Open Exhibition Prize Winners 2025

The creativity of East Midlands artists was celebrated at the recent launch of Open: The People's Exhibition, open now at Leicester Museum & Art Gallery.

This year's exhibition features over 500 works by local people from complete beginners to seasoned professionals, from both adults and young artists. The artists were invited to the launch evening with friends and family to view their creations on display in the exhibition for the first time, and prizes were awarded for the very best selected by a panel of independent judges and sponsors:

Winner of the Attenborough Prize 2025:

• Simon Farrow for 'Clock Tower Heaven or Hell'.

The Attenborough Awards for Young People were awarded to:

• 5-10 years category: Will Wright for 'Northern Lights'.
• 11-15 years category: William Addison-Smith for 'My Family. As Slugs'.
• 16-18 years category: Olivia Van Der Ende for 'Grit'.
  

Winner of the Leicester Museums & Galleries Development Trust Adult Category:

• Peter J Lester for 'Beacon Granite'.

Winners of the Leicester Museums & Galleries Development Trust Children’s and Young People’s Categories:

• 5-10 years category: Finely Murphy-Evans for 'Wild Gaze'.
• 11-15 years category: Aashi Derashri for 'Still Life with Pink Flowers'.
• 16-18 years category: Kaif Shabir for 'Frozen in Wire'.
  

Other Prize Winners in the Adult Category:

Sponsors:

• Art House: Lisa Davies for 'Looming'.

• CVAN East Midlands: Alexis Hutson for 'Daughter'.
  
  
• LCB Depot (three prizes):
  Nneka Iwunna Ezemezue for 'Chinyere'.
  Monet Shot for 'Ceramic Study #1'.
  Bethan Hemus for 'Who’s In Charge?'.
  
  
• Leicester Gallery (De Montfort University): David Rolls for '030 Red Sunset'.
  
  
• Leicester Print Workshop: Bethan Hemus for 'IAMPARTOFALLIHAVEMET  (For I am part of all I have met)'.
  
  
• Phoenix: Claire Elizabeth Jackson for 'Jeu de Paume'.

 

Other Prize Winners in the Children’s and Young People’s Categories:

Sponsors:

• Arch Creative: Cherry Yuen for Nostalgic Wealth' (16-18 years).
• Art House Will Blakemore for Aramis (11-15 years).
  
  
• Curve: KFH for 'The Peacock' (5-10 years).
  
  
• De Montfort Hall: Sophia Howson for 'Whale Echo' (5-10 years).
  
  
• Leicester Lo-Fi Photography: Connie Bennett for 'The Hopeless Man' (16-18 years).
  
  
• Leicester Print Workshop: Jemima Hungbeme for 'Irun Ori Mi'  (16-18 years).
  
  
• Phoenix: Lilia Chester for 'Connections' (16-18 years).
  
  
• Soft Touch Arts: Ava Coulson for 'Swingin Around'  (11-15 years).

Congratulations to all of the prize winners, and thank you to all the entrants for making a truly exciting and original show.

Come along and view the exhibition, open until 30th January 2026.