Open Door Berkhamsted appeals for artwork submissions that will put a smile on your face

A community arts space in Berkhamsted is appealing for artwork submissions for their next exhibition.

Open Door, on the High Street, is looking for art that will put a smile on your face for their exhibition, which starts on Tuesday, January 11.

The exhibition, entitled 'Laughter! It's the best medicine', aims to help everyone in Berkhamsted and beyond to kick off 2022 with a smile on their faces and a bit of a giggle.

Artwork can be submitted by anybody from the local community, whatever their age, and in any media, from painting, drawing, sculpture or photography to writing, poetry, or music.

The deadline for submissions is Monday, January 3, for more details visit the Open Door website.

Lily Donlan, Open Door project manager for public engagement in art, said: "January tends to be rather a flat month with post-Christmas and winter blues, plus all else that’s going on, but with your help this exhibition can provide a brief antidote and the chance for a good laugh, or at least a smile!

"So please get creating and together we can provide a pick-me-up that we all need.

"You don’t need to be an artist - anyone of any age, amateur or professional, can submit so long as it’s funny, amusing or cheering.

"We look forward to receiving your submissions and to seeing everyone at Open Door in January for some tea and cake whilst you browse and chortle!"

The exhibition is the final element of Open Door's National Lottery-funded public engagement project, which has been running over the last year.

The project aimed to bring the benefits of engaging with art to a wider audience, particularly those in the community who might not usually have the opportunity to access arts activities, or reap the wellbeing benefits they can provide.

Alongside the public Laughter! submissions, there will be a collection of work from the different strands of the project, including the beautiful hand-embroidered community artworks created at an event in Rectory Lane Cemetery in the summer.

Laughter has been scientifically proven to boost immunity as well as raise mood, so the organisers are hoping that this initiative will promote wellbeing and spread happiness across the local area this January, to help get the year off to a positive start!.