After 2 years of cancellations due to the pandemic, we are setting up the submission process for our 73rd annual Open Exhibition at Chelsea Old Town Hall. We hope that many artists will want to take advantage of our fantastic Awards and are thrilled to announce a new ‘Award for Artistic Innovation’, sponsored by Handelsbanken,  worth £1000. This Award will complement our existing Awards including the Wedlake Bell Award for a Young Artist (open to all painters under 35 yrs) also worth £1000, and many other Awards in all disciplines. The Handelsbanken Award is open to any exhibiting artist – sculptor, painter or printmaker alike.

There is a sense of great anticipation in the air as we return to the Town Hall for the first time since 2019, and we look forward to seeing many visitors to our exhibition, the dates for which are Thursday 16th – Monday 20th June.

Please keep an eye on our website to check our updates on the submission process. Please register here if you have not done so already, and we will notify you when you can download forms and labels. The annual exhibition remains a great opportunity not only to show alongside a lot of talented artists but also to engage with a large audience and also potentially to sell your work: there were over 100 sales in June 2019.

Handing-in day will be on Monday 13th June from 8.30am-3pm. We look forward to seeing many of you then.

Luke Martineau
President