RBSA Annual Exhibition 2024
2024-11-14 - 2025-01-04 | All Floors
The RBSA Membership is made up of almost 200 artists whose practices are rooted in a diverse range of media and techniques. Exploring both traditional and contemporary approaches, the RBSA’s Annual Exhibition showcases over 200 artworks, all of which are for sale.
The first Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Annual Exhibition (then the Society of Artists) was held in 1827 and, with the exception of 1940, 1941, and 2020, has taken place every year since. This will be the 24th Annual Exhibition held in our current Brook Street premises and the third since the refurbishment of the Gallery in 2022.
The artists exhibiting this year range in age and experience, and the Membership welcomes those who have followed an artistic education as well as those who are self taught. Indeed, some of the current Membership came to their artistic practice and to the RBSA following careers in industries not related to the arts.
Every two years, the RBSA Graduate Artist scheme encourages emerging young artists to join the Membership, and many of the class of 2023 have work in this show. Not only does this ensure the future of the Society and help to keep it relevant, it also adds further diversity to the scope of artistic practices within the RBSA Membership.
Exhibiting artists will be in the Gallery every Saturday throughout the exhibition to talk about their work, giving visitors a fascinating insight into their process. These talks also provide visiting artists with the opportunity to talk to current Members and discuss ways in which they can become part of the Society.
Private View: Thursday 14 November 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Artists’ Talk: Saturdays 23 and 30 November, 7 December 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Exhibition ends: Saturday 4 January 2025 5.00pm
Featured image: Jenny Ryrie RBSA, Winter Landscape

Alan Reullier - The Art Of A Second Life
2025-03-25 - 2025-04-05 | Gallery 2
The Art Of A Second Life is the latest project from award-winning French artist, designer, and sculptor, Alan Reullier.
With an eclectic background as both graffiti artist and aircraft mechanic, Alan is known for sustainable art created from discarded industrial and natural materials. His aim is to add value by creating a bridge between industry and art, without distorting the medium, reﬂecting the values of the Arte Povera movement.
The Reullier-British Motor Heritage collaboration story
Twenty years ago, British Motor Heritage was gifted over one million original and microﬁlm engineers’ drawings from the early 1900s to the late 1970s, previously archived at The British Motor Museum. Because of their now fragile condition, British Motor Heritage have been digitising the drawings to preserve their contents, but they are unable to keep them.
Alan subsequently set about rescuing as many drawings as possible, and has been re-imaging them into artwork. By sympathetically working around the original designs and information, Alan is creating sustainable, vibrant, and unique works of art. This exhibition features the British Motor Heritage Collection along with some of Alan’s other sustainable artwork.
Private View: Thursday 27 March 5.30pm – 7.30pm, open to all
Exhibition closes: Saturday 5 April 5.00pm

Featured image: Alan Reullier, Modernism SWB Land Rover

University of Birmingham - Remembering is Painful, Forgetting is Unbearable: Creative Responses to Terror
2025-02-11 - 2025-02-22 | Gallery 2
Remembering is Painful, Forgetting is Unbearable explores questions such as why do some terror attacks make international headlines while others remain in the shadows? How do survivors of terror attacks make sense of their experiences? Whose voices are marginalised in contemporary debates about terrorism? And crucially, what role does art play in the practices of remembering, bearing witness, confronting, and transforming trauma?
The title of this exhibition, inspired by the words of Anne Murris, a mother who lost her daughter in the 2016 Nice attack, captures the tension at its core; the ongoing struggle between the pain of memory and the unbearable void of forgetting.
Developed in collaboration with survivors of recent terror attacks in Europe, as well as international artists and researchers, this exhibition presents a critical, survivor-centred perspective on terrorism today. This collective attempt opens dialogues to challenge linear perspectives on the passing of time and the experience of victimhood, and creates counter-memories that resist sanitised histories.
Commissioned by University of Birmingham, funded by European Research Council.
Exhibition ends: Saturday 22 February 2025 5.00pm
Featured image: Katharina Karcher, Obstructed view of mural by Kollektiv ohne Namen, Frankfurt, 2020

RBSA Friends Exhibition 2025
2025-01-09 - 2025-02-08 | Galleries 1 & 2
RBSA Friends make up a significant part of the wider RBSA community and the Gallery hosts an exhibition of selected work by Friends annually. An ideal showcase for artists at all stages of their artistic careers, the exhibition is open to all active Friends working in any media.
A Friends subscription is the first step towards becoming an RBSA Associate, and the Gallery will be hosting numerous events throughout the exhibition for Friends to find out more about the Society and election process.
Having been in existence since the 1900s, the RBSA Friends scheme has led to a huge number of artists being inducted into the Membership. The scheme also offers a wide range of opportunities for artists and art lovers to participate in Society events as Gallery Stewards, members of installation and take down teams, and event organisers.
Anyone can sign up as an RBSA Friend; we welcome artists and art lovers as well as those who simply want to keep up to date with news from the Gallery. Full details of how to join can be found in our brochure or on our Friends page.
Private View: Thursday 9 January 6.00 – 8.00pm
How to Become an RBSA Associate: Sunday 12 January 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Artists’ Talks: Saturday 18 January and Saturday 1 February 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 8 February 5pm
Featured image: Agnieszka Lokaj, Robocik In Sunglasses

RBSA Photography Prize 2025
2025-02-27 - 2025-03-22 | Galleries 1 & 2
The RBSA Photography Prize 2025 invites artists creating work using photographic processes to enter work. This is the sixth RBSA Photography Prize exhibition to be held.
We welcome entries from professional and emerging artists based locally, nationally, and internationally. There are five prizes to be won, including £1,000 First Prize sponsored by The Galliard Apsley Partnership, £500 Second Prize sponsored by Judd Medical, £250 Anne Judd Award Third Prize, £250 Student Prize sponsored by an RBSA Member, and a 2026 RBSA Gallery Solo Show Prize selected by Vanley Burke. Up to six highly commended certificates will also be awarded.
Selection for the Photography Prize is by digital image of the original artwork only. All works entered go through the same anonymous selection process. The selection is based on the assessment of the quality and interest of each work.
The exhibition will be opened by renowned Birmingham based photographer, Vanley Burke at the Private View on Thursday 27 February from 6.00pm – 8.00pm.
This year’s exhibition was selected by:

Sebah Chaudhry – Trustee at the Royal Photographic Society
Nicholas Priest – Lecturer in Photography at Birmingham City University
Verity Milligan – Award-winning photographer

Since its first introduction in 2015, the biennial RBSA Photography Prize has grown significantly, attracting increased submissions with each exhibition held.
Expanded for the second time to fill both gallery spaces, the 2025 show is a celebration of artwork produced by both established and emerging photographers. This year’s exhibition is also the second to be held since the decision was made to admit photography into the Society in October 2022.
Exhibition ends: Saturday 22 March 5.00pm
Featured image: Cal Cole, Night Bus

Birmingham Easel Club - Showcase Exhibition
2025-03-25 - 2025-04-05 | Gallery 1
The Birmingham Easel Club was originally formed in 1879 by professional artist Edmund Watson, whose sketches for the Graphic Illustrations of Warwickshire are now stored in the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Walter Langley, who established the Newlyn Art Colony, was also a founder member.
The Easel Club currently has 18 members, whose work is created using a range of techniques, including painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, and sculpture.
The group continues to meet monthly, during which they appraise each other’s work to encourage quality, consistency, and artistic development within the group.
The artistic merit of past members of the Easel Club is an inspiration to its contemporary members, and they aspire to uphold the high standards of the club’s illustrious and well-respected past members.
Exhibition closes: Saturday 5 April 5pm
Featured image: Terry Buckle PP, Frosty Morning

RBSA Candidates Exhibition 2025
2025-04-10 - 2025-04-26 | Galleries 1 & 2
Every spring, the Gallery hosts the RBSA Candidates Exhibition, a show of work by artists hoping to be elected onto the first step of their journey on the Society Membership ladder.
Artists wishing to be elected as RBSA Associates have two options; being nominated by two full RBSA Members, or self-nomination. In both instances, artists must demonstrate an existing connection with the Gallery, indicating which RBSA exhibitions they have previously been selected for. To become a full Member, artists must have been an RBSA Associate for a minimum of three years before they can put themselves forward.
All candidates are required to submit six pieces of work, all of which must be representative of their current artistic practice, alongside an artists statement about their work.
As well as being open to the public, the RBSA Candidates Exhibition will also be viewed by visiting Members and Associates who will attend to take part in the ballot. To be successfully elected, all candidates must receive 50% +1 of the votes cast.
Existing Society Members are always on the look out for new talent to help in diversifying the Membership. Artists who are interested in joining the RBSA are encouraged to consider purchasing an RBSA Friends subscription.
Applications for the Candidates Exhibition 2026 will be open at the end of the year.
Exhibition closes: Saturday 26 April 5.00pm
Featured image: Clive Bryant, Radiance

Peter Shread RBSA & Colin Simmonds RBSA
2025-04-29 - 2025-05-10 | Gallery 2
Two Friends From Moseley School Of Art
Having first met at Moseley School of Art during the 1950s, Peter Shread and Colin Simmonds have remained close friends ever since.
This exhibition of paintings and original prints celebrates the friendship between the two artists, both of whom have been Members of the Society for well over 20 years.
Peter Shread is exhibiting a collection of paintings, woodcut and linocut prints. Through these works, Peter explores the decorative and topographical aspects of landscape to create strong, simplified, and bold images.
Colin Simmonds’ collection comprises paintings, mostly featuring landscapes, which act as the vehicle for exploring the full range of his painterly ideas and questions his emotional responses to atmosphere, colour, and composition.
The exhibition will be opened at the Private View by long time friend and supporter of both artists, Clive Beardsmore.
Private View: Saturday 3 May 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 10 May 5.00pm
Featured image: Colin Simmonds RBSA, September & Peter Shread RBSA, Elan Valley

25 For 25
2025-04-29 - 2025-05-24 | Gallery 1
Celebrating 25 Years Of The RBSA Gallery In The Jewellery Quarter
Having inhabited the same site on New Street, though in three different buildings, for almost 180 years, the RBSA Gallery moved to 4 Brook Street, just off St. Paul’s Square, in 2000.
This exhibition celebrates 25 years of the RBSA Gallery in the Jewellery Quarter, and draws on the strong connections between members of the RBSA community and the Society’s permanent collection of artworks.
Two groups of 25 individuals, including the President, Vice Presidents, Members, Associates, Graduate Artists, Gallery staff, and volunteers, have each selected an artwork or artefact from the collection; the brief being to choose something with which they felt a personal connection. Explanations of the selectors’ choices can be seen with the artworks on display, alongside portraits and text introducing the people behind the RBSA and its Gallery to visitors.
As well as works by well-known artists including William Bloye (1890 – 1975), Frederick Thomas Lines (1808 – 1898), and John Salt (1937 – 2021), artworks by current Members including Rob Perry (1944 -) and Wayne Attwood (1970 -) have also been selected. Documents from the archive also feature in the show, including letters from, surprisingly, Buffalo Bill and, Birmingham born creator of St Philips Cathedral’s famed stained-glass windows, Sir Edward Burne Jones (1833 – 1898).
Private View: Thursday 29 April 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Exhibition Talks: Saturday 10 May 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 24 May 5.00pm
Featured image: James Priddey PPRBSA, Christchurch Passage, c.1972, chosen by Anne Irby Crews RBSA

Association of Botanical Artists
2025-05-13 - 2025-05-24 | Gallery 2
Looking Back For Our Future
Botanical Art Worldwide 2025 is an event initiated and coordinated by the American Society of Botanical Artists. On the 18 of May, Botanical Artists from around the world will come together to celebrate botanical art, and over 30 countries will be participating in this remarkable international exhibition. The United Kingdom’s contribution to this momentous event is the exhibition Looking Back For Our Future, which features a juried selection of artworks by artists from England and Wales.
The theme of the exhibition is crop diversity, and it focuses on and celebrates biodiversity in the crops that have been closely associated with the human species over thousands of years. The theme is designed to draw attention to the vast variety of food and useful plants available, in contrast to the relatively few varieties currently used in mass cultivation.
It is vital to promote this genetic diversity in a world challenged by a growing population, changing climate, and habitat losses.
Special Open Day: Sunday 18 May 10.30am – 4.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 24 May 5.00pm
Featured image: Carmen Lyons, Crimson Flowered Broad Bean

Special Open Day - Botanical Art Worldwide 2025
2025-05-18 10:30 - 16:00 (Europe/London) | Gallery 2
We are delighted to invite you to join us at the RBSA Gallery this Sunday, 18 May, to celebrate Botanical Art Worldwide 2025.
Initiated and coordinated by the American Society of Botanical Artists, the event is being celebrated in over 30 countries, and we are thrilled to be hosting the UK’s contribution from the Association of Botanical Artists, Looking Back For Our Future.
The Gallery will open at 10.30am on Sunday and there is a day full of events for visitors to enjoy:
10.30am Demonstration by ABA artist Elanor Wexler
11.00am Gallery tour with exhibition judge Helen Allen, Head of the Chelsea School of Botanical Art, botanical artist, teacher, and RHS judge
12.00pm Drinks and nibbles will be served.
12.30pm Welcome from Ed Isaacs PRBSA, newly elected President of the RBSA, and official opening of Worldwide Day of Botanical Art 2025 in the UK by Elaine Allison, President of the ABA
2.00pm Gallery tour with an ABA judge, Martin Allen, award winning botanical artist, teacher of botanical art, and ecologist
Everyone is welcome to attend the event.
Image: Carmen Lyons, Crimson Flowered Broad Bean

RBSA Drawing Prize 2025
2025-05-29 - 2025-06-28 | Galleries 1 & 2
The RBSA Drawing Prize is a celebration of work by artists whose work is rooted in drawing. Following the success of the 2023 Drawing Prize, the 2025 exhibition showcases an enormous variety of drawing practices and artworks, both in 2D and 3D. As a technique prize, entries came from artists working in all styles and media; the only restriction on entry being that the technique used must be drawing.
This is only the second RBSA Drawing Prize to be held and visitors will be both surprised and challenged by the diversity of techniques included. With unconventional and highly contemporary works sitting next to more traditional pieces, the question of how we define drawing will no doubt influence conversations.
This year’s exhibition was selected by:

Brendan Flynn – RBSA Professor of Art History, Curator, and Lecturer
Alison Lambert – Internationally renowned figurative artist
Fiona Robinson PRWA HRSA Hon. RBSA – President of the Royal West of England Academy (RWA)

The following prizes will be awarded:
First Prize £1000
Second Prize £500
Third Prize £250
Under 35 Prize of artists’ materials sponsored by an RBSA Associate
Up to six highly commended certificates will also be awarded.
A fully illustrated catalogue, featuring every work in the show, is available to accompany the exhibition. This is available in our Gallery Shop and online.
Private View: Thursday 29 May 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Artists’ Talks: Saturdays 7 and 21 June 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 28 June 5.00pm
Featured image: Manny Woodard, Saturday Morning
RBSA Drawing Prize Catalogue 2025

RBSA Summer Show 2025
2025-07-01 - 2025-08-02 | All Floors
The RBSA Summer Show is the biggest open call exhibition of the year, with the show being displayed over all three floors of the Gallery.
Open to all artists over the age of 18, submissions come from both early-career and established creatives. With no restrictions on media or technique, visitors can expect to see a huge array of artwork, from a diverse collection of national and international artists. There will also be work from RBSA Members, Associates, and Graduate Artists as a further showcase of the talent within the Society’s Membership.
For many artists, exhibiting in the RBSA Summer Show has marked the beginning of their journey with one of the oldest art societies in the country. It also provides an excellent opportunity to exhibit in Birmingham’s foremost contemporary art gallery, and network with established RBSA artists.
This year’s exhibition was selected by:

Simon Conolly RBSA – RBSA Honorary Curator
Gabrielle Roberts-Dalton RBSA
Jenny Ryrie RBSA

The following prizes will be awarded:
First Prize £600
Second Prize £300
Up to six highly commended certificates will also be awarded.
Prizes generously donated by Clive Beardsmore, Friend of the RBSA.
A fully illustrated catalogue, featuring every work in the show, is available to accompany the exhibition, it is available in our Gallery Shop and online.
Private View: Thursday 3 July 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Artists’ Talks: Saturdays 12 and 26 July 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 2 August 5.00pm
Featured image: Elena Degenhardt, Meditation IX

RBSA Summer Show Catalogue 2025

Birmingham City Centre Sculpture Trail
2025-07-04 10:30 - 12:30 | Hall of Memory, Centenary Square, B1 2HF
If you have ever wanted to know more about public art in Birmingham’s city centre, then we have the perfect event for you.
Enjoy a self-guided 2k walk through the city, devised by Viv Astling PPRBSA, visiting 24 sites of public sculpture, some of them by Birmingham’s 20th century civic sculptor, and RBSA Past President, William Bloye (1870 – 1975).
Starting at the Hall of Memory on Centenary Square with an opening speech at 10.30am, a leaflet will guide you through the city, with a link to further information online, pointing out the artworks along the way. Anyone who has ventured into Birmingham city centre will almost certainly have walked past at least one of the sculptures on the tour, and many of you will be surprised to discover just how many there are.
This launch of this tour coincides with the centenary of the opening of Birmingham’s Hall of Memory, and participants will be lucky enough to be able to go inside the Hall which is usually closed to the public.
Leaflets can be picked up from the Gallery, Birmingham Central Library, and branch libraries from Monday 30 June.

RBSA Watercolour Prize 2025
2025-08-07 - 2025-09-13 | Gallery 2
The first RBSA Watercolour Prize for over a decade celebrates work created using water-based media; including watercolour, ink, gouache, and acrylic paint.
Despite early use as a medium in its own right, historically watercolour was most often used by artists for sketching, employed in preparation for final works completed in oils.
The medium finally gained recognition as an independent, mature painting medium in the 18th century, and today water-based media has achieved parity with oil paint.
This exhibition includes traditional and contemporary water-based works, by artists from all around the world.
This year’s exhibition was selected by:

Chris Myers PPRI RBA – President of the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour (2022 – 2025)
Glenn Ibbitson VPRWSW RBSA – Vice President of the Royal Watercolour Society of Wales
Lesley Samms – Founder/MD Pure Arts Group

The following prizes will be awarded:
First Prize £1000
Second Prize £500
Third Prize £250
Up to six highly commended certificates will also be awarded.
All prizes have been sponsored by the Birmingham Watercolour Society.
A fully illustrated catalogue, featuring every work in the show, will be available to accompany the exhibition. This will be available in our Gallery Shop and online.
Private View: Thursday 7 August 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Meet the Artists: Saturdays 16 August and 6 September 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 13 September 5.00pm
Featured image: Lawrence Green ARBSA, Cley Postholder
Purchase your copy of the catalogue here.
RBSA Watercolour Prize Catalogue 2025

RBSA Young Artists Prize 2025
2025-08-26 - 2025-08-30 | Gallery 1
The RBSA Gallery is proud to present the first ever RBSA Young Artists Prize. This exhibition was open to children aged between 4 and 17 from across the city of Birmingham, Sandwell District, Solihull, Wolverhampton, and Dudley. Entering was free and the aim of the show is to give the region’s young creatives a taste of what it’s like to be an artist and the opportunity to exhibit their artwork in an established art gallery.
Artists were split into four age categories; 4 – 6 years, 7 – 10 years, 11 – 14 years, and 15 – 17 years, and age was also taken into consideration within these age groups. The focus of this exhibition is on imagination and creativity, and we welcomed work from young artists working in a wide variety of media.
Through this exhibition, the RBSA hopes to welcome a completely new audience into the Gallery, and break down perceived barriers to allow more people to enjoy and access art.
The exhibition was selected by:

Ed Isaacs PRBSA – RBSA President
Ruth Millington – art historian, critic, writer, and author of children’s book This Book Will Make You An Artist
Karolina Korupczynska – Co-founder and Director of Stryx Gallery

Following the judging, it was felt that the quality of the work not selected to be shown at the RBSA Gallery was so high that it deserved to be exhibited. We are therefore delighted to announce that Stryx Gallery have generously given us their space to show these works from 27 – 30 August. Please see below for Stryx opening times.
Every participating child will receive a certificate acknowledging them as an RBSA Young Artist 2025, and those with work in the RBSA Gallery are invited to a Prize Giving Event on Saturday 30 August. The day will be split into different time slots for each age category:

4 – 6 years 11.00am – 11.45am
7 – 10 years 12.00pm – 12.45pm
11 – 14 years 1.00pm – 1.45pm
15 – 17 years 2.00pm – 2.45pm

Prizes have been generously sponsored by Cass Art.

Prize Giving Event: Saturday 30 August
Exhibition closes: Saturday 30 August 5.00pm
Featured image: Adelina Chan, Voyage Of The Blue (detail)
Stryx Gallery, 90 Vyse Street, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, B18 6JZ
27 – 30 August
Wednesday – Friday 10.30am – 3.30pm
Saturday 10.00am – 12.00pm
RBSA Young Artists Prize Catalogue 2025

Curtis Holder: Portraits Of Brotherhood
2025-09-02 - 2025-09-13 | Gallery 1
Comprising more than 20 works on paper, including a series of large-scale multi-layered portraits, and exploratory drawings, Curtis Holder: Portraits Of Brotherhood reflects the artist’s core aim: to use line to search for connections and explore conversations. Throughout the project, conversations with Holder’s sitters centred around their shared experiences as Black and Brown men. Behind each drawing lies an often unspoken narrative, stories of conflict, exclusion, and vulnerability, interwoven with stories of perseverance, creativity, and hope. Throughout the drawing sessions, artist and sitter had time and space to be open and frank about the biases they face because of their skin colour and gender. These portraits challenge the assumption that Black and Brown men are all the same and should be viewed as such. They are not. The portraits offer a multifaceted view, revealing intimate layers of identity and emotion in the face of society’s opposing stereotypes. These works ask the viewer to look closer, not only at the febrile lines that form the figures, but also inward, at their own perceptions of the people looking back at them.
Curtis Holder gained widespread recognition after winning the prestigious Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in 2020. He has continued to gain critical acclaim through solo and group exhibitions, artist residencies, and commissions, and has achieved several accolades, including The John Ruskin Prize in 2024.
In 2021, Holder was appointed the National Theatre’s first-ever Artist in Residence in 2022, leading to his 2023 exhibition The Makers: Portraits from Backstage. In the same year, he was commissioned by the National Portrait Gallery and the Terrence Higgins Trust to create a posthumous portrait of Terry Higgins, one of the first people in the UK to die of an AIDS-related illness. From 2023 to 2024, Holder completed an 18-month residency at Leeds Art Gallery which culminated in the exhibition that opened in November 2024 for five months. This year has seen a collection of his work exhibited at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, including his commission of Carlos Acosta, Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, and a solo exhibition at Guildford House Gallery.
Curtis Holder is a member of Contemporary British Portrait Painters (CBPP), The Society of Graphic Fine Art (SGFA), and The Pastel Society (PS), and his work is held in prominent public collections, including the National Portrait Gallery, Leeds Art Gallery, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Soho House.
Private View: Thursday 4 September 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Meet the Artist and Live Demonstration: Saturday 6 September 12.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 13 September 5.00pm
Featured image: Curtis Holder, One Man And His Dog

RBSA Graduate Artists - In This Time
2025-09-18 - 2025-10-04 | Gallery 2
This exhibition opens on Thursday 18 September at 6.00pm.
In This Time is both a celebration of and a catch up with the current cohort of RBSA Graduate Artists.
Having been elected in 2023, Graduates have benefited from broader exhibition opportunities as well as mentorship from RBSA Members and Associates. This exhibition brings visitors up to date with the Graduates’ practice and offers them the chance to view new work.
The artists participating in the exhibition are:
James Birkin, Leavon Bowman, Martin Brent Guest, Takudzwa Chandiwana, Hadis Ensafi, Helen Garbett, K’Zhayha James, Ross McCormick, Imogen Morris, Satinder Parhar, Hannah Rollason, Abbie Severn, and Vincent Stokes.
Private View: Thursday 18 September 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 4 October 5.00pm
Featured image: Helen Garbett GRBSA, Limpet Assemblage Drawings (detail)
Purchase your copy of the catalogue here
RBSA Graduate Artists In This Time Exhibition Catalogue

Mapping The Archive, Birmingham's Journey Through the RBSA Permanent Collection
2025-09-18 - 2025-10-18 | Gallery 1
This exhibition opens on Thursday 18 September 6.00pm.
Mapping the Archive, Birmingham’s Journey Through the RBSA Permanent Collection focuses on the changing face of Birmingham’s cityscape, travelling through its architectural history by way of the Society’s Permanent Collection.
Work dating back as far as 1814, the same year that the RBSA’s earliest incarnation the Birmingham Academy of Arts was born, are displayed alongside artwork depicting the second city’s current landscape, and there are some notable names amongst the artists included.
The Society of Arts engraving by Thomas Radclyffe (active 1817 – 1830) dating from c.1830 and Charles Walter Radclyffe’s (1817 – 1903) c.1840 lithograph View of New Street, Portico of the RBSA and Town Hall deservedly take their place, with Frank T Lockwood’s (1895 – 1961) Old Houses Near the Crescent from 1952.
As well as these gems, visitors to the exhibition will also be able to enjoy works depicting other Birmingham locations, including Digbeth and Deritend, Broad Street, Chamberlain Square, Piccadilly Arcade, and Moseley Road School of Art, to name but a few. They will see buildings which remain, as well as those which no longer stand, reminding us that the much-maligned Birmingham is a beautiful city worth celebrating and championing.
Private View: Thursday 18 September 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 18 October 5.00pm
Featured image: Edward Richard Taylor RBSA, RBSA and Town Hall, New Street, 1878 (detail)
Purchase your copy of the catalogue here
Mapping The Archive Exhibition Catalogue

Contemporary Printmaking from the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers
2025-10-07 - 2025-10-18 | Gallery 2
The Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers is one of the world’s premier organisations representing the work and interests of printmakers. All Members of the Society are practising professional printmakers, elected by a panel of their peers.
This exhibition shows a cross section of work by the current Membership, and highlights the enormous diversity of techniques and approaches used by RE Fellows and Associates.
Known initially as the Society of Painter-Etchers, the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers was founded by Sir Frances Seymour Haden in 1880 as a reaction to the Royal Academy of Arts’ reluctance to exhibit etchings and engravings. Following Queen Victoria granting the royal prefix in 1888, the group became the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers. In 1991 the name was changed again to embrace the broader range of printmaking practices, however the abbreviation RE was retained as both an identity and the qualifying letters that follow an elected Member’s name.
The RE is extremely proud of its history and the many eminent past Members who have contributed to the Society from its inception to the present day.
Private View: Tuesday 7 October 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 18 October 5.00pm

Debbie Baird and Brian Wood, Ego: Identity And Power
2025-10-21 - 2025-11-01 | Gallery 2
Debbie Baird and Brian Wood are figurative oil painters who studied together and have previously exhibited with other artists in London.
Both artists share an interest in expressing the essence of the individual, and the nature of their relationship with the world. Each has their own approach, creating a mix of vibrant emotive images and powerful social commentary.
Debbie’s work combines oil paint with collage, creating interest and complexity to enrich her narrative on the way our identities are coloured by our backgrounds.
Brian describes his process as ‘painting conversations’, between himself, his subjects, and the viewer. He builds narratives on the impact of power: how it is used and misused, and how this shapes who we are.
Debbie and Brian will be talking about their work and their practice at a Private View to be held mid-way through the exhibition.
Private View: Saturday 25 October 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 1 November 5.00pm
Featured image: Debbie Baird, Moonchild (detail), Brian Wood, Feeding The Beast (detail)

Cristina Gardiner ARBSA, Transitory Landscapes
2025-10-21 - 2025-11-01 | Gallery 1
Cristina Gardiner ARBSA is a landscape painter whose work crosses between abstraction and representation, borne from strong emotions in response to place.
In her exhibition Transitory Landscapes, Cristina draws on three instances: Estuarine, time; Urban, space; and Elemental, light and emotion, exploring her interest in post-industrial/urban sites and abstraction.
Cristina’s work starts with her experiences of a place, during which she records sketches, notes, and photographs, which are then reimagined in the studio. In real life the sites are already changing, but through Cristina’s reinterpretation, the ‘places’ acquire different meanings, containing edges and structures as markers of their essence.
The concept of ‘transience’ and of nothing staying the same is not new, but it retains a strong fascination in Cristina’s view because continuous change and transformation embody the essence of the human condition. From the inevitable passing of time and physical transformations, to cultural and social shifts, changes are inevitable.
Private View: Saturday 25 October 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 1 November 5.00pm
Featured image: Cristina Gardiner ARBSA, Estuarine II Longing For The Horizon

Birmingham Art Circle, Annual Exhibition 2025
2025-11-04 - 2025-11-15 | Gallery 2
Founded in 1879, the Birmingham Art Circle has strong links with the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, and many of its artists are also Members of the RBSA.
The elected membership covers all art forms and their objective is to bring together artists of all disciplines to share ideas and constructively discuss their art.
The Art Circle encourages professional development and provides an opportunity for members to exhibit their work. The Birmingham Art Circle’s Annual Exhibition showcases a wide range of artworks by established practising artists, working in a range of media. The pieces exhibited include printworks, paintings, drawings, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, photography, and textiles. Visitors will be able to purchase works and meet many of the artists exhibiting as part of the show.
Exhibition closes: Saturday 15 November 5.00pm

RBSA Annual Exhibition 2025
2025-11-20 - 2026-01-03 | All Floors
The ever changing RBSA Membership is given the opportunity to exhibit current work every year in the Society’s flagship show, the RBSA Annual Exhibition.
In 2025, the Society welcomed 16 new Associates, and four artists were elected to become full Members. This annual growth ensures the survival of the RBSA and means that, not only is this yearly exhibition a showcase of work, it is also a celebration of the continued success of one of the oldest art societies in the country.
An incredible broad spectrum of practices are represented in the show and visitors can expect to see paintings, drawings, textiles, photography, ceramics, prints, and sculpture. All of the work in the exhibition is for sale and pieces by the RBSA Membership are held in both public and private collections around the world.
Since the first Annual Exhibition in 1827, there remain only three years during which the show could not be held, 1940, 1941, and 2020. The RBSA Archive holds copies of exhibition catalogues for the vast majority of these events and recent, full colour, editions continue this tradition.
Exhibiting artists will be in the Gallery at various times throughout the show to talk to visitors.
A fully illustrated catalogue is available in our online shop as well as in the Gallery Shop.
Private View: Thursday 20 November 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 3 January 2026 5.00pm
Featured image: Bing Shi RBSA, Sunset On Oxford Canal At Thrupp (detail)
RBSA Annual Exhibition Catalogue 2025

RBSA Friends Exhibition 2026
2026-01-08 - 2026-02-07 | Galleries 1 & 2
The annual RBSA Friends Exhibition gives artists with a Friends subscription the opportunity to exhibit their work in the RBSA Gallery and get to know the Society and its Membership.
RBSA Friends have been part of the Society since the 1900s, and the RBSA was one of the first art societies to give their subscribers a dedicated exhibition. There are currently around 320 RBSA Friends and over 200 of them submitted work for this year’s show.
Many Friends make the decision to submit work for the RBSA Candidates Exhibition in the hope of being elected an RBSA Associate, and many of the current Membership began their journey with the Society as a Friend.
The practices of RBSA Friends are enormously varied and the artists exhibiting are all at very different stages of their artistic careers. This variety results in an exhibition that is vibrant and diverse and a true celebration of the wider RBSA community.
Anyone can sign up as an RBSA Friend and full details of how to join can be found here.
Official Opening: Thursday 15 January 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 7 February 5.00pm
Featured image: JP Reilly, Flower Girl #1 (detail)
The exhibition catalogue is available to purchase from our online shop.
RBSA Friends Exhibition Catalogue 2026

Drawn To Dance: The Figure In Motion
2026-02-10 - 2026-02-21 | Gallery 2
This unique exhibition celebrates an exciting collaboration between the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and the Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Exploring the movement and poise of the ballet dancer, alongside the colour and vibrancy of the stage setting, the show aims to give visitors an insight into the artists’ process, as well as the backstage world of the ballet.
The RBSA Membership was invited to study the dancers as they worked, observing a series of rehearsals. Members working in all disciplines, both 2D and 3D, attended the sessions, creating collections of preparatory sketches and photographs to take back to the studio. These sketches and photographs will be on display in the Gallery alongside the developed artworks which they informed.
As well as works from RBSA Members, Associates, and Graduate Artists, guest artworks from renowned stage designer, John Macfarlane, backstage photographs taken by RBSA Associate and BRB Principal Dancer, Lachlan Monaghan, and artworks by Birmingham Royal Ballet dancers will be on show. Visitors will also be given the opportunity to view classical ballet costumes and rarely seen items on loan from Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Exhibition closes: Saturday 21 February 5.00pm
Featured image: Pete Underhill RBSA, Dancers Sketch (detail)

RBSA Print Prize 2026
2026-02-26 - 2026-03-28 | Gallery 2
The RBSA Print Prize is part of the Society’s programme of prize exhibitions which give artists, whose practices are rooted in a variety of different media and techniques, regular opportunities to exhibit their work in the Gallery.
With a significant number of print works held in the RBSA Permanent Collection, print-making forms an important part of the RBSA’s history, and there are many printmakers within its Membership.
Last held in 2024, the RBSA Print Prize celebrates the diversity of printmaking whilst also introducing the public to the myriad of different printing techniques used today, including screenprinting, linocut, monoprint, etching, woodcut, lithography, and dry point. Visitors to previous Print Prizes have been delighted to see the range of approaches on display and this exhibition promises to offer visitors that same exciting experience.
Entries for RBSA Prize Exhibitions come from professional and emerging artists based locally, nationally, and internationally, and all entries are judged anonymously.
This year’s exhibition was selected by:
Caroline Archer-Parré – Professor and writer
Leonie Bradley RE – Artist and Editor of Printmaking Today
Katie Brent – Printmaker and artist
The following prizes will be awarded:
First Prize £1000 sponsored by GMC Trust
Second Prize £500 Anne Judd Award
Third Prize £250 sponsored by Judd Medical
Up to six highly commended certificates will also be awarded.
Preview Evening: Thursday 26 February 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 28 March 5.00pm
Image: Linda Kosciewicz, Ballad Of Another World (detail)
A fully illustrated catalogue of the exhibition is available to purchase from our online shop.
RBSA Print Prize Exhibition Catalogue 2026

Colour: Shades, Tints, And Hues, Artworks From The RBSA Permanent Collection
2026-02-26 - 2026-03-28 | Gallery 1
The first heritage exhibition of 2026, Colour: Shades, Tints, And Hues, Artworks From The RBSA Permanent Collection, is an exploration of works held in the RBSA Permanent Collection, each chosen because they feature one dominant colour. With the artworks arranged on a colour wheel, visitors will be able to experience the feelings and emotions evoked by each piece, providing an insight into why artists choose to work with certain colours.
When humans created the first artworks, cave paintings dating back as far as 45,000 years, colour would have simply been the result of the materials available. As time went on, palettes gained more colour and artists began employing different hues for reasons beyond simple necessity. For example, during the middle ages, Renaissance, and early modern period, ultramarine blue, made using semi-precious lapis lazuli, was used to demonstrate wealth and status, as the pigment was often more expensive than gold.
In the Victorian era, a ‘colour revolution’, driven by discoveries of new minerals and advancements in techniques, meant that the number of colours available to artists grew enormously, and today there are hundreds of different pigments on the market. This ever growing selection has allowed the modern artist the freedom to use colour for a variety of different reasons, including the representation of specific emotions and moods, or to convey thoughts and ideas, free from the restrictions of cost or limited options.
The artworks selected for this exhibition date back throughout the Society’s history and demonstrate the huge growth in the number of pigments made just in the RBSA’s lifetime. Visitors can see the vast differences in how artists have used colour throughout that time, from early realistic studies to more modern works employing colour in a highly expressive way.
This exhibition affords visitors the opportunity to see pieces from a new perspective, juxtaposed with works they may not otherwise sit next to, shining new light on these precious artworks and the collection as a whole.
Preview Evening: Thursday 26 February 6.00pm – 8.00pm
Exhibition closes: Saturday 28 March 5.00pm
Featured image: Glyn Griffiths, Colour Of Summer, 1963 (detail)

Ed Isaacs PRBSA
2026-03-31 - 2026-04-11 | Gallery 2
Following a career in social housing and urban regeneration, Ed Isaacs decided to convert his lifelong love of sketching into a more developed artistic practice.
This exhibition is a survey of his work, most of which was created since 2023. He takes his inspiration from a broad range of sources and has a particular fondness for the art of Chardin, the Dutch masters, and the English Romantics.
Ed’s studio work focuses on highly representational drawing. He takes an image that attracts him, and through meticulous examination and mark making, reproduces it, often on a large scale. The time taken and deep observation is a vital part of his artistic process and invites the viewer to similarly slow down and look into the image. Ed continues his urban sketching and his sketchbooks will be on display as part of this exhibition.
Ed is the current president of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.
Exhibition closes: Saturday 11 April 5.00pm
Featured image: Ed Isaacs PRBSA, Lud’s Church (Dog Portrait) (detail)

Sigma - Prime Examples
2026-03-31 - 2026-04-11 | Gallery 1
Working at a single focal length challenges the photographer to consider the relationship between foreground and background, and encourages a deeper awareness of how distance, framing and movement shape visual meaning.
In this exhibition, six photographers from a range of genres were invited to produce five images at their chosen focal length, using a fast-aperture prime lens from the Sigma Art range, spanning focal lengths from 14mm up to 135mm.
The result is six distinct bodies of work that reveal not only the character of each lens, but the personal way each photographer has chosen to see through it.
Exhibition closes: Saturday 11 April 5.00pm
Featured image: Tony Nöel
