Member Article

Artful celebration for Co Durham hotel

A piece of artwork capturing the essence of one of County Durham’s most picturesque dales is being sought for a special competition.

Artists and sculptors who live within 20 miles of the Morritt Hotel in Greta Bridge in Teesdale will vie for a £1,500 commission to produce a piece in celebration of the owners’ 20th anniversary at the hotel.

It will be called ‘The Spirit of Teesdale’ and will be put on display indefinitely in the hotel or its grounds. Those interested will submit a proposal and images of previous work and the one judged to best fit the criteria will received the commission.

Barbara-Anne Johnson, who owns The Morritt with her husband Peter Philips, said: ’We wanted to do something special to celebrate being at the hotel since 1994 and thought a permanent artwork would be perfect.

’The Morritt has come a long way in the past 20 years and we have worked hard to build up a name for great rooms, outstanding food and a strong reputation for weddings.

‘We have also brought work and jobs to the area with our adjoining new spa, The Garage, and believe in Teesdale as an amazing place to work, stay and visit.’

The competition is open to professionals and amateurs and can be in any permanent format and material such as a painting, sketch, sculpture, textile, collage or multi-media. Entrants will live within a 20 mile radius of The Morritt, which includes Barnard Castle, Darlington, Richmond and Bishop Auckland.

Barbara-Anne added: We’re a family-run hotel set in beautiful Teesdale countryside so we want something that encapsulates what this area is all about, and celebrates local people and artists.

‘It’s an exciting brief that artists can interpret as they see fit and really let their imagination run wild. The new artwork will be a great feature displayed at the hotel for many years to come.’

The winning entry will be chosen by a panel of judges, to be announced.

To enter the competition, artists should send their proposal to relax@themorritt.co.uk by May 8th 2014 and include their names, addresses and contact details. Proposals should include a written description of the artwork and could also include preliminary sketches. The winning commission will be selected by May 26th with the completed piece to be delivered by July 1st.

As well as The Spirit of Teesdale art commission, the owners are celebrating their 20th year with events including a 1920s-themed ball and special offers. See www.themorritt.co.uk for details and full competition terms and conditions.

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