Winners of the Open revealed at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum

The annual celebration of artistic talent attracted a record number of entries, with around 250 pieces selected for the exhibition.

Anya Kalsi, currently studying fine art at Lancaster University, was awarded first prize for her painting, Echoes of Entanglement.

Her prize included £1,000 and the chance to host an exhibition at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum's Floor One Gallery later this year.

Other Open 24 winners included Annie Zaneboni, who won the Arts Society trophy for her ceramic, After Matisse 2, and Amy Bonsor, who won the Rugby and District Arts Society prize for her paper cut, Changing.

Alina Bondarchuk received the Warwickshire Open Studios prize for her painting, Anxiety, while Joseph Ryan's painting, M, won the inaugural Brendan O'Rourke Memorial Prize, presented by Cllr Maggie O'Rourke, Rugby Borough Council portfolio holder for partnerships and wellbeing, in memory of her late husband.

Lily Spencer was crowned the winner of the Rugby Youth Open 24 - for young artists aged 14 to 19-years-old - for her painting, A Bond That Can't Be Broken, while the Mayor's Award was presented to Rosa Kenny for her painting, 5,341 Days of Otis.

The judging panel for Open 24 included Royal Academy of Art members Eileen Cooper and Oona Grimes, local artist Anna Lorimer, Cllr O'Rourke and the Mayor of Rugby, Cllr Simon Ward.

The prizes were presented during a special exhibition preview and awards ceremony at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum before Christmas.

Voting for the Rugby Open 24 People's Choice Award closes on Wednesday (15 January).

The full list of Open winners can be found at: www.ragm.co.uk/rugby-open-2024

Cllr O'Rourke said the quality of pieces submitted for this year's Open made choosing the winners a tough task.

"We received a record number of submissions for Rugby Open 24 and selecting around 250 pieces for the exhibition was a challenge, let alone deciding the winners," Cllr O'Rourke added.

"It was wonderful to meet so many of the artists behind the art works at the awards ceremony, celebrating the artistic talent in the borough and beyond."

Rugby Open 24 runs at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum until Thursday 20 February.

For more information about exhibitions and events at Rugby Art Gallery and Museum, visit www.ragm.co.uk