Organizer Information
Mall Galleries is a contemporary art venue on The Mall in central London, between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square, and is home to the Federation of British Artists (FBA), a visual arts charity founded in 1961 that opened the gallery in 1971. The FBA is a collective of nine leading British art societies, each of which stages an annual open exhibition at Mall Galleries, alongside a broader year-round programme of exhibitions, sales, and educational activities. The Royal Institute of Oil Painters (ROI), one of the nine member societies, was founded in 1882 and is the only major British art society dedicated exclusively to promoting and exhibiting work in oil paint.
Title & Description
ROI Annual Exhibition 2026 — Royal Institute of Oil Painters
Artists are invited to submit work for exhibition alongside ROI members at the ROI Annual Exhibition 2026, held at Mall Galleries in London. The exhibition is open to all subjects and approaches within the oil medium — from plein air, landscape, and still life to portraiture and abstract work — with the only requirement being that the work is created in oil (water-mixable oil paint is accepted if framed as an oil). Selected artists exhibit their work in the gallery and online, are eligible for a range of prizes, and may be considered for election to ROI membership.
Theme
This year's optional theme is "Winter Rituals." The theme invites oil painters to explore the traditions, repeated actions, gestures, and rhythms that shape the experience of winter — from personal routines and acts of devotion to cultural traditions and collective gatherings — reflecting on the character, moments, identity, and symbolism of contemporary life. Entering on the theme is not compulsory; artists who do so are asked to note it in the artwork description field.
Categories
- Painting
- Visual Arts
Eligibility
- Open to any artist aged 18 or over, from anywhere in the world
- 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 accepted painting must not exceed 244 cm (8 feet) per artist
- Submitted work must have been completed within the last three years and must not have been previously exhibited at Mall Galleries
- Submitted works must not be entered into other competitions or exhibitions taking place between 8 June and 15 December 2026
- Works must be no larger than 240 cm along the longest dimension
- All works must be an original creation by the artist
- Acceptable media: oils, including water-mixable oil paint if framed as an oil; acrylic is not accepted
- All work must be for sale, with a minimum price of £500 per work
Program Benefits & Awards
- Selected work included in the ROI Annual Exhibition at Mall Galleries, in the gallery and online
- Eligibility to win prizes and awards worth over £10,000 in total
- Invitation to the Private View
- The Roger Remington Award: £4,000 for an outstanding painting
- Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award, First Prize: £1,000 of Winsor & Newton materials (artist aged 30 or under)
- Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award, Second Prize: £600 of Winsor & Newton materials (artist aged 30 or under)
- Winsor & Newton Young Artist Award, Third Prize: £400 of Winsor & Newton materials (artist aged 30 or under)
- The Lady of the Chateau Award: a place at immersive painting workshops at Château de Puy Vidal, southwest France
- Daler-Rowney Award (new): £500 of artist materials for a first-time ROI exhibitor
- The Peter Wileman Award: £500 for an imaginative work
- The ROI Themed Painting Prize: £500 for the standout painting on the "Winter Rituals" theme
- The Stanley Grimm Prize: two awards totalling £700 (£400 and £300) for the works receiving the most visitor votes
- Helen Hale Award (new): £400 for an abstract or semi-abstract work, in memory of Helen Hale ROI (1936–2024)
- The Menena Joy Schwabe Memorial Award: £250 for an outstanding oil painter
- The ROI Emerging Artist Prize: £250 plus a day with one of the Institute's members (artist aged 30 or under)
- The Rosemary Brushes Awards: two awards of Rosemary & Co artist brushes, worth £300 and £200
- The Small Painting Prize: £250 for the best small painting on display (maximum 30.5 cm, excluding frame)
- The Tony Merrick Memorial Prize: £250 in memory of Tony Merrick ROI (1948–2018)
- Winsor & Newton Non-member Award: £150 of Winsor & Newton materials
- The Dartington Crystal Chalice: presented to a member for outstanding service and contribution
- The Dry Red Press Award: winning work published as a greetings card in Dry Red Press's "Prize Winners" range
- Frank Herring Easel Award: a versatile easel
- The Fred Beckett Memorial Artist Award: a crystal trophy, with the winner receiving a smaller replica to keep
- The Le Clerc Fowle Medal: presented annually for an outstanding group of paintings
- Bristle Award: winner interviewed for a feature in The Artist magazine (print and digital)
- Certificates of commendation for artists whose work is considered exceptional
- Possibility of election to ROI membership
- Free Artist Resource Pack (partnered with the Visual Artists Association), including a guide and video masterclass on selling art via Instagram, provided upon notification of selection
- Submission fee includes free admission to the exhibition (normally £7)
Application Fee
Non-refundable submission fee of £22 per work, or £14.50 per work for artists aged 35 or under, paid via the Open Exhibition Submission System (OESS).
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 9 October 2026
- Notification of Selection: 23 October 2026
- Receiving Day (if selected): 14 November 2026
- Private View (invite only): 25 November 2026
- Exhibition Opens: 26 November 2026
- Exhibition Closes: 12 December 2026
- Collection of Unsold Work: 15 December 2026
Location
London, United Kingdom
Additional Details
- Judging is a single-stage online process based on submitted images, conducted by a selection committee formed of Institute members; the committee's decision is final and no feedback is offered
- Prize winners are selected in time for the awards ceremony at the Private View, before the exhibition opens to the public
- Delivery and collection take place on the specified days at the gallery's rear entrance; artists are responsible for delivery/collection costs, and a list of regional art couriers (plus one for international artists) is provided by the gallery
- Works must include commission of 45% + VAT in the listed price; any private sale during the exhibition period incurs the normal commission and is superseded by a gallery sale
- Non-UK-resident artists are classified as NETPs and must register with HMRC for a UK VAT number before Receiving Day if selected, or risk withdrawal of their work; sale payments cannot be issued without this
- Copyright and intellectual property rights remain with the artist (or third-party rights holder, where applicable)
- The gallery holds personal data under GDPR but may share contact details with third parties in the course of administering exhibitions, commissions, and prizes
- The gallery excludes liability for loss or damage to the maximum extent permitted by law and advises artists to insure their work; any liability is capped at the work's stated value less commission and VAT
- Uncollected works may be stored at the artist's expense and, if not collected within 12 months, may be destroyed, sold, or disposed of without consent or compensation