The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art invites submissions for its 2027 Annual Open Exhibition. Dedicated to encouraging and portraying diversity within art, both 2D and 3D work in any medium is welcome. All successful submissions will be exhibited in our purpose-built gallery in Conwy, from 15th April 2027 until 22nd May 2027.

The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art welcomes all artists, professional, amateur, and students. Please read the following carefully to ensure your work, if selected, is not refused on delivery.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• The exhibition is open to UK based artists only
• The exhibition is open to all artists and students of 18 and over
• A maximum of 2 works may be submitted per applicant
• Works may be 2D or 3D and in any medium
• Works must be within the maximum size limit of 100cm x 100cm for 2D and a 100cm x 100cm footprint for 3D
• All works must be for sale and priced accordingly to include 40% gallery commission
• The work is executed by the artist and declared their bona fide property, and that no other person has any financial or other interest in the work
• All entries must be made online, accompanied by a digital image and a fee for each work
• There will not be a physical hand-in of work for the selection process; you will only need to deliver your work to the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art if selected.
   

ENTRY FEES

£15 for one artwork, £25 for two artworks.

Students with a valid NUS card, £10 for one artwork and £20 for two artworks.

ENTRY PROCESS

After submitting your first artwork, you will then be directed to make a payment. Select the amount for the number of submissions you would like to make.

If this is more than one, you will then be able to make further submissions by submitting additional forms up to the number of artworks you have paid for.

You can do this by clicking again on the 'Make a submission' tab.

Students with a valid NUS card will need to pay for each submission separately if submitting two works.

PRIZES

First prize is £500.

SELECTED WORK

If your work is selected for exhibition

• All artworks submitted must have one mirror plate fitted centrally on each side of the frame or canvas; failure to do so may result in the piece being excluded from the exhibition
• For works weighing over 4.5kg (10lbs), four mirror plates should be fitted
• Metal frames and clip frames are not acceptable
• 3D work should be both safe and stable to exhibit
• All work must also carry a label with the artist’s name, title, medium, and price. The label should be securely attached to the back of the work with a thin piece of string so that it can hang on the front side of the work; this is to help us in hanging and labelling.
• The artist’s name and the title of the piece should also be written clearly on the reverse of the work
   

DELIVERY AND COLLECTION

Delivery of selected works will be made directly to the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art Gallery, Crown Lane, Conwy, on 1st, 2nd and 3rd April 2027, between 10 am and 3 pm.

All works must be delivered unwrapped if delivered in person. For those works that are delivered by courier, the RCA will retain packaging for return after the exhibition has closed.

Collection of unsold works is required from the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art Gallery, Conwy, on the 27th, 28th and 29th May 2027, between 10 am and 3 pm.

Please note the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art will not cover any costs associated with the transport of works, including the cost of shipping or postage

Participants will need to make arrangements for the collection/delivery of their work if they do not intend to do it in person.

KEY DATES

• Online submission deadline - 15th March 2027 5pm
• Notification of results  - 19th/20th March 2027
• Delivery of selected work - 1st, 2nd & 3rd April 2027
• Exhibition open to the public - 15th April 2027
• Official Opening Event (all welcome) - Saturday 17th April 2027, 2pm-4pm
• Exhibition Closes - 22nd May 2027
• Collection of all unsold work - 27th, 28th, 29th May 2027
   

RULES & GUIDES

All submissions must be made using Curatorspace.  

You will need to register with CuratorSpace to do this, but it is a free process.  

On the entry form for the RCA Open you will be asked to enter your details and pay for your submission. (See above for entry fees).  

To complete your application, you must upload one image per entry. You are free to go back and make any changes up until the deadline.

WHO CAN APPLY

The exhibition is open to UK-based artists only.
The exhibition is open to all artists and students of 18 and over.
 
THE IMAGE

• Entrants may submit one image of each work.
• This should be a maximum of 4MB JPG file.
• For 2D work, please capture the work head-on.
• For 3D work, please capture the work against a plain background.
• Ensure your images are a clear and accurate depiction of your artwork.
   

CONFIRMATION OF RESULTS

• Entrants will be advised by email by the 20th March whether their work has been selected for exhibition or not selected.
• It is the artist's responsibility to check their results online, through their CuratorSpace profile..
• The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art is not responsible for an artist’s failure to receive results.
• The selectors' decision will be final, and no discussion will be entered into.
   

SALE OF WORK

• A 40% commission will be taken off all sales. Please consider this when pricing work.
• The price stated on the submission form is the exhibition selling price, inclusive of the commission.
• The gallery aims to make payment to the artist within 28 days of the end of the exhibition.
• If artwork is purchased through the Own Art scheme, please note that payment may take longer.
   

DELIVERING WORK TO THE GALLERY

• If you deliver your work in person, the wrapping must be taken away.
• Packaging from work delivered by courier or post will be retained and reused where possible.
• Please note the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art will not cover any costs associated with the transport of works, including the cost of shipping or postage.
• Participants will need to make arrangements for the collection/delivery of their work if they do not intend to do it in person.
   

COLLECTING UNSOLD WORK

• Selected work cannot be removed before the exhibition has closed on 22nd May 2027.
• Unsold works will be available for collection on 27, 28, and 29 of May 2027 between 10 am and 3 pm.
• In order to collect work, please bring with you a form of ID, or if someone else is collecting, they must bring with them a letter or email saying they have permission to collect the work.
• If any work submitted has not been collected within one month of the exhibition closing date, the gallery shall be entitled to, without prior notice to the artist, sell or otherwise dispose of such works and has absolute discretion to devote the proceeds to any other disposition as it may think fit.
   

INSURANCE & DAMAGE TO WORK

The utmost care will be taken of all works sent in for exhibition, however the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art will not be responsible for any loss or damage to artwork whilst in their possession, however caused.

The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art does not make provision for individual insurance of works of art, and exhibitors are responsible for arranging their own insurance to cover damage or loss to their artwork either in transit or whilst at the gallery.
 
COPYRIGHT

By entering the Open Exhibition the artist confirms that they hold all intellectual property rights in the work and that they have obtained prior written approval for the use of any third party copyrighted material contained in the submitted work.

Artists will allow the work to be photographed, reproduced and edited by the Royal Cambrian Academy of Art for both publicity and marketing, in digital and print format.

Copyright of all work remains the property of the artist.
 
DATA PROTECTION

In accordance with the data protection Act 1998 (and all other relevant Data Protection Legislation), the Royal Cambrian Academy will hold the personal data of artists supplied on the Entry Form securely.

The data will only be used in the process of administering the Open Exhibition and will not be transferred to any third party not directly involved in this exhibition.