More than 100 pieces of shortlisted artwork are being exhibited in Lyme Regis ahead of an international competition. 

Art Unlimited’s Open Art Competition is in its third year, aiming to showcase the work of emerging artists locally and on an international level.

Artists aged 18 and over were invited to submit their works, with a separate class for young artists aged 15 to 18.

This year's shortlisted works are being exhibited at the Malthouse Gallery in Lyme Regis, from Tuesday, September 10 to Sunday, September 22, open from 9am to 5pm.

These have been submitted from all over Dorset and the South West, reaching out as far as Scotland and Northern Ireland.

This year saw a fifty per cent increase in competition entries and international entries also hit a record of 14 countries, excluding the UK : Australia, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Malaysia, Norway, Romania, Serbia, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, Taiwan and UAE.

The annual event has been running since 2022 and this year saw the introduction of the inaugural Young Person’s Bursary award, which was created to support young student artists within the community and their further education.

READ MORE: Student wins Art Unlimited's Young Person’s Bursary award

107 pieces of work including paintings, drawings, sculptures, collages, and digital works will be judged this Thursday and the awards will be announced on Saturday, September 14. 

People can visit the exhibition for free and can take part in The People’s Choice by voting for their favourite piece. 

This can also be done on the Art Unlimited website: www.art-unlimited.co.uk