First known as the East End Academy, then the Whitechapel Open, and finally The London Open, the Whitechapel Gallery has been open for submissions to exhibit since 1932. From the 1970s, when the area around the Gallery in East London was home to some of the UK's most important artists, The Open became a launch pad for many artists in the early stages of their career including Peter Doig, Antony Gormley, Cornelia Parker and Rachel Whiteread. Since 2012 Whitechapel Gallery has expanded the reach of The London Open to include artists from all over the capital, recognising the Gallery's cultural role in the city and reputation for exhibiting the best in contemporary art.