The Sefton Open 2026: A Student’s Perspective
A guest review by University of Liverpool Work Placement student, Niamh Humphrey.
Previously at the Atkinson, the art gallery was home to the Sefton Open, an annual exhibition celebrating artists and their creations throughout the borough. The exhibition highlighted the incredible range of talent and inspiration that our community provides. There were over 600 artworks across the exhibition, displaying a variety of media, including paintings, drawing, sculptures, and textiles.
As part of the exhibition, we encouraged people to vote for their favourite art piece, and the piece with the most votes was awarded The People’s Prize. I am a second year History student at the University of Liverpool, and I had the privilege of being on placement at The Atkinson whilst the exhibition took shape, and it was wonderful to see the array of talent that was chosen by Southport Palette Club to be displayed, and here were some of my favourite entries.
One of my favourite pieces was The Three Graces Building (catalogue number 6), a painting by Daniel Adler. I especially loved this painting because it captured a place that I have spent so much time at throughout my time in Liverpool. I love spending time down at the waterfront and walking along the Mersey, as there is always something going on, and it is so full of life. I think Daniel captured this perfectly with the use of vibrant colours, and the illustration of all the different people going about their lives, which is a scene that could always be spotted along the waterfront. The Three Graces were unmistakable in their grandeur and position, yet Daniel clearly captured the scene in such intricate detail. The attention to detail throughout the painting meant that it was an unmistakable cityscape of such a stunning and historic place.
My favourite 3D piece that year was Natural Habitat by Sam Cookson (catalogue number 78), a ceramic automata sculpture depicting a toad painting the finishing touches on a model of the Atkinson building. The piece included the mechanisms that allowed the arm to move up and down, adding an interactive element to the piece. Although visitors were unable to see the model in motion during the exhibition, the craftsmanship and attention to detail were still clear to see, particularly in the spilled paint and dirty rags surrounding the model. I especially loved how the piece depicted the Atkinson itself, providing a representation of the building within the gallery space.
There were 699 works in the exhibition, and our artists had put so much work into all the pieces, so there was something for everyone to enjoy!