The Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition opens at Beverley Art Gallery this weekend

Saturday, 19 September will see the opening of a major touring exhibition at Beverley Art Gallery - the Royal Photographic Society's International Photography Exhibition. The exhibition features the 100 best photographs from across the globe as selected by the RPS, one of the world's oldest photography associations.

Running until 14 November, this is the 162^nd edition of the exhibition, making it the world's longest running photography exhibition. Each year, the RPS touring exhibition is selected from a worldwide open call, which encourages submissions from international photographers of all levels.

This year's exhibition was selected from over 1370 entries from 62 countries and features the work of 43 international photographers. Spirituality, identity, inclusion and the environment are some of the powerful narratives explored.

The visit to Beverley Art Gallery is part of a national tour by the exhibition. Curator Helena Cox said :  "We are absolutely delighted to be hosting such a highly esteemed and prestigious exhibition. At Beverley Art Gallery, we have developed a habit of exhibiting world-class photography, so the 162nd International Photography Exhibition is an excellent addition to our photographic track record.

"The show brings a fascinating array of subjects, so there will be something for everyone. What I particularly like about the RPS competition is that anybody can apply, so it is a very wide open call and everybody can have a go. The Society is run by the world's leading experts in the field, so you can be certain that whatever they chose in the top 100 will be cutting-edge high quality work.

"The winners in this year's exhibition display some very strong environmental themes, so we very much hope that the show will generate some interest and debate about these crucial themes. Most of all, I hope this exhibition will be an uplifting experience for our visitors. Many of us could not travel as much as we'd like to during this pandemic year, but this exhibition will take us on a wondrous journey all around the globe!"

Councillor Shaun Horton, portfolio holder for coastal regeneration and tourism, including culture and leisure, added : "It's great news that we have this major international exhibition coming to Beverley, especially during these challenging times. I hope that lots of people will come along to enjoy these stunning photographs from all over the world."

Visitors to Beverley Art Gallery, located in the Treasure House on Champney Road,  follow a prescribed route, which has been designed to ensure appropriate social distancing. The number of people in the building at any one time will be limited, and visitors will need to wear face coverings.

Leaflet display units, children's toys, interactives and seating have been removed, in order to maximise space for social distancing. 

Visitors are asked to adhere to social distancing at all times and follow guidelines as displayed on posters, not to linger too long to look at any one object or painting, and not to stand too close to front of house staff.

Admission is free. Opening hours are as normal.  Full details are at https://www.eastridingmuseums.co.uk/