Art / rwa annual open
Record number of submissions for RWA Annual Open
The Royal West of England Academy have received a record number of submissions for their 168th Annual Open Exhibition, with 3566 works by 1833 artists sent in for selection.
The total exceeds the previous highest number of submissions – for the 2018 show – by over 300.
Alison Bevan, director at RWA, says “We are determined to continue our mission to showcase fantastic talent from across the UK and beyond and we look forward to giving you another opportunity to be inspired in a safe environment at a time when we will all need it most – the winter months.”
is needed now More than ever

This and top pic: 167 Annual Open Exhibition, installation view, RWA, 2019. Photo: Alice Hendy
Sponsored by Smith & Williamson, this year’s Annual Open will run November 21 to March 7, 2021 – opening later than first advertised to allow additional time for handing in and handling, based on the latest Government guidelines.
Following the success of their first post-lockdown exhibition Wilhelmina Barns-Graham and the Artists of St Ives, RWA will continue to offer limited, bookable slots online to ensure the public’s safety. Slots will be available from Tuesday-Sunday, between 10am & 4pm (last entry 3pm), with tickets priced at £7.95.
The exhibition attracts art-lovers and art-buyers from far and wide. Previous years have included painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, film, sculpture and illustration, and attracted entries from artists across the UK and beyond, from artists aged from 15 to 100+.
The 168 Open Exhibition will also include work by invited artists Royal Academy President Rebecca Salter and Frank Bowling OBE RA, as well as the RWA’s own Academicians.
For more info, visit www.rwa.org.uk/collections/events/products/rwa-168-annual-open-exhibition
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