Wednesday, November 05, 2025

Open Call for Entries: Royal Society of British Artists - Annual Exhibition 2026

You have two months to prepare an entry for the Annual Open Exhibition of the Royal Society of British Artists (RBA). Online entries close on Friday 9 January 2026 (12 noon).

Find out how to enter the RBA Annual Exhibition 2026

This post explains:

  • why this is a good exhibition for artists submitting via the open entry
  • why the last two exhibitions have been very disappointing in terms of sales - particularly for member artists - but have lots of scope to "come back" and do as well as they have done in earlier years
  • how to enter

Why submit to this open entry?

This is a good exhibition for non-members to try and get selected for, because of the variety of media, subject matter and styles which are acceptable to the RBA

This is probably the most eclectic of all the art societies belonging to the Federation of British Artists BA Exhibitions - whose home is at the Mall Galleries. My comment in this post Artwork I liked at the RBA Annual Exhibition 2025

It also has an excellent range of prizes, many of which open artists are eligible to win.

However, there are always a LOT of entries and this exhibition gets more open entries than some of the top flight art competitions in the UK (

Those who enter have a good chance of being exhibited as the RBA aims to split the artworks hung in the exhibition 50:50 between RBA members/associates and the open artists. 


Why the last two RBA exhibitions have been disappointing 

These were my blog posts about the 2025 exhibition

The artwork selected comes from 3,843 submitted images. To give you a sense of what that represents it's bigger than the entry for some major art competitions. 
Mostly it was good work, although it certainly included artwork I personally would have edited out at the selection stage.
I start from the basic premise that major art exhibitions are for selling art as well as showing it. As in people want to recoup their expenses and generate income for an artist.

The reality is that the last two exhibitions have have had VERY LOW SALES
  • 2025: 63 artworks sold (just 11% of the artwork hung) which is VERY LOW
  • 2024: 52 sold from 491 hung (10%) last year - but only just (11%!!)
This is in the context of a society which, in the recent past, has generated in excess of £100K in sales at its annual exhibition (as another FBA Society did recently).

Moreover, in 2025, 60% of the artwork SOLD was generated by the Open Artists (selected via the Open Call to exhibit with the members of the RBA).

My thinking is this is because:

  • open artists tend to submit smaller and more affordable artworks - priced to sell (I will allow myself to think some have been reading my blog posts which have provided clear signposts as to what sells!)
  • member artists are sometimes self-indulgent and submit large works which have little chance of selling - and too many don't read my blog posts about the exhibition metrics!
  • the Selection Panel sometimes seems to be 
    • too indulgent to its members in terms of what they what they want to exhibit and 
    • thinking too little about the business of making money from the exhibition - to fund their contribution of the costs of running the Mall Galleries.
A guide to price brackets at the last RBA Exhibition

I should emphasise that it's not just my opinion it was the members who were mainly responsible for the overall level of low sales. It's a FACT.
  • There were 554 artworks hung in the show (which in my opinion is about 200 too many) split between:
    • 275 artworks by members
    • 279 artworks by open entry artists
  • In terms of the number of artworks which sold
    • 60% were by open artists
    • 40% were by RBA Members and Associates
Most sales were, as I constantly reiterate, BELOW £1,500
Most sales in this RBA show were also by OPEN ARTISTS

This sort of performance is a function of:
  • artwork submitted for exhibition
  • the critical faculties of those selecting the work that gets on the wall.

Selection for 2026


In relation to the 2026 Annual Exhibition (26 February - 12 March), I'm really hoping that the panel of selectors will get their critical and business faculties in gear and become more discriminating by aiming to:

  • RADICALLY REDUCE the number of artworks they select (i.e. the more they hang, the less they sell). 
  • BE MUCH MORE RIGOROUS IN THEIR SELECTION - in relation to BOTH members and open entries - about preferring artwork that will sell rather than artwork which will just hang on a wall for 10 days and do very little for art, the artist or the RBA wanting to generate funds to run future exhibitions.  After all, this is what commercial galleries need to do all the time if they are to stay in business.
The key is to select the best and not just everything you like the look of it. 

artwork at the entry to the West Gallery in 2025


How to Enter


Artists are invited to submit work for exhibition alongside members of the Royal Society of British Artists at the RBA Annual Exhibition 2026. More details below.

Comprehensive details of how to enter are provided:

Basic data

ALL Submissions: 

  • Online Only
  • You need to register on the OESS system used by the Mall Galleries. Then 
    • complete a submission form for this exhibition 
    • and upload all images
  • There is a non-refundable submission fee of 
    • £20 per artwork, 
    • or £14 per work for artists aged 35 or under.
  • The submission fee includes free admission to the exhibition (normally £5).
  • Submission fees support the not-for-profit programme at Mall Galleries.
Note: If selected works arrive damaged, with unacceptable framing, size discrepancies from the original submission, or not as shown online, these will be withdrawn and will need to be collected from Mall Galleries by the artist at their expense.

Images for Submission

  • Judges make decisions based on your images - so make sure they are good! 
  • Upload your image/s in JPEG or PNG format and under 5MB. 
    • One image per submission must be submitted, showing the complete work. 
    • An optional two additional images per work may be submitted, showing details.
  • The judges will make their decision based on these images, so please ensure that photographs are accurate and show work at its best.

Deadline for Submission of Entries:

  • Friday 9 January 2026, 12 noon
  • Works should be delivered unwrapped with the relevant form and labels, which are downloadable upon notification of selection.
  • Notification of selection: Friday 16 January, 12 noon (log on to the submission website)

The Annual Exhibition 2026

  • Exhibition opens: Thursday 26 February, 5pm to 9pm, official opening at 6pm
  • Exhibition closes: Saturday 7 March, 5pm
  • Venue: Mall Galleries

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Who can enter?

  • Any artist aged 18 or over may enter, from anywhere in the world.

What can you enter: 

  • Painting, sculpture, drawing and original prints.
  • Artists may enter a maximum of six works each, from which up to four works per artist may be selected. 
    •  (I recommend you enter a couple if you've not exhibited before)
  • nothing larger than 2.4m (longest dimension)
  • all work must be for sale
  • NOT previously exhibited in London
  • original creation of the artist
  • Acceptable media: nothing specified - and there have been some interesting uses of media in the past

Framing

  • READ my 2021 blog post Framing your artwork - a summary
  • Artists are advised to use plain, simple, neutral framing. 
    • Nobody wants to add to the expense of buying by having to reframe. 
    • Look at the images in the photographs in my reviews and Facebook albums
    • Metal frames, unprotected glass edges and clip frames are inadmissible. 
  • Please remove all fittings and fixings from the back of works, for example D-rings and picture wire. This is to prevent damage to other works, and because the gallery  mirror-plates artworks for hanging.
The Money
  • Pricing: minimum price of £300
  • Prints only – framed £180, unframed £120 (unframed prices must include the cost of postage and packaging at your end as this is not billed seperately)
  • 45% commission + VAT charged on all sales
  • Entry Fee: non-refundable submission fee of £20 per work
  • £14 per work for any artists aged 35 or under
My personal recommendation is that
  • overall, the limit for virtually all unknown artists selling for the first time at the Mall Galleries is £1,500. 
    • This is a limit for an unknown quantity - but it is also about affordability within the current economic climate. 
    • There is a big drop-off in sales re artworks priced at more than £1,500. 
  • Whereas small artworks priced at less than a £1,000 sell well.

Delivery & Collection

  • Artists are responsible for the costs of delivery and collection.
  • Receiving Day (if selected): Saturday 14 February, 10am to 5pm
  • Works should be delivered and collected on the specified receiving and collection days via the gallery's rear entrance at Mall Galleries, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5BD.
  • If you are unable to deliver or collect your work, you may send another person on your behalf – this may include an art courier (see below).
  • the gallery is unable to wrap works or provide wrapping for works being returned.
The Gallery provides a list of Art Couriers (on the submission website) as do I - see  UK & Ireland Art Movers & Couriers & Fine Art Transport Services

Reasons to enter:

  • lots of prizes - many of which are awarded to open artists
  • RBA has a strong commitment to favouring the development of young artists

Royal Society of British Artists Annual Exhibitions



These are my previous reviews of the annual exhibition

Posted by Making A Mark on Wednesday, November 05, 2025
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