RWA preparing for 170th Annual Open Exhibition

The Royal West of England Academy (RWA) is gearing up for its 170th Annual Open Exhibition, which will run from September 2023 to January 2024.

As submissions close earlier than usual for this historic and highly sought-after event, interested participants are encouraged to submit their entries soon. The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 5 July 2023.

This year’s extra-special Open is always a highlight in Bristol’s visual arts calendar, drawing big crowds from across the region and beyond. The Open offers a fantastic opportunity for all artists, at any stage of their career and working in any medium, to show and sell their work in one of the UK’s most prestigious and beautiful art galleries.
In previous years the show has included painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, film, sculpture, architecture, digital, textile art and more by artists who have ranged from highly esteemed professionals to painters exhibiting for the first time, with ages ranging from just 15 to over 100!
Entries are submitted digitally and a selection panel including internationally acclaimed artists will review every entry. If selected, entrants’ work will be shown in the RWA’s main galleries alongside some of today’s leading artists and seen by thousands of visitors and potential buyers. Your artwork will be online and reach a global audience.

There are over £10,000 in prizes, including:
The Academy Award - £5000 awarded to any work by a non-RWA Academician.
The Other Art Prize - £4000 in prize money for a non-figurative work or works in any medium concerned with pattern and repetition, selected by Tony Steele
The MPB Award - a £500 MPB voucher to spend on used photography and videography equipment on the MPB website.
Houghton Art Prize - £500 in cash.
A full list of all our incredible prizes is available on our website.
Submission summary
Up to three entries may be entered by each applicant for consideration by the Selection Panel.

Standard entry fee is £21.00 per work (concessions available for unwaged, students and members of the RWA).

Key Dates
Deadline for entry is Wednesday 5 July 2023
Results announced - Saturday 22 July 2023
Artwork hand-in dates - Friday 18, Saturday 19, and Sunday 20 August 2023