The Harley Open exhibition returns for 2026, with contemporary art and endangered heritage crafts.

The Harley Open 2026 features 138 artworks by artists, makers and heritage craft practitioners from across the region. The exhibition will be on show at the Harley Gallery on the historic Welbeck Estate, from 19 September 2026 until 3 January 2027.

This year’s exhibition celebrates the breadth of creativity found within 100 miles of the gallery. For the first time, the Harley Open actively encouraged applications from heritage craft practitioners and welcomed submissions of freestanding work, resulting in the most diverse exhibition in the event’s history.

Alongside contemporary artworks including painting, photography and sculpture, visitors will discover works created using heritage craft skills, including more than 15 craft skills currently considered endangered or critically endangered in the UK. From canal art and clog making to oil painting and pottery, the Harley Open brings together artworks and objects that don’t typically sit side by side for an exhibition which celebrates making in all its forms.

Exhibition highlights include:

• Standing 1.8 metres tall, Stanley by Phil Neal is a striking memorial to the artist’s late dog, created from hundreds of reclaimed spanners and other upcycled steel components.
• Gleadless Flats by Peter James Houghton is an acrylic painting which depicts a housing estate in Sheffield’s Gleadless Valley, exploring themes of class, wealth disparity and social change.
• Glass and Gold by Daniel Jackson and Claire Ridley combines several endangered heritage crafts in a single artwork: a McLeod gauge created using scientific glassblowing is housed within a bespoke display cabinet incorporating composition frame-making and gilding techniques.
• Petrol Can (Do You Mind If I Moor Here?) by Sarah-Jane Roberts reinterprets the endangered craft of canal art by painting on a modern jerry can. Reflecting on themes of belonging and displacement, the work features scenes of the artist’s favourite places to moor her boat in London, many of which she has since been excluded from through development and changing mooring regulations.
• Martin Clarkson’s painting The Major Oak (An Ark Through Time) is a colourful tribute to Sherwood Forest’s iconic Major Oak, celebrating the ancient tree’s enduring legacy and its importance to Nottinghamshire’s landscape.
• A pair of handmade shoes, Saddle-stitched Derby No. 3 by Joseph Curle was made using the endangered craft of cordwaining, with every stitch completed by hand using traditional shoemaking techniques.

More than 700 entries were submitted to the open competition. The final selection of 138 artworks was chosen by a panel comprising Bryony Bond, Director of the Harley Foundation; art historian, broadcaster and author James Fox; and Joe Hill, Director and CEO of Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

The judges’ work is not yet complete. They will select the recipient of the The Judges’ Prize of £3,000 sponsored by the Harley Foundation, which will be announced at the exhibition opening. Visitors will also be invited to vote for their favourite artwork, with the winner receiving the People’s Prize of £1,000 sponsored by Welbeck Estates Company.

A further prize is sponsored by Welbeck Abbey Brewery. The winning artwork will appear on a limited edition beer label sold exclusively in the Welbeck Farm Shop, and the artist will receive a case of the beer (12 × 500ml bottles).

Bryony Bond, Director of the Harley Foundation, said:
“It was a delight and a challenge to select artworks for this year’s Harley Open. With such a diversity of works, the exhibition will showcase some of the fantastic artists, makers and craftspeople we have in this region and the breadth and range of skills and creativity.”

The judging panel included art historian, broadcaster and bestselling author James Fox, whose recent book Craftland: In Search of Lost Arts and Disappearing Trades explores Britain’s disappearing craft traditions and the makers keeping them alive.

James Fox said: “It was a pleasure and an honour to judge this year’s Harley Open. This is one of the most exciting biennial exhibitions in the country, revealing the enormous amount of talent and creativity hiding in the heart of England. I can’t wait to see final exhibition come together!”

Joe Hill, guest judge and Director and CEO of Yorkshire Sculpture Park, said “It was a real pleasure to be part of the judging panel for this year’s Harley Open. I was struck by the quality and range of the submissions, and by the incredible skill, imagination and commitment to making that runs throughout the exhibition. Bringing together artists, makers and craftspeople in this way creates some really interesting connections, and is a brilliant reflection of the creativity that exists across the region.”

Many of the works in the Harley Open exhibition are for sale, providing an excellent opportunity to buy original art and support local artists and craftspeople. Finance options are available with Own Art on artworks £250–£5,000. Learn more about Own Art: https://www.ownart.org.uk/how-to-own-art/

The Harley Open is on show at the Harley Foundation, Nottinghamshire from 19 September – 3 January 2027.
The exhibition is free to enter and there is a large, free car park.
The gallery is open every day. Please check www.harleyfoundation.org.uk for opening times.
The Harley Foundation is on the Welbeck estate, on the A60 south of Worksop. It is 15 minutes from both the A1 and M1.

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