What's It All About?

History of L.O.V.E. Art

L.O.V.E. Art is an art exhibition that is open to all artists working in any medium - exhibiting the very best cutting edge and avant-garde creators and artists in and around Leicester annually. 


Student Artists, Amateur Artists, Outsider Artists, Craft Artists, Emerging, Burgeoning, Established and Professional Artists - All Are Welcome.


2D, 3D, Performance, Audio/Visual all welcome, there is also an opportunity for artists to make work directly on or to be displayed in the windows of LCB Depot, Manhattan 34, The Exchange, Beta X and other Cultural Quarter businesses. 


In 2022 LCB Depot organised a collective of local artists who curated their exhibition and selected works with L.O.V.E. Art from the LOVE Art Open Call that were exhibited together at LCB Depot.


In 2021 The Magic of the Real was an exhibition organised by No Jobs In The Arts with L.O.V.E. Art, by selecting six Leicester/shire-based artists to show work alongside a commissioned, regional artist; they invited those artists to help select works from the LOVE Art Open Call to be featured in the The Magic of the Real Exhibition.


In 2020 Studio Open was an exhibition that ran alongside L.O.V.E. Art exhibiting Leicester's Artist Studios (Two Queen's, StudionAme, Modern Painters New Decorators, Churchgate Studios, etc...) enabling the local artists to work with and exhibit alongside the city's professional artists.


Variant ‘vɛːrɪənt (noun) A form or version of something that differs in some respect from other forms of the same thing or from a standard. Synonyms: variation, alternative, different, adaptation, modification, permutation, mutant, deviant.


L.O.V.E. Art exhibits across multiple venues in the cultural quarter, it will also be featured on-line in the Gallery.


Founded and Curated since 2014 by Phil Hackett & since 2020 co-curated with Adam Khalifa 


Total Physical Visitors to L.O.V.E. Art Exhibitions 2015 to present day is 128,123 with physical visitors of 6,225 in 2021.


Due to COVID-19 L.O.V.E. Art 2020 was exhibited solely on-line, which was very successful and have since continued with an on-line exhibition (the statistics below are for the 21 days of the L.O.V.E. Art exhibition only)


2020 on-line visitors (www.loveartexhibition.co.uk): 4,395 Unique Visits, 12,438 Page Impressions

Public Engagement:28,763 Social Media Engagements and 799 People's Choice Award Votes


2021 on-line visitors (www.loveartexhibition.co.uk): 8,946 Unique Visits, 23,632 Page Impressions

Public Engagement: 45,391 Social Media Engagements and 1,087 People's Choice Award Votes


2022 on-line visitors (www.loveartexhibition.co.uk): 7,846 Unique Visits, 21,473 Page Impressions

Public Engagement: 78,352 Social Media Engagements and 1,246 People's Choice Award Votes


Most visited pages are Gallery, Prizes & Sponsors, Prize Winners, the majority of people left the web site via an artist social media link.

 

  • L.O.V.E. Art was created to provide an opportunity for the hundreds of art students that come into the city each year to exhibit and engage with the existing artist community in and around Leicester.
  • Leicester has a thriving and growing cultural community but for that to survive we need to be creating opportunities to retain the skilled practitioners that our art institutions bring to and/or create in the city.
  • With hundreds of creative course students (De Montfort University, Leicester College, Wyggeston & Queen Elizabeth College, Gateway College, Leicester Adult Education College and the University of Leicester) looking for opportunities to be exhibited, L.O.V.E. Art was created to target those institutions to promote and engage their talent pool.
  • The Studio Open Exhibition features the work of local professional artists resident at some of Leicester's most vibrant artists studios; Two Queen's, StudionAme, Modern Painters New Decorators, Churchgate Studios, etc...
  • Previous exhibitions have seen Foundation Students exhibiting next to award winning Royal Society Artists, A level Students exhibiting next to MA Degree Students, and local professional and amateur artists from across the city exhibiting in the same spaces as renowned artists like Pablo Picasso, William Hogarth and Franz Marc.
  • Ran and curated voluntarily, works are submitted by the artists electronically, selected by an independent volunteer ‘Selection Panel’ of art sector peers and the previous year's L.O.V.E. Art prize winner, to keep the selections contemporary and reflective of the city offer.
  • Over the years L.O.V.E. Art has awarded many prizes, all generously donated by our various sponsors, which have included the Arts Council England, De Montfort University, the Handmade Festival, DMU Local, the Riverside Festival, A&G Bespoke Picture Framers, Manhattan 34, John E Wrights, Big Difference Co., Curve Theatre, LCB Depot, etc.

 

Our ambition is to see L.O.V.E. Art Grow to be a city-wide event.

 

  • 2015 - Upstairs at Firebug in Leicester – 1 week – 568 Visitors -With an opening private view and end of show party/music concert
  • 2016 - O2 Arena at the University of Leicester – 3 days – 14,480 Visitors - Part of the Handmade Festival, supported by Arts Council England and De Montfort University
  • 2017 - New Walk Museum & Art Gallery – 3 months – 49,836 Visitors - Wall Linear Gallery, supported by De Montfort University and DMU Local
  • 2018 - Curve – 1 month - 18,270 Visitors - Inside Out Festival, supported by DMU Local and Curve Theatre
  • 2019 - Curve - 6 weeks - 13,792 Visitors - New Works Festival - supported by Curve and the Community Art Fund
  • 2020 - 21 Days - on-line only - Leicester Art Week
  • 2021 - LCB Depot, Leicester's Cultural Quarter, Manhattan 34, The Exchange, Orton's & Curve - 21 Days - Leicester Art Week
  • 2022 - LCB Depot, Leicester's Cultural Quarter, Manhattan 34, The Exchange, Beta X, Bruu, Leicester Coffee House - 21 Days - Leicester Art Week

 

L.O.V.E. Art is developed, managed, curated and hung by dedicated volunteers, without whom none of this could be possible, if you want to get involved, Get in touch!


L.O.V.E. Art aims to be as inclusive as possible, from 2015 - 2022

The Curatorial/Judging Panel representation has been: 42% Male and 58% Female with 20% being from ethnic minority groups.

The exhibiting artist’s representation has been: 34% Male and 66% Female with 14% being from ethnic minority groups.


Founded and Curated since 2014 by Phil Hackett

Co-curated since 2020 with Adam Khalifa 

Co-curated 2015 - 2018 with Jonjo Elliott 

Co-curated 2018 with Rebecca Harvey Hobbs


Contact details

L.O.V.E. Art the Leicester Open Variation Exhibition  

V.5 August 2020 

 

CONSTITUTION 

 

L.O.V.E. Art was formed in 2014 with the following aims and objectives 

 

We the founders of L.O.V.E. Art, in order to promote and encourage interest and improvement in the presentation and retention of artistic talent in the city of Leicester, do ordain and establish this constitution for the governance of our organisation 

 

Article 1: Name 

1. The name of this organisation shall be The Leicester Open Variant Exhibition, hereafter known as L.O.V.E. Art. This organisation will use the name L.O.V.E. Art its acronym (L.O.V.E. Art) in all publicity materials and correspondence 

2. The ‘Founders’, ‘Curators’ and the ‘Selection Panel’ of L.O.V.E. Art shall make up the Non-Executive Board of L.O.V.E. Art, hereafter known as the ‘Board’ 

 

Article 2: Purpose 

1. The purpose of this organisation shall be to promote and encourage interest and improvement in the presentation and retention of artistic talent in the city of Leicester 

2. by providing an annual, biannual and/or biennial opportunity for the student art population of Leicester to exhibit in the city of Leicester 

3. to garner and improve the interaction and collaboration between the student art population with the resident art community and relevant businesses of Leicester and Leicestershire 

4. The Board shall manage, promote and deliver the articles of this constitution and the practical delivery of the L.O.V.E. Art finances, marketing, application and exhibition processes 

 

Article 3: Membership 

1. At least half the general body of the organisation must be compromised of the student art population of the city from Higher/Further Education through to Post Graduate and recent Alumni of any College or University in Leicestershire 

2. The privileges and responsibilities of membership are the ability to submit artworks for L.O.V.E. Art exhibition(s) and to engage, be included in L.O.V.E. Art talks, events and activities and be featured on the L.O.V.E. Art website and social media channels 

3. Membership may be revoked by the ‘Selection Panel’ and/or the ‘Board’ of L.O.V.E. Art for breaches of the L.O.V.E. Art ‘How to Apply’ guidelines 

4. Membership is achieved by making an exhibition application payment or by affiliated association and/or sponsorship arrangement per exhibition opportunity 

5. Membership runs from the time of application payment being received to the date the exhibition the payment relates to closes 

6. Membership shall be open to all artists working in any medium - exhibiting the very best cutting edge and avant-garde creators and artists in and around Leicester, regardless of their protected characteristics or socioeconomic status 

 

Article 4: Rules 

1. Being a member does not guarantee work submitted will be accepted for exhibition(s) 

2. Works submitted will be curated and selected/rejected by the L.O.V.E. Art Selection Panel 

3. The Selection Panel selected by the Board for each exhibition, will comprise independent volunteer art sector peers, occasionally Guest Curator(s) and at least one previous L.O.V.E. Art Prize, Winner 

4. L.O.V.E. Art Prize Winners are selected by Prize Judges which are compromised of the Prize Sponsors and/or the Board 

5. The Board, the Selection Panel & the Prize Judge's decisions are final 

6. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum to transact any business. A majority of those voting shall constitute an affirmative vote of the Board. Each Board member shall be entitled to one vote and the vote of the majority of the Board at any meeting at which there is a quorum shall be sufficient to transact business 

7. In the event that there is a lack of quorum/hung vote the Founders of L.O.V.E. Art will have the final vote 

 

Article 5: Organisation 

1. Permanent Non-Executive Board Members 

a. Founder & Curator: Phil Hackett - Leicester based fine artist and curator; and is the Resources Manager for Leicester Museums & Galleries. 

b. Curator – Adam Khalifa  - Leicester based artist, curator; and is the Studio Manager for StudionAme and Churchgate Artists Studios. 

2. Temporary Non-Executive Board Members 

a. Guest Curator(s) 

b. Selection Panel Member(s) (Local Artist/Art Sector Peer) 

c. L.O.V.E. Art Prize Winner(s) 

 

Article 6: Finance & Funds 

1. L.O.V.E. Art is a not for profit organisation that relies on the voluntary contribution of its Board Members 

2. Funds are received as; exhibition application fees, external grant funding, external sponsor funding, external sponsor in-kind support, external sponsor non-monetary prizes, volunteer in-kind support, commission fees from exhibition sales and membership fees 

3. All of the above are variable in their values/rates depending on the grant giver, sponsor, funder, venue, exhibition, etc. and shall not be unreasonable for either members, or the organisation 

4. All funds, in-kind support and non-monetary prizes are used to enact the Purposes of L.O.V.E. Art as identified in this constitution and/or are presented as prizes to L.O.V.E Art Prize Winners 

5. Any remaining funds after each exhibition is completed are used to set up the next L.O.V.E. Art Exhibition programme 

6. The Tax Year is the Financial Year, April – March 

7. All Financial Transactions are handled by Phil Hackett Artist trading as L.O.V.E. Art 

8. All commission fees enacted by a venue (should they charge commission) will be paid by L.O.V.E. Art out of the sale income before the commission for L.O.V.E. Art is charged from the sale income, then the remaining sale income funds will be immediately forwarded to the selling artist 

9. All sales will be concluded after the exhibition in which the work is exhibited has closed 

10. Upon request all financial transactions for L.O.V.E. Art for the Tax Year can be supplied 

 

Article 7: Alterations to the Constitution 

1. The Permanent Board Members' decisions must be unanimous 

2. Permanent Board Members are the only Board members entitled to appoint additional Permanent Board Members as and when they see fit 

3. The Permanent Board Members are entitled to review and amend this constitution only with the unanimous approval of all extant Permanent Board Members 

 

Article 8: Dissolution 

1. A resolution to dissolve the organisation must be passed unanimously by the extant Permanent Board Members 

2. Any assets held by the organisation after the satisfaction of all debts and liabilities shall be given or transferred to an organisation with similar aims and/or returned accordingly to those who gifted/sponsored/funded the organisation 

 

This  V5 Constitution was formally adopted on the 20th of August 2020   
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