Artists who had queued around the block to take part in an exhibition in a prestigious Oxford gallery saw their work on display for the first time today.

Oxford Open, at Modern Art Oxford, opens to the public tomorrow.

The artists - more than 500 people from all walks of life - had a sneak preview of their work at a special launch party attended by Lord Mayor John Tanner.

Suzanne Cotter, senior curator and acting director of the museum, said: "There are some really nice pieces on show and I think it looks beautiful.

"You might think of it as taking risks, but we were more interested in opening up the whole process and making it much more transparent and seeing what came out of that.

"The show has a five-week run and there are different things that are going to be happening during that time so that adds another layer."

She added: "The last Oxford show we did in 2004 was really well attended and I think we are going to be really busy."

The exhibition will be open until Sunday, February 17, and people can vote for their favourite piece of work with the people's choice being revealed on Saturday, February 9.