Calne Music and Arts Festival starts soon

Calling all local artists
Art exhibition registration deadline looms​

A firm fixture in Wiltshire's annual cultural calendar, the 49th Calne Music and Arts Festival (CMAF) is gearing up to open for business on 6 October, offering a comprehensive and wide-ranging programme of activities to suit different tastes and ages.

​Central to the programme is an open art exhibition that runs in Marden House for the duration of the Festival, 7-14 October, presenting the works of predominantly local artists, professional, semi-professional and amateur, who are based in Calne and surrounding Wiltshire towns/villages. The majority of artworks exhibited will be for sale. The standard of exhibits is typically very high so, if previous exhibitions are anything to go by, this year the standard is sure to be equally impressive.

​Participation in the exhibition is genuinely ‘open’ with work only refused if it does not meet the entry criteria. Several LAG members have taken part in previous CMAF exhibitions.

Key exhibition dates and links
If you’re interested in exhibiting this year, you will need to register online by 5pm on Thursday 28 September, using the form on the CMAF website. This link takes you to the form. Alternatively you can print the form, complete it and take it with you on the artwork submission day – this is likely to take longer than using the online option.

Artists can submit up to three works each, for an entry fee of £5 per piece. You can find detailed information about entry criteria, terms and conditions in the online form.
Artwork hand-in day is Saturday 30 September, between 10am and 2pm, at Marden House.

Other art-related Festival events

As well as the exhibition the programme includes a number of art events, including:

• A life drawing session on Sunday 8 October, 6-8pm, £3 per ticket.
• Drink & Draw at the Lansdowne Strand Hotel, Monday 9 October, 7-9pm, no entry fee (presumably you buy your own drinks).
• A talk on flowers in art by Gail Brown of Tangerine Art Talks, followed by ‘Meet the Artists’ featuring Nick and Cathy Pearce, local potter and painter respectively, on Saturday 14 October at 10am, which is free. 

A star musical attraction this year is a concert by leading international Ukranian harpist Alina Bzhezinska who will perform a set of Solo Jazz Harp on Friday 13 October at 12.15pm (midday), cost £5. A Ukranian meal will be available to buy in the Festival café, prepared by members of the Ukranian community.

You can view the full programme here on the CMAF website where you can also buy tickets.