The Royal West of England Academy’s (RWA) Annual Exhibition returns next month for its 163rd year with the backing of accountants and investment managers Smith & Williamson’s Bristol office.
The exhibition, the RWA’s biggest of the year and the largest event in the South West of its kind, features sculpture, photography, architectural design, painting and printmaking from both professional and amateur artists.
This year more than 2,500 works were submitted for consideration by 1,000-plus 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 the 500 works included in this year’s show. 
The exhibition between October 4 and November 29, will also include a major work by this year’s invited artist Rose Hilton, the RWA’s latest Honorary Academician.
Smith & Williamson’s Bristol office managing partner Mike Lea 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, given 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 £1,000, the Evolver Wessex Artist Award and the New Creations Coaching Emerging Artist Award.
All work displayed is for sale and with prices starting from £25.
The selection panel for 2015 included guest selectors Tate Britain curator and head of displays, Chris Stephens and Graeme Mortimer Evelyn, the co-curator of the 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.
