The Cambridge Russian-Speaking Society (CamRuSS) is proud to announce an
Open Call for Artists titled Impressions of Cambridge. We are seeking unique artistic interpretations that capture the city’s distinctive “vibe”—from its historic atmosphere and people to your favourite spots and hidden corners.
This project aims to celebrate Cambridge through the eyes of our global community, culminating in a limited-edition commemorative notebook and a group exhibition.
Who Can Participate?
International Reach: This is an International Open Call. Participants are not required to live in Cambridge; we welcome impressions of the city from artists located anywhere in the world.
Age Requirement: All applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
Membership: Participation is exclusive to members of CamRuSS. If you are not yet a
member, you can join our society for an annual fee of £20 via this link, which grants
you access to this call and other member benefits.
Submission Details
Number of Entries: Each artist may submit between 1 and 3 original artworks for
consideration.
Medium: We are looking for graphic materials only (e.g., pencil, graphite, charcoal, ink,
or hand-printing techniques).
Technical Note: All submissions must be suitable for black-and-white printing and
provided as high-resolution digital files at 300 dpi.
Safety Margins: All essential elements must stay within a 10 mm margin from the edges (12–15 mm on the side).
How to Send: Images must be sent via email.
Titling Requirement: Every image submission must include a title that reflects the
name of a specific part of the city (e.g., a specific street, landmark, or neighbourhood)
Why Enter?
Selected artists will have their work published in 200 copies of a high-quality CamRuSS notebook and featured in a group exhibition and presentation.
Key Deadlines:
Step 1. Expression of Interest (Short Bio): By 31 May 2026 via this form
Step 2. Final Artwork Submission: By 31 July 2026. Submit digital files of your artworks in accordance with the technical specs below via email: camrussart@gmail.com
Announcement of Results: 20 September 2026 (Please note that the original date was 15 September, but it has since been extended).
Rewards and Announcement:
• Results will be posted on the CamRuSS website by 20 September 2026.
• Benefits: Selected works will be published in a limited-edition CamRuSS notebook (200 copies), and the artist will participate in a group exhibition.
Intellectual Property (IP), Licensing, and Attribution
Joint Rights: Intellectual Property Rights in the submitted artwork are held jointly by the artist and the Cambridge Russian-Speaking Society (CamRuSS).
Usage and Licensing: By entering this open call, the artist grants CamRuSS a non-exclusive, perpetual, and irrevocable license to use and reproduce images of the artwork.
Promotional Scope: This license specifically includes the right for CamRuSS to use the images in its marketing materials, to produce the limited-edition notebooks, and to create other souvenirs or promotional products.
Author Credit: In all instances in which the artwork is published or displayed, CamRuSS
commits to prominently identifying and crediting the author (the artist) to ensure proper attribution.
Editorial Control: The final appearance of the notebook, including its physical size and the placement and positioning of images within the pages, is at the sole discretion of the Editor and cannot be discussed or negotiated with participating artists.
Survival of Terms: These provisions regarding IP, licensing, and editorial control shall remain in effect following the conclusion of the competition and any related exhibitions.
Join us in creating a lasting visual record of Cambridge’s enduring spirit!
A big thank you to our judges for Impressions of Cambridge!
You gave your time, care and attention to every entry, and it was no easy task with so much talent on show.
We are very grateful for your support of CamRuSS and our artists.
The list of Finalists (in alphabetical order by surname):
- Sasha Allport
- Olya Anima
- Ekaterina Antipina
- Katia Averina
- Svetlana Baibekova
- Marina Burrel
- Galina Davydtchenko
- Olga Diacenco
- Nataliya Green
- Yelena Karl
- Marina Kovalevskaya
- Ludmila Perlova
- Galina Poloz
- Valentin Russinoff
- Elena Tarshis
Judges (in alphabetical order by surname):
Susan Abbs, Artist and President of the Cambridge Drawing Society
Susan Abbs was born in Singapore and has lived in the UK since 1994. Growing
up in the tropics, she was surrounded by intense light and heat – an influence that
continues to shape her work.
Her practice explores light, atmosphere, and shifting states, often through
landscape and increasingly in more abstracted forms. She is particularly interested
in how light moves, reflects, and transforms a surface.
Susan’s work is held in private collections in the UK and internationally. She has
exhibited widely, including at Mall Galleries, Bankside Gallery, and Cambridge
Contemporary Art. Her work is also featured in the Cambridge Art Book.
Alongside her studio practice, she teaches art in Cambridge and leads life drawing
at Hills Road Sixth Form College. She is the founder of the annual Nightingale Art
Fair and President of the Cambridge Drawing Society.
Ksenia Afonina (FRSA, DipM, MBA, PhD) is a scholar and curator whose research focuses on art as a medium of cultural memory, both individual and collective.
Since 2010 she has organised, curated and co-curated seventeen exhibitions, mainly in the UK and Russia, as well as in Germany, Montenegro, Finland and, most recently, Spain — Beyond Borders at the Museo del Mar. She is the author of Unofficial Art of the Second World War. Elena Marttila. Pavel Afonin. Sergey Babkov. Personal History and Memory (Kriga, 2020) and is a contributor to conferences and publications on art as a document of history and memory.
Over fifteen years Ksenia has been on the board of a UK charity, The Cambridge Russian-Speaking Society.
Dr Natalia Y. Budanova, Art Historian and Lecturer
Natalia Y. Budanova (PhD Courtauld Institute of Art) is an art historian and the
author of publications on the art of the Silver Age, the early Russian avant-garde and
the work of women artists of pre-revolutionary Russia. Her book Two Women
Patrons of the Russian Avant-garde (co-authored with Dr N. Murray), London:
Unicorn, 2021, explores the formation of the Russian art market and the activities of
the first private galleries in Moscow and St Petersburg.
Anna M. Dempster, Fellow of Wolfson College, University of Cambridge
Anna is Chair of the Arts Committee responsible for the College collection, arts
and exhibitions programme. She is a Founding Trustee of Cambridge ArtSpace and
Director of ArtSpace5-7 Gallery in central Cambridge, as well as serving on the
Management Team of Cambridge Open Studios, the oldest artist-run open studios in
the UK.
As an academic, writer and curator, her career spans leading educational and
cultural institutions, where her research interests in leadership, risk and uncertainty,
trust and the creative process, have been tried and tested in both theory and in
practice.
Naomi Polonsky, Assistant Curator, House & Collection at Kettle’s Yard
Naomi Polonsky is currently Assistant Curator, House & Collection at Kettle’s Yard,
supporting on the care and conservation of the house, collection and archive, and
related displays, exhibitions and events.
Previously, Naomi worked at The Women’s Art Collection, Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, where she contributed to the research project ‘Unlocking The Women’s
Art Collection’ and curated the exhibitions Women & Water, Life is Still Lifeand What Lies Beneath: Women, Politics, Textiles.
She has a BA in Modern Languages (French & Russian) from the University of Oxford and an MA in Curating the Art Museum from the Courtauld Institute of Art.
