A founder member of Soho Housing Association is being honoured with the launch of a new prize for outstanding works of art.
The London housing association, which last year converted one of its commercial properties into an art gallery, has announced The Leslie Hardcastle Memorial Prize.
Alongside this, Soho Housing and partner Parker Harris have unveiled the list of artists that will be showing their works in the inaugural Soho Open. This is a new exhibition taking place at the organisation’s Great Pulteney Street (GPS) Gallery net month.
From a “formidable” 2,500 entries, 105 works have been selected for the Open.
The works will be shown at GPS Gallery from Wednesday 5 November to Sunday 23 November 2025. Up to three artists will also be awarded a solo exhibition at the gallery in 2026, further reinforcing The Soho Open’s commitment to supporting and celebrating artistic talent.
Exhibited artists will also be eligible for The Leslie Hardcastle Memorial Prize for one “exceptional” submission.
The open call invited submissions in any medium, with the selection panel featuring critic and curator Paul Carey-Kent, artists Frances Richardson and Shanti Panchal, GPS gallery director Monika Bobinska, and chair of the Holborne Museum, and Soho resident Mervyn Metcalf.
Metcalf said: “I was delighted to be invited as a selector for this inaugural exhibition. Soho has such a rich and vibrant history within the art world, and we hope this show reflects and is inspired by that legacy. The submissions were truly outstanding, and we believe the resulting exhibition is both magnificent and meaningful.”
Main image: One of the artworks set to feature in the Soho Open exhibition: Michelle Heron’s Shared Frequencies (Soho). Courtesy of Soho Housing Association
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