New Artist Opportunity from Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery

New Artist Opportunity from Exeter’s Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery

By: Helena David
Added: 26 February 2025

Open call for artists to apply to make new work for the exhibition Living Labyrinths: Art and Fungi 

This is an opportunity for two separate contemporary artists or collectives to create new work inspired by the diverse and fascinating world of fungi. RAMM is seeking two artists based or working in the south west to produce regional-specific work. We are looking for artists working in any medium except photography and moving image, such as drawing and painting, sculpture or textile. Artists should have a track record of exhibiting nationally.  

The commissioned works will feature in the exhibition Living Labyrinths which will explore themes such as symbiosis, biodiversity, environmental sustainability, and the role of fungi in shaping our world. RAMM’s natural science and fine art collections, including specimens, slides, scientific illustrations and nineteenth-century paintings will also be on display in the exhibition. The selection panel is looking for artwork that breaks down traditional boundaries between disciplines and engages with complex scientific concepts through a lens of critically engaged, contemporary art. During the process of creating new work, you will have the opportunity to visit RAMM’s stores, be inspired by the museum’s collections and work with its curators. Artists will also have the opportunity to visit Woodland Trust Woodland/s in Devon with their specialists.  

As part of RAMM’s programme of contemporary art exhibitions and commissions, these commissions will form part of the Living Labyrinths: Art and Fungi exhibition at RAMM from 3 October 2026 to 21 Feb 2027. Please consider how you might present your work for display and be mindful that the production and presentation budget for this commission is limited to a maximum of £2,500.  

RAMM is offering £6,000 for the commission fee in addition to the production budget. A fee of £300 will also be paid to each of three shortlisted artists to produce and present a proposal for the selection panel. More information about how the commission fee has been calculated and what it is expected to cover, including a suggested breakdown of daily rates, can be provided on request.  

The selection panel will be made up of Lara Goodband, Contemporary Art Curator & Programmer at RAMM; Professor Sarah Gurr, President Elect of the British Mycological Society; and Charmaine Watkiss, artist, currently commissioned by RAMM. 

Application process  

  • Put together a maximum two-page expression of interest including an artist statement explaining why you are interested in this opportunity  
  • Compile a portfolio of previous work with relevant links – include handles to social media pages. Please ensure your portfolio is shared as a PDF document and is no more than 5MB in size 

Commissioning schedule  

  • April 2025 – Artists interested in the commissions submit expressions of interest with their artist statement and portfolio. We do not expect a detailed proposal. 
  • May 2025 – Selection panel shortlists three artists for each commission, who are invited by email to produce a proposal for the commission   
  • June 2025 – Shortlisted artists present and discuss their proposals with the panel   
  • July 2025 – Selected artists begin the new commission  
  • July 2026 – Artists complete the new work for display in October 

Before you enter 

Consider whether this is the right opportunity for you and your artistic practice at this time. There are many different open call opportunities for artists, each with a specific remit and timescale. Take a look at RAMM’s website to see the variety of ways in which the museum works with contemporary artists and other creative practitioners. Please note that the selection panel changes for every opportunity at RAMM. 

Equality  

As part of RAMM’s commitment to supporting and promoting diversity in creative practice, we will strive to implement reasonable adjustments to support any artists who face barriers in the selection process, irrespective of the reason. 

This opportunity is made possible by Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisation funding. 

Contemporary Art at RAMM 

RAMM is Exeter’s world-class museum, with displays that reveal Devon and Exeter’s rich history and global connections. These stunning displays of extraordinary objects inspire artists to create new work. Recent projects include commissions by internationally renowned artists Emma Hart, Florence Peake, Grace Ndiritu and Lucy Stein for the exhibition Earth Spells: Witches of the Anthropocene and Alex Hartley and Ashish Ghadiali for the exhibition Dartmoor: A Radical Landscape. 

Between 2018 and 2024 RAMM commissioned, acquired work by and exhibited the work of many artists, living and working in Devon and the wider south west region. This commission is open to artists who have not received a commission from RAMM during that period. For more information about the contemporary art programme see:  

Contemporary art - RAMM (rammuseum.org.uk) 

More information about RAMM 

RAMM has a proven track record of making its collections accessible to a wide audience. In 2012 RAMM won the coveted Art Fund ‘Museum of the Year’ award in recognition of the innovative and thoughtful way the collection was redisplayed. When presenting the award Lord Chris Smith described the galleries as, ‘some of the most intelligently considered displays on view in any museum in the UK’ demonstrating RAMM’s extensive interpretative skill that engages audiences of about 230,000 each year. 

A flagship Exeter City Council service, RAMM attracts funding from other sources and is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation.  

         

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