Exhibition: OPEN

OPEN: A major new exhibition celebrating the work of d/Deaf and disabled artists from across the rural South West.

Where: Newlyn Art Gallery
When: 21 Nov 2026 – 1 May 2027

Nine artists bring together painting, photography, sculpture, printmaking, and more in a new exhibition at Newlyn Art Gallery, co-curated by DASH Future Curator Ashanti Hare.

Newlyn Art Gallery presents OPEN, a group exhibition bringing together nine d/Deaf and disabled artists from across the rural South West.

Featuring an exciting range of contemporary practices, the exhibition celebrates the quality, ambition and diversity of artistic work being produced across the region.

From painting, photography and printmaking to sculpture, stained glass, installation and moving image, the artists explore a wide range of ideas, materials and approaches. Working with everything from clay and raw earth to experimental photographic processes, light, pattern and everyday objects, they offer distinctive perspectives on the world and on what contemporary art can be.

The exhibition features work by Benedict Davies, Carrie Mason, Dolly Kershaw, Edie Evans, Jane Knight, Lily Bertrand-Webb, Nick Ivins, Patricia Dixon and Siân Cann.

OPEN emerged from an open call inviting d/Deaf and disabled artists from across the rural South West to submit their work. An independent selection process brought together representatives from Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange, John Hansard Gallery and DASH, the disabled artist-led visual arts organisation.

The exhibition has been co-curated by Ashanti Hare, Newlyn Art Gallery & The Exchange’s DASH Future Curator, as part of DASH’s national Future Curators Programme. The programme supports disabled curators to develop their practice within visual arts institutions, while helping to address the barriers that have historically limited their opportunities in the sector.

Ashanti joined the gallery in January 2026. A multidisciplinary artist, researcher and producer, their own practice spans textiles, ceramics, wood carving, performance, moving
image and installation.

Visit the Newlyn Art Gallery and The Exchange website for further details