When the call for entries went out last October for the Norwich Castle Open Art Show, In Proximity, artists across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk responded in remarkable numbers. By the end of November, 900 submissions had been received, a striking snapshot of the creativity flourishing across the East of England.
The exhibition, hosted at Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery, offers more than a display of talent. It raises an important question: what does this response reveal about the health of visual arts in the region?
Building a sustainable career as an artist is rarely straightforward. Studio practice must often be balanced with paid employment and family responsibilities. In Norwich itself, recent setbacks including the closure of Outpost Studios to make way for redevelopment at Anglia Square have underscored the fragility of creative infrastructure. The loss of workspace for up to 90 artists was deeply felt.
Yet despite these challenges, the region’s arts ecology remains dynamic and resilient. That resilience depends on a network of institutions, organisations and communities that nurture artists at every stage of their careers.
At the centre of many artistic journeys is Norwich University of the Arts, founded in 1845 and now a vibrant presence across the city centre. Many exhibiting artists studied or teach there, and their work spans painting, drawing, printmaking, textiles and ceramics.
Studio provision and exhibition platforms are equally vital. Helgate Pottery provides studios and community spaces for ceramic artists, while Asylum Studios and Art Station offer exhibition opportunities. Outpost Gallery, artist-run for more than two decades, continues to foster international creative exchange.
Across the wider region, innovative galleries such as GroundWork Gallery, Cromer Artspace and Focal Point Gallery play an important role in connecting local and international artists with communities.
The East of England is also home to institutions of international standing, including the Sainsbury Centre, Houghton Hall, Gainsborough’s House and Kettle’s Yard. Access to such collections allows artists not only to exhibit but also to engage with global art histories.
For more than 20 years, the East Anglia Art Fund has partnered with Norwich Castle to develop the Open Art Show model, offering tangible financial and professional support. This year’s exhibition is also supported by Jarrolds, which is sponsoring a cash prize and awards for selected artists.
Unusually for a museum show, every artwork in In Proximity is for sale. Each purchase not only provides income for the artist but also generates funds for the Art Fund’s future grants creating a virtuous cycle of support.
The exhibition, which opens this Saturday and runs until 14 June 2026, takes “closeness” as its theme. Works explore relationships between people and animals, urban and rural environments, and the emotional resonance of objects and materials. Shared reflections on fragility, power and the natural world emerge throughout the galleries.
Selected anonymously from the open call by writer and curator Sarah Lowndes, artist duo Daniel & Clara, Lisa Newby, and Dr Amanda Geitner, director of the East Anglia Art Fund, the show captures not just individual talent but a thriving artistic community.
If the 900 submissions are any indication, visual art in the East of England is not only surviving, it is evolving, adapting and drawing strength from a deeply interconnected creative ecosystem.
