About > ROI Annual Exhibtion
ROI Annual exhibition 2026
Artists are invited to submit work for exhibition alongside members of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters at the ROI Annual Exhibition 2026.
The Royal Institute of Oil Painters was founded in 1882 and is the only major British art society that promotes and exhibits work of the highest standard exclusively in oil paint.
The ROI Annual Exhibition features work by many exciting emerging painters alongside the work of more established names.
Works on a Theme: Winter Rituals
This year’s special theme is ‘Winter Rituals’, for which The ROI Themed Painting Prize is on offer to the best interpretation. The theme invites oil painters to explore the traditions, repeated actions, gestures and rhythms that shape our experience of winter, from personal routines and acts of devotion to cultural traditions and collective gatherings. It reflects on the character, moments, identity and symbolism of contemporary life.
Please note that the theme is optional. The theme is one aspect of a larger exhibition to which oil paintings of all subjects are welcome.
Successful applicants can expect:
- To have their selected work included in the ROI Annual Exhibition at Mall Galleries, in the gallery, and online
- Eligibility to win prizes and awards totalling over £10,000
- An invitation to the Private View
- The chance to sell their work
- To be part of a network of exhibiting artists dating back to 1882 when the ROI was founded
- The possibility of election to membership (for more information about becoming a member, please visit the ROI website)
Submissions are ONLINE ONLY and open until Friday 9 October 2026.
Prizes & Awards
The ROI offers the following prizes and awards:
The Roger Remington Award
£4,000 for an outstanding painting
Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award | First Prize
£1,000 Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials for an artist aged 30 or under
Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award | Second Prize
£600 Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials for an artist aged 30 or under
Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award | Third Prize
£400 Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials for an artist aged 30 or under
The Lady of the Chateau Award
For a work that reveals the world through a luminous, deeply personal lens — a place in the immersive painting workshops at Château de Puy Vidal in southwest France
NEW Daler-Rowney Award
£500 worth of artist materials for a first-time exhibitor with the ROI
The Peter Wileman Award
£500 for an imaginative work
The ROI Themed Painting Prize
£500 for the standout painting on the theme of ‘Winter Rituals’
The Stanley Grimm Prize
Two awards totalling £700 (first prize £400, second prize £300), to the painters whose works receive the most votes from visitors to the exhibition
NEW Helen Hale Award
£400 for an abstract or semi-abstract work in memory of Helen Hale ROI (1936-2024)
The Menena Joy Schwabe Memorial Award
An award of £250 for an outstanding oil painter
The ROI Emerging Artist Prize
A prize of £250 and the opportunity to spend a day with one of the Institute’s members, for an artist aged 30 or under
The Rosemary Brushes Awards
Two awards of Rosemary & Co Artist Brushes, worth £300 and £200
The Small Painting Prize
An award of £250 for the best small painting on display (maximum dimension of 30.5 cm, excluding frame)
The Tony Merrick Memorial Prize
An award of £250 in memory of Tony Merrick ROI (1948-2018)
Winsor & Newton Non-member Award
£150 Winsor & Newton Fine Art Materials
The Dartington Crystal Chalice
Presented to a member in recognition of outstanding service and contribution
The Dry Red Press Award
The winning work will be published as a greetings card by Dry Red Press in their ‘Prize Winners’ range
Frank Herring Easel Award
An award of a versatile easel
The Fred Beckett Memorial Artist Award
A crystal trophy in honour of former ROI President Fred Beckett (1933-2025) will be awarded; the winner will receive a smaller replica of the trophy to keep
The Le Clerc Fowle Medal
In memory of Anne Le Clerc Fowle, presented annually for an outstanding group of paintings
The Painters Online Award
The winner will be interviewed for a feature in The Artist magazine, print and digital edition
Plus:
Alongside these awards, the ROI will present a number of certificates of commendation to artists whose work is considered to be exceptional.
Subject to final confirmation
Key Dates
Submissions open: Monday 8 June 2026, 12 noon
Submissions close: Friday 9 October, 12 noon
Notification of selection: Friday 23 October, 12 noon
Receiving Day (if selected): Saturday 14 November, 10am to 5pm
Private View (invite only): Wednesday 25 November, 2pm to 8pm, official opening at 3pm
Exhibition opens: Thursday 26 November, 10am to 5pm daily
Exhibition closes: Saturday 12 December, 5pm
Collection of unsold work: Tuesday 15 December, 10am to 5pm
How to Submit
A single-stage online judging of all submitted works will take place, after which selected works should be delivered to Mall Galleries, London, for inclusion in the exhibition. Register or log in to our Open Exhibition Submission System (OESS) to submit between Monday 8 June and Friday 9 October 2026.
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 (including framing if applicable).
The judges will make their decision based on these images, so please ensure that photographs are accurate and show work at its best.
Also required is the title, medium, size (cm), year of completion, and price of each work, plus there is the option to add an artwork description.
- Log in to the OESS from 12 noon on Friday 23 October to see if your work has been selected
- If selected, deliver your work on Saturday 14 November, 10am to 5pm, to Mall Galleries, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5BD
Works should be delivered unwrapped with the relevant form and labels, which are downloadable from the OESS upon notification of selection.
“I would love to see more artists having the chance to exhibit alongside us at this prestigious event. When I had my first chance, I was over the moon and just being associated with this society has really boosted my career in the most positive ways.”Adebanji Alade, President
Important Information for Artists
Eligibility
Who may enter?
Any artist aged 18 or over may enter, from anywhere in the world.
How many works may I enter?
Artists may enter a maximum of six works each, from which up to three works per artist may be selected.
The combined total of the longest dimension of each painting accepted will not exceed 244 cm (8 feet) maximum per artist.
What type of work is eligible?
Artists must submit work that has been completed within the last three years and must not have been previously exhibited at Mall Galleries.
Submitted artworks must not be submitted to other competitions or exhibitions taking place between 8 June and 15 December 2026.
Works should be no larger than 240 cm along the longest dimension.
All works must be an original creation by the artist.
Subject matter:
Artists may submit work on any subject matter.
There is a special theme each year, which can be interpreted widely. For 2026, artists are encouraged to contribute a work on the theme ‘Winter Rituals’ – however it is not compulsory. If a work is on the theme, please say so in the artwork description box when applying.
Acceptable media:
Oils. The ROI promotes and exhibits work of the highest standard in oil paint.
Water-mixable oil paint is acceptable if framed as an oil, so as not to spoil the general appearance of the exhibition.
Acrylic is not accepted.
Submission Fee
There is a non-refundable submission fee of £22 per work, or £14.50 per work for artists aged 35 or under.
The submission fee includes free admission to the exhibition (normally £7).
Submission fees support the not-for-profit programme at Mall Galleries. The gallery is home to visual arts charity, the Federation of British Artists (Registered Charity Number 200048).
We have partnered with the Visual Artists Association to offer a Free Artist Resource Pack to all entrants. This includes ‘The Artist’s Guide to Selling Art on Instagram’ (PDF) and ‘Instagram for Art Careers’ (Video Masterclass). Entrants will receive instructions to download the Artist Resource Pack upon notification of selection.
Presentation
Presentation
How should I present my work?
Artists are encouraged to frame their work. Unframed work may be accepted if on a well-presented box canvas.
Wide mounts between the painting and frame, as in watercolours, are not acceptable.
Picture glass is not encouraged.
Frames or stretchers should be sufficiently substantial to withstand mirror plating with 12mm (size 6) screws.
Artists are advised to use plain, simple framing in a light or medium colour.
Metal frames, unprotected glass edges and clip frames are inadmissible.
Please remove all fittings and fixings from the back of frames, for example D-rings and picture wire. This is to prevent damage to other works, and because we will mirror-plate works for hanging.
Delivery and Collection
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).
Artists are responsible for the costs of delivery and collection.
Delivery
Paintings should be completely dry at the time of delivery.
Works should be delivered unwrapped with the relevant form and labels, which are downloadable upon notification of selection.
All packaging must be taken away at the point of delivery.
Collection
We are unable to wrap works or provide wrapping for works being returned.
Any uncollected works will be removed from the gallery after the collection day and stored by an independent courier company at the artist’s expense.
If works are not collected within 12 months of the collection day, the gallery will be entitled to destroy, sell, or otherwise dispose of the works without consent, prior notification, or compensation to the artist.
Art Couriers
Below is a list of art couriers by region:
London, Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Bristol
Art Moves of Chelsea
[email protected]
020 7352 7492
Scotland, the North of England and Birmingham
Picture Post Art
[email protected]
07833 450788
Picture Post Art receive artwork for delivery to UK galleries: “handing in” unwrapped and storing packaging free of charge for reuse if required.
Cornwall, Devon, Somerset and Dorset
3 Lanes Transport
[email protected]
01736 799298 / 07970 948324
Leicester, Loughborough, Coventry, Birmingham and Nottingham
JD Art Transport
[email protected]
07825 339787
Norfolk and Suffolk
A S Elvin Transport Ltd
[email protected]
01502 677025
Nationwide
Aardvark Art Services
01253 794673
Wales
Mid Wales Freight
[email protected]
07866 731400 / 01974 282500
International Artists
Many international artists use Picture Post Art to transport their work to and from Mall Galleries.
Picture Post Art arrange for the shipping of work from the artist’s country to the UK, help artists to correctly fill out paperwork from customs, and store packaging for reuse if required.
Picture Post Art
[email protected]
+ 44 7833 450788
Please note that we do not accept liability for the services of any art courier.
Selection
How are works selected for exhibition?
The works for exhibition are selected by a committee formed of members of the Institute.
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.
May I ask for feedback?
The decision of the Selection Committee is final and we are unable to offer feedback.
How are the prize winners selected?
Prize winning works are selected in time for the awards ceremony during the Private View, prior to the exhibition opening to the public.
Sales
Does my work have to be for sale?
All work must be for sale.
Once work has been submitted, any sale made by the gallery before or during the course of the exhibition up to and including the collection day shall take precedence and supersede one made privately. Any private sale made in this period will incur the normal commission.
How should I price my work?
There is a minimum price per work of £500.
Unless otherwise advised, the gallery will charge a commission on the total price paid for works, including commissioned works, before, during, or as a result of the exhibition.
The price submitted should be the selling price, which should include commission, and is the price at which the work will be sold.
The price of works must include commission of 45% +VAT. If an artist is registered for VAT, then the VAT due on the selling price of works should be included in the price submitted.
Mall Galleries reserves the right to query the price of works.
May I change the price of my work once submitted?
The price of works may only be changed by written agreement between the artist and Mall Galleries.
How will I know if my work has sold?
You will be notified by Mall Galleries if your work sells.
I am an international artist, do I need to register for a UK VAT number?
Artists who are not resident in the UK but are resident in the EU or elsewhere are welcome to submit work.
Artists without a UK residence are classified as NETPs (Non-Established Taxable Persons) and must register with HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs) for a UK VAT number in order for their work to be included in the exhibition. If selected for the exhibition, you must supply us with your UK VAT number (or proof of application) before the Receiving Day, otherwise your work may be withdrawn. We will be unable to issue payment for any sales of work by artists classified as NETPs until a UK VAT number is supplied.
More information about UK VAT registration can be found under Section 9 at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/vat-notice-7001-should-i-be-registered-for-vat/vat-notice-7001-should-i-be-registered-for-vat
If you have any questions, please contact HMRC directly on their VAT Helpline on Telephone 0300 200 3701, or, if calling from abroad, +44 2920 501 261.
Please note: the registration process can take up to 4 weeks so please allow enough time to register.
Personal Data
The gallery will hold personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). However, the gallery may provide third parties with an artist’s contact details in the course of administering exhibitions, commissions and prizes.
The gallery has the right to reproduce works in connection with the exhibition.
The copyright and all other intellectual property rights will remain with the artist. If any rights are owned by a third party, that third party will remain the owner.
Liability
The gallery is not responsible for any loss of, or any damage to, works entrusted to them. All goods are at the artist owner’s risk absolutely and the gallery and/or their agents exclude all liability to the maximum extent permitted by law. The galleries are used for various purposes and so artists are advised to insure their works against all risks.
The gallery endeavours to take good care of works sent for exhibition, but in the event of a work sent being lost, destroyed or damaged, the gallery’s liability (if any) shall not exceed the value of the work as stated at the time of submission (less 45% plus VAT) or any altered price subsequently.
In the event of any dispute regarding loss or damage, the dispute shall be referred for final arbitration to an independent expert valuer to be chosen by agreement between the parties, provided that the arbitrator’s award shall not exceed the gallery’s maximum liability as above.
Artists shall indemnify and keep indemnified the gallery against any actions between the artist and any third party.
Help
If you require support with your application, please contact [email protected].
Previous Annual Exhibitions
Our annual show is a proud and long held tradition for the ROI, going right back to its beginnings in 1882. Below you can see some of the more recently archived exhibitions from the Mall Galleries in London.