The fourteenth North Ayrshire Open Art Exhibition will be organised by a committee of volunteers consisting of professional and amateur artists, formed in the year 2001 following the demise of North Ayrshire Arts Council who organised the first five exhibitions. The committee have all been involved in the previous exhibitions and will continue to build on the clear successes and developments achieved in the exhibition’s 12-year history, and ensure that this event continues to be an established national exhibition.

The first exhibition was only open to North Ayrshire artists and had no prizes or sponsorship apart from North Ayrshire Council. The Major sponsor for the next five years was BNFL at Hunterston A. This sponsorship of £1750 allowed for three prize awards of £1000, £500, and £250. These three prize awards ensured high quality submissions and enabled the exhibition to stay in a position of national prominence. The first year of sponsorship by BNFL was then followed by a successful application to the pairing scheme, managed by the Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts. Miller’s Art, Glasgow, sponsored a prize of £250 gift vouchers for the 1999 exhibition and £150 gift voucher prize every year since 2001. All our high quality printing will this year be sponsored by Brown Brothers, Irvine. The Council have shown their support for this event by the presence of the Convener, now Provost of North Ayrshire Council at all previous previews to give a vote of thanks on behalf of the Council and also providing refreshments for the openings The Moffat Charitable Trust sponsored the £1000 prize for the 2003 exhibition and Kingscroft Logistics Ltd of Irvine sponsored a £250 prize every year since 2003 For the last four shows, The Rotary Club of Irvine have sponsored a £250 prize for an Irvine based artist The Irvine Herald. Sponsored £200 for the Visitors’ Prize in 2006, 2007 and 2008. The Arran Art Gallery sponsored the £200 visitors Prize in 2009 and R & I Framers Ltd, Kilmarnock are sponsoring the £200 Prize this year.