Call for Submissions for the RWA 163 Annual Open Exhibition – the region’s largest open submission exhibition

Online Submission Dates: 5 June – 19 August 2015

The Royal West of England Academy (RWA) in Bristol invites artists to submit their work for consideration to its most popular show on the exhibition calendar.

Submissions are welcome from painters, sculptors, architects, photographers and printmakers, alongside a host of other mediums represented in this eclectic exhibition. Entries are encouraged from all ages including students and emerging artists.

Janette Kerr, President of the RWA, said ‘We are looking for pieces that sing and talk to us - that amuse, provoke and excite, that have a poetry and freshness about them, that have a visual impact which makes a work stand out - as well as demonstrating a high level of skill in execution. Not much then! But we hope that the work we select will offer our audience a fresh and current insight into contemporary art practice’.

‘Each year our selection panel, made up of Academicians and guest selectors from the art world, have a wonderful time looking and arguing about the works as they appear before us. Of course we all have our preferences, which is why we try to have practitioners from different media and backgrounds’.

‘We hope that visitors will agree that the Annual show is unique because of its inclusiveness, created by the mix of genres and artists’.

The exhibition offers an opportunity to showcase your work attracting audiences from near and far, with over 15,000 visitors to last year’s show. All artwork must be for sale and last year over 100 hundred works were sold from the 640 on display with art enthusiasts and collectors actively invited to visit and discover the stars of the future alongside recognised names.

Artists are encouraged to submit a maximum of 3 recent works by uploading images and information on an online submission system. The first round of selection takes place online, and chosen works are then viewed at a final Selection Day the RWA in September.

Key submission info:

• Submissions opens 5 June and close on 19 August 2015
• All submissions must be made online via our website www.rwa.org.uk
• The first-round of selection takes place online
• Selected artists are then invited to bring their work to the RWA on the dedicated hand–in days for final selection
• Painting, photography, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, architecture and moving image submissions are all welcome
• Artists are encouraged to submit recent work (produced within the last 3 years)
• All works must be for sale with prices predominantly under £10,000
• A maximum of 3 works may be submitted per applicant
• Work cannot have been exhibited before at the RWA

The 163 Annual Open Exhibition runs from 4 October to 29 November 2015 at Royal West of England Academy, Bristol.