The RWA’s Annual Exhibition – its biggest exhibition of the year, featuring sculpture, photography, architectural design, painting and printmaking from both professional and amateur artists – returns for its 163rd year this October.

This year, over 2500 works were submitted for consideration by over 1000 artists from across the country and beyond. They have been carefully selected and curated by an expert panel of artists and curators to arrive at around 500 works that are included in this year’s show. The exhibition will also include a major work by this year’s invited artist, Rose Hilton, who is the RWA’s latest Honorary Academician.

The selection panel for 2015 included guest selectors Chris Stephens (Curator and Head of Displays, Tate Britain) and Graeme Mortimer Evelyn (Co-curator Jamaican Pulse exhibition) alongside RWA Academicians: President Janette Kerr, Vice President Stephen Jacobson, Stewart Geddes, Ian Middleton, Vera Boele-Keimer, Nicola Bealing and Howard Phipps.

The 163 Annual Open Exhibition is sponsored by Smith & Williamson. Mike Lea, managing partner at the Bristol office of accountancy and investment management group Smith & Williamson, said: “We are extremely pleased to sponsor the RWA’s Annual Open Exhibition which showcases an eclectic mix of artworks sure to appeal to a wide range of tastes and budgets. Smith & Williamson has a long-standing relationship with the RWA, having held our annual client event there for the past seven years, supported past exhibitions and hosted their artwork at our own premises. We look forward to this latest exhibition with a great deal of interest and are once again delighted to be involved.”

The exhibition provides an opportunity for artists at any stage of their career to exhibit alongside established names, such as invited artist Rose Hilton, Kurt Jackson RWA, Ken Howard RA RWA and the HRH The Prince of Wales, an RWA Honorary Academician. Selected pieces may also be awarded prizes from RWA sponsors, including the Affordable Art Fair You Choose award of £800, awarded to the artist who receives the most votes from visitors. This year’s prizes also include the UWE Centre for Moving Image Research and RWA Bursary of £1000, the Evolver Wessex Artist Award and the New Creations Coaching Emerging Artist Award.

All the work displayed is for sale and with prices starting from as little as £25 the exhibition provides the perfect opportunity for arts enthusiasts and collectors to discover their new favourite artists. The show is an eclectic mix of work by unknown, emerging and established artists, in a variety of mediums, and offers something to suit all tastes.