Open call - Society of Wildlife Artists
Artists are invited to submit work for exhibition alongside members of the Society of Wildlife Artists at the SWLA 61st Annual Exhibition: The Natural Eye 2024
The Society is seeking works that depict wildlife subjects and evoke the spirit of the natural world.
The Selection Committee welcomes:
• All forms of two and three-dimensional artwork based on representing the world’s wildlife
• Artists with fresh visions that show imagination, artistic ability, originality and creativity
• Artworks that reveal a personal experience or true understanding of the subject
Submissions are ONLINE ONLY and open until Friday 23 August
We recommend that artists submit early to allow for assistance with their application if required
Prizes & Awards
The exhibition offers several prizes and awards:
The Birdwatch and Swarovski Optik Artist of the Year Award: A prize of an ATS 80 HD spotting scope with 25-50x zoom eyepiece (with a value of £2,430), plus subscription to BirdGuides/Birdwatch
The BIRDscapes Gallery 'Conservation through Art' Award: £1,000 divided equally between the winning artist and a conservation organisation or project of their choice
RSPB Award: £500
The Swarovski Optik New Artist Award: £250 for the best non-member work in the show
Trymwood Studios Art Prize: The winner will receive the exciting opportunity of a solo exhibition at Trymwood Studios, Bristol. The prize intends to identify and celebrate artists that engage with the natural world, producing work informed by a significant drawing element, during or after sustained periods of fieldwork.
The Michael Harding Oil Painting Prize: £500 of art materials
The Michael Harding Watercolour Painting Prize: £500 of art materials
Art Safari Works on Paper Award: £250. Art Safari offers a prize to artists working on paper in any media, showing an artist’s engagement with wildlife and the environment. Encouraging artists to experience the natural wonders of the world since 1999, Art Safari offers painting holidays and workshops worldwide.
Mall Galleries / FBA Award: Ten free submissions to exhibitions by the Federation of British Artists at Mall Galleries (worth up to £200) for a non-member exhibitor
Dry Red Press Award: The winning work reproduced as a greetings card
Subject to final confirmation
Key Dates
Submissions open: Monday 10 June 2024, 12 noon
Submissions close: Friday 23 August, 12 noon
Notification of selection: Friday 6 September, 12 noon
Receiving Day (if selected): Saturday 5 October, 10am to 5pm
Private View (invite only): Wednesday 16 October, 2pm to 8pm, official opening at 3pm
Exhibition opens: Thursday 17 October, 10am to 5pm daily*
*Closed on Tuesday 22 October for a private event
Exhibition closes: Sunday 27 October, 1pm
Collection of unsold work: Thursday 31 October, 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:
• Upload images of your work to our Open Exhibition Submission System (OESS) between Monday 10 June and Friday23 August 2024
Images must be in JPEG or PNG format and under 5MB. Please ensure that photographs are accurate and show work at its best; please avoid reflections on glass, out of focus images or images that are badly angled. Sculptors especially should use plain backgrounds and the option to add multiple views per artwork.
• Log in to the OESS from 12 noon on Friday 6 September to see if your work has been selected
• If selected, deliver your work on Saturday5 October, 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.