Following an open call to early career artists in the West Midlands that attracted nearly 40 submissions, we are delighted to announce that Coventry-based artist, ANDI (she/her) has been selected for the Clive Beardsmore Artist Award.

ANDI makes oil paintings that document and reflect on queer and trans experiences. She will spend twelve weeks in the Gallery’s purpose-built Artists’ Studio developing new paintings, working at a larger scale for the first time. The residency will be supported by a 12-month programme of creative coaching delivered by Ceri Hand, an Arts and Business coach to extraordinary creatives across the globe.

ANDI will be in residence at the Gallery from 13 January – 5 April 2026.

We are grateful to Birmingham-based collector Clive Beardsmore for generously supporting the award.

Open call: studio residency and creative coaching programme supported by art collector Clive Beardsmore in collaboration with Ceri Hand

With generous support from Birmingham-based art collector, Clive Beardsmore, The New Art Gallery Walsall is delighted to offer one West Midlands-based artist the opportunity of studio space and a programme of 1:1 coaching delivered by Ceri Hand, an Arts & Business Coach to extraordinary creatives across the world.

About The New Art Gallery Walsall

The New Art Gallery Walsall is an award-winning gallery in the heart of the West Midlands that presents, collects and interprets historic, modern and contemporary art through a dynamic, exhibitions, learning and engagement programme. The Gallery houses a purpose-built Artists’ Studio, which provides a base for its long-standing and respected residency programme. This programme exists primarily to support emerging and mid-career artists based in the region to test ideas and develop new work within a publicfacing studio context. Curatorial guidance, mentoring and critical conversation, often involving creative peer organisations and professional studio visitors, is a vital part of this work.

About Clive Beardsmore

Clive Beardsmore is a Birmingham-based collector who donated 200 works of British art to The New Art Gallery Walsall in 2014, significantly expanding and diversifying the Gallery’s holding, in particular of Modern British Artists. The gift includes work by John Bratby, Maggi Hambling, David Hockey, Laura Knight, Patrick Procktor, Graham Sutherland and Keith Vaughan, as well as works by St Ives artists such as Terry Frost, Patrick Heron and Tony O’Malley. Ten works by the renowned abstract painter and former Head of Fine Art at Birmingham Art School, William Gear, also form a significant part of the holding.

Beardsmore has a longstanding association with The New Art Gallery Walsall, having worked at the old Walsall Art Gallery in the 1970s at the time when Kathleen Garman gifted her collection to Walsall, which was a great inspiration to him. He began collecting in earnest in the 1980s. Beardsmore’s support for this award is motivated by a desire to help emerging artists navigate the art world and build a viable career in the arts.

About Ceri Hand

With over 30 years navigating the contemporary art world, Ceri Hand has worn many hats: artist, curator, gallerist, institutional leader—and now Arts & Business Coach to extraordinary creatives across the globe.

She led cultural powerhouses like Somerset House and Simon Lee Gallery, collaborated with pioneering artists including John Akomfrah, Gary Simmons, Vito Acconci and Pipilotti Rist, and delivered creative strategy with global brands like American Express, Hennessy, and the British Council. This rare combination of cultural depth and strategic rigour defines her distinct approach.

Today, through 1:1 coaching, masterminds, a global membership, online courses and her podcast Extraordinary Creatives, Ceri helps artists and arts professionals shift their mindset, sharpen their strategy and build thriving, authentic careers, without selling their souls.

Whether you’re emerging, established or evolving, her work is an invitation to think braver, act smarter, and step into your next chapter with clarity and confidence.

About the residency and coaching programme:

The selected artist will occupy the Artists’ Studio at The New Art Gallery Walsall from 13 January – 5 April 2026, for a minimum of 2 days each week. During the residency they will:

• Develop new work in a studio context
• Participate in x4 online Creative Coaching sessions with Ceri Hand
• Host a visit from Clive Beardsmore to introduce their practice
• Deliver one open studio event (date and format TBC) to engage the public with their work

The coaching programme will run from October 2025 to October 2026.

The successful artist will receive:

• A 12-week residency at The New Art Gallery Walsall
• Use of a purpose-built artist studio for the duration of the residency
• Curatorial and technical support from Zoë Lippett, Exhibitions and Artist’s Projects Curator and Simon Bloor, Senior Technician
• Support with access costs, if required
• Access to Gallery resources, including an Art Library
• £4500 artist fee
• £1000 materials budget
• Online exposure via TNAGW platforms
• Professional photographic documentation of your studio work
• 6 x 1-hour coaching sessions with Ceri Hand (equivalent value £2100)
• Lifetime access pass to Ceri Hand’s foundational course ‘Unlock Your Artworld Network’, including live group coaching to help build relationships
• 1 year’s access to Ceri Hand Ltd. membership, which includes:
  o A global community of 250+ artists
  o Monthly group coaching sessions
  o Free Art Surgeries
  o Access to Experts in Residence

The selected artist will also receive access to the entire Extraordinary Creatives podcast back catalogue, featuring key players from across the art world.

Who is eligible to apply?

To apply for this opportunity, you must be:

• An early career artist based in the West Midlands
• Actively engaged in developing your practice, with a demonstrable body of existing work
• Available to give a 2-day time commitment to the residency each week (NB. the studio is available to artists 7 days a week, but hours of access are limited, no evening access)
• Committed to producing new work in a public-facing studio context
• Willing to participate in an online creative coaching programme
• Flexible to schedule coaching sessions within and outside studio hours
• Committed to developing a career in the arts and unlocking networks
• Open to change through the coaching process
• Independent and self-driven, with a growth mindset

How to apply: Applications are by email only. To apply, please send a proposal to hannah.anderson@walsall.gov.uk Exhibitions Coordinator, including all the following: An email detailing your name, contact details, social media handles & website details (if you have one).

Saved together as one PDF:

• An artist statement (no more than 200 words), introducing your
  practice
• A short statement (no more than 500 words) that describes:

1. How you meet the eligibility criteria
2. Briefly, how you plan to use the residency
3. Why the award would benefit you now
4. What you want from this experience

• An up-to-date CV

Visuals:

• A maximum of 6 images, evidencing your current art practice and recent work produced within the last 3 years (this can include work in progress).

Key Dates

Submissions open week commencing: 8 September 2025
Submissions close: 6 October 2025, 9am
Shortlisting week commencing: 6 October 2025
Selected artist advised: 13 October 2025
Unsuccessful applicants advised: 13 October 2025
Announcement of selected artist: 20 October 2025
Please note; for capacity reasons, we are unable to give feedback to
unsuccessful applicants.
Residency: 13 January – 5 April 2025
First coaching session: October 2025
Residency Coaching sessions: dates and frequency to be agreed
Final coaching session: October 2026 (6 months after residency close)

Frequently asked questions:

How do we define ‘early career’?
Early career is a self-defining concept. We recognise that artists begin their careers at different life stages and via a range of pathways. Please elucidate how you fit this category within your application. We would
expect the selected artist to have a demonstrable body of work but there is not an expectation that you will have had institutional exhibitions or be a recent graduate.

Can I work in any media?
Yes.

Do I need to have previous experience of coaching?
No, artists will receive a ‘How Coaching Works’ video, to help them prepare and get the most from the coaching experience. Supplementary worksheets and resources will be provided to address any challenges as they arise. You will also receive an ‘onboarding pack’ and tailored coaching journey guide at the beginning of the process.

Do I need to produce exhibition-ready work by the end of the residency?
No, this is a self-led development opportunity, there is no expectation that artists will produce finished work. However, you may wish to work towards the completion of a body of work or have a defined project in mind.

How will the coaching work?
Sessions will take place online with creative coach Ceri Hand. The frequency and structure will be agreed after the selected artist has been onboarded into the coaching programme. The first session will take place before the residency begins, in late October 2025. The final session will take place approximately 6 months after the residency close. The Gallery will not attend sessions, but we will e-introduce and share information about the selected artist with Ceri Hand ahead of the first session.

For enquiries, guidance or support with your application please email: zoe.lippett@walsall.gov.uk Exhibitions and Artists’ Projects Curator, The New Art Gallery Walsall.

Launch of a new professional development programme and residency for emerging artists from diverse backgrounds, supported by Art Fund’s Reimagine programme.

GRAIN Projects and The New Art Gallery Walsall are delighted to announce the launch of REFLECTOR, a programme for and led by diverse artists, designed to empower artists and create new opportunities for collaboration and career development.

The programme will be holistic, based on need and will include mentoring, masterclasses, gallery tours, portfolio reviews, networking and bursaries to create new work. The activities will provide opportunities for participants to take their career and creativity to the next level, learning directly from inspiring artists, mentors, projects and events. Participants will also receive support in developing CVs, statements, portfolios and creating new work for exhibition.

As part of REFLECTOR, the organisations will provide an inclusive Professional Development Residency that is open to emerging artists, curators and producers working with photography, that contributes to their career development, skills, knowledge and opportunities for the future. The programme will be of the highest quality building on GRAIN and The New Art Gallery Walsall’s excellent work over the last eight years, supporting and developing artists through activities that include masterclasses, mentoring, internships, bursaries, residencies, portfolio reviews and advice sessions.

Up to 20 participants will be recruited to take part in the 10-month programme via a national Open Call Applications will open in September 2023 and will be promoted widely. All the participants will be awarded a £1000 bursary to support their involvement.

REFLECTOR is a partnership between GRAIN Projects and The New Art Gallery Walsall, supported by Art Fund’s Reimagine programme.

Grab your camera or phone and snap what is special, unusual or unique about Walsall’s high streets for a chance to be exhibited in an outdoor exhibition in Walsall town centre. Competition closes on Sunday 20 August 2023.

Historic England and GRAIN Projects are inviting local people to look at Walsall’s high streets as never before, capturing and celebrating the history and experiences of the places and people on the high street. Three winning photographs will be exhibited in Walsall this summer and seven runners up will be featured on Historic England’s website. 

Submit your photographs of Walsall, with the location and date taken by email to applications@GRAINPhotographyHub.co.uk by 20 August.

Associated workshops

Attend free workshop’s with professional photographers in Walsall to create images to submit to the competition.

Saturday 12 August, 11am – 1pm
With Stephen Burke. Meet in front of The New Art Gallery Walsall

Wednesday 16 August, 11 am – 1pm
With Anand Chhabra. Meet in front of The New Art Gallery Walsall

Saturday 19 August, 11 am – 1pm
With Tom Hicks. Meet in front of The New Art Gallery Walsall

To register a place, email – applications@GRAINPhotographyHub.co.uk

The New Art Gallery Walsall is delighted to collaborate with The Bumblebee Conservation Trust to offer one West Midlands-based artist the opportunity of studio space to support the creation of a legacy artwork, which is being commissioned by the Trust as part of Bee Inspired, a 2-year project taking place across the Black Country and Greater Birmingham. This initiative will connect diverse audiences and deliver lasting change within communities by empowering local people to care about bumblebees and initiate positive actions to help grow native populations in urban habitats.

Key information

Submissions open week commencing: 29 May 2023
Submissions close: 26 June 2023, 9am
Shortlisting week commencing: 26 June 2023
Selected artist advised: 30 June 2023
Unsuccessful applicants advised: 30 June 2023
Announcement of selected artist: 3 July 2023
Please note: for capacity reasons, we are unable to engage in feedback to unsuccessful applicants.

Residency: 11 July – 24 September 2023

Deadline for final commission design: 11 August 2023
Bee Safari: 2 August 2023
Open studio event: 19 August 2023
Installation and launch of Legacy artwork commission: Spring 2024 TBC

The successful artist will receive:

• Use of a fully-equipped artist studio in The New Art Gallery Walsall for the duration of the residency period, for research and making
• Curatorial support while in residence
• Support with access costs, if appropriate
• Access to technical advice during the residency
• A £4000 fee
• £5,300 materials budget (this includes any weatherproofing, maintenance and install costs)
• Online exposure via TNAGW and BBCT platforms

Outside In and The New Art Gallery Walsall have announced a three-year, creative partnership to support the arts and creative industries in the West Midlands. The chief aims of the collaboration are to champion and support artists facing significant barriers to the art world and to provide them with exciting opportunities and a space in which to create and exhibit new work.   

The partnership springs from a shared commitment to support inclusion in the arts and to find and support artists in the Black Country and the West Midlands currently excluded due to health, disability, social circumstance, or isolation.  It will enable a number of initiatives and collaborative projects designed to build stronger communities and create new audiences including a dedicated outreach programme, residencies and events. In addition, the partners are delighted to announce that The New Art Gallery Walsall will be the host venue for 2025’s Outside In National Open exhibition. 

The New Art Gallery Walsall’s Director, Stephen Snoddy said:

“The New Art Gallery Walsall has over many years supported artists ‘on the ground’ in the West Midlands region through our residency and mentoring programme. Our partnership with Outside In will grow and diversify and create further opportunities for those artists who have additional barriers, with an aspiration of opening up connections for their work and careers.” 

Marc Steene, Director of Outside In, comments:

“Our new partnership with The New Art Gallery Walsall will enable the further establishment of Outside In in the Midlands. Our association with respected arts organisations, such as The New Art Gallery Walsall, provides important validation and a vital opportunity for artists who have been, for too long, overlooked and not included in all that the arts can offer.” 

José Sunshine-Okoro, Outside In’s Programme Manager for the Midlands, further adds:  

“This is an excellent opportunity to continue to develop access to artists facing barriers and support them to engage with the arts sector. Working with The New Art Gallery Walsall over the last three years has offered Outside In artists’ bursaries, residences, developed their studio practice and enabled them access to opportunities to interact with curators.  The New Art Gallery Walsall encourages diversity in its practices and this partnership will continue to grow our organisations and in turn support exposure of local artists within the cultural sector to increase their national profile.” 

Grade: G7, £27,514 – £31,895

Here at Walsall Council we are doing things differently and we have an ambition to transform the marketing approach. Tens of millions of pounds have been secured to transform Walsall and the promotion of the arts and our culture is an important part of that transformation.

We need an ambitious Senior Communications and Marketing Executive to showcase and promote our prestigious New Art Gallery. You will also support the marketing of other visitor destinations including The Arena and the Leather Museum.

Walsall’s New Art Gallery opened in 2000 and has remained a landmark venue for visual arts regionally, nationally and internationally. Hosting a vibrant artistic programme, the Gallery is also home to the renowned Garman Ryan Collection, celebrating the 50^th year of the bequest in 2023 and a significant collection of contemporary art works.

If you have a passion for arts and events marketing, delivering compelling marketing campaigns and a desire to do things differently, we’d like to hear from you.

The Candidate:

This role requires a creative thinker who is comfortable with generating ideas and ensuring they are delivered brilliantly.  The successful candidate will have proven experience in working on varied campaigns across the full marketing mix:

To view Job Description, Employee Specification and apply:

Key Responsibilities include:

• Supporting the planning and delivery of campaigns and communications for the New Art Gallery and the other visitor destinations in Walsall
• Developing engaging content for the venue’s social media accounts and its website and contributing to the community management of these accounts
• Supporting events, launches and campaigns and communicating these to relevant audiences both regionally and nationally
• Evaluating the success of campaigns and communications, capturing this and sharing these learnings
• Collaborate with communications and marketing colleagues from partner organisations in the area and nationally
• Support Walsall Council’s wider Communications, Marketing and Brand team with idea generation, campaign planning and sharing evaluations
• Work with Print and Design colleagues to design the production of communication and marketing materials and ensure that work requests from internal colleagues are delivered on time
• Support the wider Communications, Marketing and Brand team goals and help raise the profile of marketing within the organisation

We can offer a range of benefits including hybrid working and opportunities to develop within a team of marketing and communications specialists.

Location Walsall/ hybrid working

About the Walsall Visitor Destinations:

The New Art Gallery Walsall opened in 2000 in the heart of Walsall town centre. Since then it has remained a landmark venue for the visual arts regionally, nationally and internationally. The impressive and award-winning building provides a truly outstanding place for visitors to enjoy, discover, learn from and participate in the visual arts. The New Art Gallery Walsall

Walsall Arena hosts a programme of live events, comedy, dance, film and pantomimes. It has 7,000 square feet; state of the art lighting, video and sound systems; 600 seats and a standing capacity of 1,000. Walsall Arena

The Leather Museum in the Town Centre is an important part of Walsall’s heritage and focuses on the history and lives of those who worked in the leather trade.  Walsall Leather Museum

Closing Date: Midnight, Sunday 23 October 2022.

View: Information for Applicants

View: Job Description and Employee Specification

This post is covered by the Government’s Code of Practice on the English Language Fluency Duty for public sector workers.  The post holder will be required to communicate verbally with customers and provide advice and/or information in accurate spoken English.

 

Following an open call, which received 220 submissions, The New Art Gallery Walsall has acquired 33 works by 31 West Midlands-based artists, to create the new Twenty Twenty Collection. This closed, capsule collection represents the significant events of the past 12 months, and commemorates this important historical moment which has impacted on everyone’s lives.

 

The works, spanning a variety of media from collage and photography to drawings and paintings, respond to world events over the last tumultuous year; from the pandemic and lockdown, to the Black Lives Matter movement and Brexit.

 

The chosen artists’ work will be profiled on the Gallery’s website and social media channels during this year, and be exhibited at the Gallery in a dedicated exhibition in our Community Gallery in early 2022. This will coincide with a solo exhibition by Keith Piper (whose work Surveillance: Tagging the Other, was also acquired with funding from Contemporary Art Society, in response to the events of last year) and the British Art Show taking place in Wolverhampton, bringing significant attention to the region, and further increasing the profile of West Midlands artists.

 

In addition, over the last year the Gallery has supported 5 artists through remote residencies. A work produced from each of the 2020 ‘Stay At Home’ residencies is being acquired, including a sufra (or prayer mat) made by Birmingham-based artist Farwa Moledina. We are currently working with national charity Outside In, which supports artists who face significant barriers in participating in the arts, through disability or social circumstance, on providing two residencies to artists they support. The Gallery remains committed to continuing to support West Midlands’ artists, creatives and freelancers during this difficult period.

 

Director, Stephen Snoddy said, “It is important for The New Art Gallery Walsall to acquire this collection to leave a legacy for future generations to document the events of the past year and also at the same time support artists in the West Midlands during this very difficult time.”

 

 

Sherrie Edgar, Isolation Series 11, 18 April 2020, photograph (image courtesy the artist)

 

“Isolation Series is a reflection of people’s thoughts and experiences during the first lockdown. My approach was to reconnect with others, capturing the essence of how we coped during a difficult time. To be selected as part of this call out means this work can help others to identify and understand what we went through.” – Sherrie Edgar.

 

Adele Mary Reed, Instant Dreamscapes in Isolation, Easter Day, 12 April 2020, instant photograph (series of 32, image courtesy the artist)

 

“It means a great deal to me that NAGW have acquired my body of work around cycling, solitariness and spatial exploration locally. There was a very particular feeling in the air at the start of the pandemic which felt very meaningful to capture somehow, and for the work to now be part of the permanent Twenty Twenty Collection is a perfect conclusion. As a mother of a young child during lockdown, partaking in daily exercise and finding space in the city was absolutely crucial to my mental wellbeing and creative thought and I hope this resonates with people who view the work.” – Adele Mary Reed.

 

 

 

Rachel Magdeburg, Expired, 2020, Acrylic on Ipad insert card (image courtesy the artist)

 

“It is hard to express how delighted I am that my painting will be part of this new collection. I have long since admired the exhibition programme at the NAGW and its rich collections, and the space and building are truly inspirational.

 

My painting Expired was initially triggered by the wrangles of the Brexit debate, but also became more and more about travel and the complexities of this during the pandemic.” – Rachel Magdeburg.

 

 

 

Vincent Louis Stokes, A Family under Lockdown, 2021, pencil on paper (image courtesy the artist)

 

“As a visual artist and resident of Walsall, to have my work belong to such a prestigious and renowned institution is truly a great honour. These past twelve months have been incredibly arduous and wearing, though through art I believe we all have the opportunity to escape, if only for a moment, and discover a world of comfort, solace and intrigue.” – Vincent Louis Stokes.

 

 

The Twenty Twenty Collection Artists

Adele Mary Reed

Alex Billingham

Andrew Roberts

Bailey Nock

Charlotte Moore

Corinne

Cristina Celestini

Crow Dillon-Parkin

Edgington

Helen Grundy

Jessica Ladkin

Joanne Masding

Laura Onions

Lindsay Pritchard

Lucy Fiona Morrison

Mark Murphy

Matt Greenhill

Michele Harris

Neil McNaught

Paul Newman

Rachel Magdeburg

Rupi Dhillon

Ruth Spencer

Ryan Christopher

Sally Butcher

Sally Claire Payen

Sherrie Edgar

Sinéad Patching

Sophia Moffa

Vincent Louis Stokes

Yasmin Agilah-Hood

 

Wednesday – Saturday: 11am – 4pm

Sunday: 12 noon – 4pm

(Closed: Monday & Tuesday)

 

We are delighted to announce a further reopening of The New Art Gallery Walsall.

 

Our Floor 3 galleries are open with 20:20 – Twenty Years of Collecting Contemporary Art. Celebrating our 20th year, it brings together works of contemporary art collected since 2000, from artists who have featured in our past exhibitions and Studio programmes.

 

Also open:

 

• The Ground Floor Community Gallery, sponsored by HomeServe, with 20 for 2020, 20 works of art representing each year of the Gallery’s history. The exhibition includes works by Gavin Turk, Christopher Le Brun, Soheila Sokhanvari and Jane & Louise Wilson amongst many others.
• The renowned Garman Ryan Collection on the 1st and 2nd floors, with Sarah Taylor Silverwood’s exhibition Kathleen and Sally Series.
• Our spacious shop, stocking a wide range of books, as well as gifts, gallery souvenirs, art supplies, greeting cards and stationary.

 

We will be operating a revised opening schedule, with the Gallery open initially from Wednesday to Saturday, 11am-4pm and on Sundays 12-4pm.

 

 

Your safety is our priority

 

We’re committed to making your visit safe. We are following health and safety advice with additional measures and standards also in place. Please note a few changes before you plan your visit:

 

• There is no need to book before you visit. On entry we kindly request visitors provide their details in accordance with NHS Track and Trace.
• Hand sanitiser will be available on entry and at stations positioned across the building.
• Please observe Government guidelines on face coverings, and adhere to social distancing throughout the Gallery.
• As usual, our informed and friendly team will be on hand to ensure you have a great visit. They will also regularly sanitise frequently touched areas such as door handles and lift buttons.
• Toilets will be available on request and cleaned frequently throughout the day.
• We look forward to welcoming you back when you are ready.

 

 

Wednesday – Saturday: 11am – 4pm

Sunday: 12 noon – 4pm

(Closed: Monday & Tuesday)

 

Following recent Government announcements easing lockdown, we are delighted to announce a phased reopening of The New Art Gallery Walsall over the coming weeks.

 

The first phase will start on Wednesday 5 August with the following open for visitors:

 

• The Ground Floor Community Gallery, sponsored by HomeServe, with 20 for 2020, 20 works of art representing each year of the Gallery’s history. The exhibition includes works by Gavin Turk, Christopher Le Brun, Soheila Sokhanvari and Jane & Louise Wilson amongst many others.
• The renowned Garman Ryan Collection on the 1st and 2nd floors, with Sarah Taylor Silverwood’s exhibition Kathleen and Sally Series.
• Our spacious shop, stocking a wide range of books, as well as gifts, gallery souvenirs, art supplies, greeting cards and stationary.

 

We will be operating a revised opening schedule, with the Gallery open initially from Wednesday to Saturday, 11am-4pm and on Sundays 12-4pm.

 

Your safety is our priority

We’re committed to making your visit safe. We are following health and safety advice with additional measures and standards also in place. Please note a few changes before you plan your visit:

• • There is no need to book before you visit. On entry we kindly request visitors provide their details in accordance with NHS Track and Trace.
  • Hand sanitiser will be available on entry and at stations positioned across the building.
  • Please observe Government guidelines on face coverings, and adhere to social distancing throughout the Gallery.
  • As usual, our informed and friendly team will be on hand to ensure you have a great visit. They will also regularly sanitise frequently touched areas such as door handles and lift buttons.
  • Toilets will be available on request and cleaned frequently throughout the day.

We look forward to welcoming you back when you are ready.