AN exhibition which every year attracts hundreds of North Yorkshire artists opened at the weekend.

Nearly 300 artists, both amateur and professional, living and working in the Harrogate district, responded to the invitation to submit art to the Harrogate Open Exhibition, at the Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate.

The selectors, Mary Sara, art critic and writer, Jane Sellars , Harrogate curator of art, and Christopher P Wood, artist, chose to display 160 pieces from over 700 brought to the gallery.

Ms Sellars said: "We were impressed by the range and quality of the work, particularly the drawings and watercolours.

"There were many lively, original and quirky works to choose from, but the selection panel was in complete accord with the decisions.

"It was good to see the range and diversity of artistic talent around in the Harrogate district."

The Friends of the Mercer Art Gallery contributed to a prize fund of £500, so the panel was able to award one overall prize of £200 and six highly commended awards of £50 each.

The winners were:

Overall winner: Mike Robson, of Harrogate, with a drawing of abandoned trucks at John Commer's at High Hollins.

Highly commended: David Allen, of Harrogate, with a watercolour of Wharfedale from Cray; Maggie Barnes, of Knaresborough, for a porcelain work, Marine Object; Ian Cale, of Harrogate, for a drawing West of Halbe; Maureen Little, of Pateley Bridge, for a watercolour, Quarry: Easter; Malcolm Scott, of Harrogate, for an oil painting, Trying to Sketch Crows in the Wood; Patricia Waddington for an etching, Early Morning on the Edge of the Woods.

Published: 25/04/2005