Information for Artists

The Reading Charity Art & Craft Fair is now an annual event. The 2022 exhibition has been changed to accomodate more craft items.

Venue - Leighton Park School in Reading

You can view the Venue page for more information - all exhibits will be on one level with very good natural and artificial light in the gallery. Refreshments will be available at any time in the Art cafe.

Entry Fees and Commission Charges 

Artists may exhibit up to six famed paintings or browsers.

Entry Fees for the 2022 Art Fair are unchanged from 2021 at:

A commission of 25% will be deducted from the sale price of all items sold and this will go to our charities.

We will absorb the credit or debit card charges levied by the banks. 

Paintings dimensions

Small painting           under 650mm x 650mm including frame

Large Painting           under 950mm x 950mm including frame

Browsers                      under 750mm x 750mm

Sculptures                must fit into a box 750mm x 750mm x 750mm & not over 7kg

We will also accept unframed prints and these will be displayed with the folio paintings.

Presentation and Profile

We are offering artists the opportunity to have paintings mounted alongside your profile and photograph. The cost will be £10.

Delivery & collection of artwork

Delivery is to Leighton Park School as early as possible between 10 am and 5 pm on Thursday 27th October. Collection of unsold artworks is between 5 pm and 6 pm on Sunday 30th October. Please also see the Conditions of Entry page on this site.

Judging of Entries

At the Preview evening event the judges will announce the top three entries and will also commend other entries at their discretion.

Promotion

Large banners will be displayed outside Leighton Park School and other locations promoting the event to thousands of motorists and pedestrians. We will also promote the Art Fair to our extensive network of other service clubs in the Thames Valley. In addition, we will be using various graphic display promotions, social media and other Internet publicity.

As in the past, we expect to have press coverage and advertising and to feature on local radio. This year we will be extending the cover on social media.

Judges 

Tom Cartmill

Tom Cartmill is an award-winning artist, known for his intricately worked, textured paintings and drawings. He works from a studio at Amners Farm in Burghfield. Tom exhibits widely in the UK and overseas. His drawings have been selected for the Derwent Drawing Prize (2016 & 2022), the National Open Art Exhibition, the Discerning Eye, the Art Gemini Prize and the New Light Art Prize. As well as private collections around the world (in the US, Australia, Japan, Brazil, Italy, Spain), Tom's work can be found in a number of corporate and public collections.

Emma Bothwell

Emma Bothwell is a Chair of the Thomas Franks Foundation, founded in 2019 by her husband Frank Bothwell. Emma has had a career in hospitality, human resources and training for over 30 years, and is determined to continue the work of the Foundation to give back to the community, supporting those in need and ultimately striving to end food poverty. A number of Emma's family are highly skilled artists or craftsmen and art of all types is a joy which she holds dear and a form of expression which she highly reveres.

Paul Cunningham

Paul Cunningham is President of the Rotary Club of Reading Maiden Erlegh for the second time. He was born in Derby and moved to Woodley in 1981 and has had a career in banking and sales management. Paul is an accomplished pianist having learnt to play at the age of eight. He also plays the organ and was the organist at a church in Derby for seven years. Paul loves art, especially water colours. One of his favourite artists is Heaton Cooper who has a studio in Grasmere in the Lakes.