Street.
