Monday, October 23, 2023

Call for Entries: Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibition 2024

Four very good reasons why painters, printmakers, sculptors and artists who draw should pay attention to the Call for Entries for the 2024 Annual Exhibition of the Royal Society of British Artists are:

  • Cash prizes totalling £17,400 are on offer
  • Last year this exhibition generated very impressive sales - which, in the current climate, is even more impressive.
  • The RBA have decided to hang 200 artworks from the Open Entry
  • This annual exhibition has been getting better and better in recent years 
Submissions are ONLINE ONLY - deadline for entries is noon on 10th January 2024.

The next Annual Exhibition will open 29th February 2024



Here are some of the reasons to enter the RBA Annual Exhibition 2024:
  • £10,000 grand prize
  • Plus another c. £10,000 of prizes and awards (see 'Prizes & Awards' below)
  • Non-members are eligible for all prizes with the exception of the Whistler Award (£3,000)
  • 200 non-member works will be selected to show with us and will appear in our catalogue
  • We select quality, whether paintings, sculptures, printmaking or drawing

As Mick Davies, the President of the Royal Society of British Artists has said
Be positive ... have confidence in your ability and go for it! Last year we had record sales, because the RBA has been at the heart of contemporary art for over two centuries and we are still at it.

Call for Entries


You can find complete details on the following Pages
NOTE: THERE IS NO UNIQUE PAGE / URL for the complete details, terms and conditions for this exhibition. 
  • You can however copy and paste the Full Details, Terms and Conditions from the OESS website into a Word document for your information / files - rather than trying to read it in full as a pop-up.
  • I'm surprised that the Mall Galleries does not still have its terms and conditions identified as a link within the Call for Entries page on the Mall Galleries website. Given these are legal specifics, this seems very odd as they are much more specific than those available via OESS. (i.e. I only know the page still exists as I have the link from previous years)

What can you submit?


The Society welcomes works in any medium including painting, drawings, sculpture and original fine art prints.

I RECOMMEND you read the call for entries and the terms and conditions of entry very carefully
  • Acceptable media: Any medium including sculpture and original prints.
  • Intellectual Property Rights: All works MUST be an original creation by the artist.
  • Age of artwork: no requirement
  • No. of artworks: up to six - of which up to four will be selected
  • Previous exhibitions: Work must NOT have been exhibited previously IN LONDON. Note that they've tightened up the criteria - that means not exhibited at ANY exhibition in London i.e. this is NOT limited to the RBA Exhibitions. I'm a big fan of art societies who refuse to allow people to exhibit work they have previously exhibited elsewhere in the same area - it makes for a MUCH better exhibition of work which is fresh to the eye.
  • Dry: Paintings should be completely dry at the time of delivery (or they won't be hung)
  • Wrapping: The Gallery does NOT keep wrapping. Nor does it wrap artwork for return to the artist. So you need to deliver and collect yourself or employ a courier to do this for you. 
  • Size: Works should not be larger than 2.4m along the longest dimension.
  • For Sale: ALL work must be for sale (and the price must include commission @ 45%+VAT. For the uninitiated, that means 
    • if you price your painting @ £500
    • then commission of £225 will be deducted
    • plus a further £45 for VAT on commission charged.
    • So you get £230, the Mall Galleries gets £225 and Customs and Excise gets £45.
  • Price: The minimum price is £300 (framed prints: £180, unframed prints: £120).
    • You can see the range of artwork submitted in my reviews of previous exhibitions - listed at the end of this blog post. 
    • I'm very pleased to see that the RBA has stuck to the minimum price applicable BEFORE the UK started to experience the cost of living crisis and continues to make affordable artwork available.

TIPS In relation to pricing.....


TIP: Do NOT be silly or over ambitious about prices - especially if you are unfamiliar with sales at this venue.
  • small works priced between £300 and £500 typically sell very well (i.e. a much high percentage in this price bracket will sell compared to others - because they are more affordable)
  • most works sell below £1,000
  • members sell well between £500 and £1,500
  • if you are pricing above £2,000 you are:
    • either a well known artist with some years experience, a bunch of collectors and a credible track record of sales above this price point
    • or you have a very big ego and/or opinion of your own work and/or lack experience in exhibiting/selling your work
    • NEVER EVER price just above the big price point breaks (£500, £1000, £1,500) - always just below!
I don't think I can make it plainer than that!


Who can enter? 


Any artist over 18 may submit artwork.

Most are British but international artists can also submit their artwork. (See my info. for International Artists at the end of this section)

How to enter and submit your artwork

  • Digital Entries ONLY: All entries are online - using digital images. Digital image of an artwork must be in JPEG format and under 5MB (i.e. You cannot bring your artwork to London to enter)
    • Upload images of work at mallgalleries.oess1.uk before 12 noon on Wednesday 10 January 2024
    • pay fees online (see below)
  • Entry fee per artwork: payable at the time of submitting / includes free entry for the artist to the exhibition.
    • Artists aged over 35: £20
    • Younger Artists aged 35 or under: £14
  • Receiving Day: If selected for the exhibition, deliver your work on Saturday 4 February 2023, 10am to 5pm, to Mall Galleries, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5BD
  • Terms and conditions: 


How is work selected?


There is a single stage selection process for the 2024 exhibition. 
  • All artworks will be judged virtually after submissions close.
  • Note that all artwork will be selected online on the basis of the digital image - making it absolutely crucial this year that you submit an excellent and accurate image.
  • Work is selected by a small group of RBA members who are responsible for curating and hanging the exhibition. These are not necessarily the same people each year - although some people like getting involved with exhibitions and some do not!
  • The selectors' decisions are final and no feedback is made available for those who were not successful.

Notification of selection / Receiving Day


If selected you 
  • will be notified after 12 noon on Friday 19th January, 12 noon.
  • should deliver your artwork on Saturday 17th February, 10am to 5pm. Plenty of time to get your artwork framed if selected! Works should be delivered unwrapped with the relevant form and labels, which are downloadable upon notification of selection.
TIP: If not selected, do not do what I've seen some artists do in the past - and sound off on social media about the selection process. It's not impressive, does get noted and hardly helps your case in future years!

Important Information for INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS about VAT and delivery/storage


IF submitting artwork from another country, you need to understand how to get your artwork through Customs and what else you need to do. 

You should read what it says in the call for entries ANDHMRC define you as an overseas seller if you sell goods stored in the UK to UK consumers and do not have a business establishment in the UK.
  • In this instance the Mall Galleries acts as your agent.
  • Those submitting from outside the UK must 
    • decide whether they need to register for VAT in advance (see Overseas business and VAT)
    • engage an art carrier to deliver their work
    • know about the Customs processes and paperwork required to get their artwork into the UK - and then back again if it does not sell - without incurring additional costs.


The Exhibition, Prizes and Awards


Annual Exhibition 2023


The exhibition:
  • opens on Thursday 29 February 2024, 10am at the Mall Galleries
  • is open daily 10am to 5pm
  • closes on Saturday 9th March 2023, 5pm.
The Private View (invite only) is on Wednesday 28 February, 2pm to 8pm - with the official opening at 6pm

Unsold work MUST be collected on Saturday 14th March 2023, 10am to 5pm or you'll be paying charges for storage.

Prize and Awards


One of the distinguished features of the RBA Exhibition is that it has an extensive variety of Prizes and Awards are on offer. The total prize pot is worth over £5,000
These include (subject to final confirmation):

Cash Prizes (in order of descending value)


Cash prizes total
  • The Huaicun Zhang Award 2024: £10,000 prize donated by Huaicun Zhang Hon RBA for her choice of an outstanding work in the exhibition
  • Whistler Award, sponsored by Huaicun Zhang Hon RBA: £3,000
  • The de Laszlo Foundation Prize: The de Laszlo Medal for Excellence and £2,000 awarded to an artist aged 35 or under for the best work from life
  • The John Lynn Commemorative Award for a Young Artist: £500
  • The Surgeon's Prize: £500
  • The Peter Kelly Commemorative Prize: £300
  • The Gordon Hulson Memorial Prize: A prize of £250 for draughtsmanship, variety and exploration
  • The Ronald Morgan Memorial Award: £250
  • The Stuart Southall Print Prize: £250
  • Nathan David Award for Sculpture: £150
  • The Geoffrey Vivis Memorial Award: £100
  • The President's Award: £100

Publication & Other Awards

  • The Artist Magazine Award: The winner will be interviewed in The Artist magazine, print and digital editions
  • The Dry Red Press Award: The winning work will be published as a greeting card in the Dry Red Press 'Prize Winners' range, with royalties from the sale of the cards going to the artist
  • The Anthony J Lester Art Critic Award: A prize of £50, plus a certificate of commendation for an outstanding work chosen by the art critic and broadcaster Anthony J Lester

Art Materials & Other Awards


Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibitions



These are my previous reviews of the annual exhibition
Posted by Making A Mark on Monday, October 23, 2023
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