The Royal Ulster Academy (RUA) has announced the call for entries for its prestigious 144th Annual Exhibition, set to open at the Ulster Museum on October 19th, 2025. As Northern Ireland’s leading visual arts event, the RUA invites artists from across Ireland and beyond to submit their work for a chance to be featured in this celebrated showcase of creativity and innovation.

Founded in 1879, the Royal Ulster Academy of Arts is the largest and longest-established body of practicing visual artists in Northern Ireland. One of its founding principles was to hold an annual exhibition showcasing work by both members and non-members of merit, welcoming submissions from across the island of Ireland , Uk and beyond.

The Academy is dedicated to advancing public education through the promotion and exhibition of fine and applied arts, providing a platform for artists from Northern Ireland, the wider Irish arts community, and international contributors

Now in its 144th year, this event remains one of the highlights of the Northern Ireland arts calendar. The 144th Annual Exhibition will run at the Ulster Museum, Belfast from Mid-October 2025 to 6th January 2026.

The Royal Ulster Academy welcomes submissions from emerging and established artists across all disciplines of the visual arts, regardless of nationality or country of residence. Initial submissions must be made online

There will also be a number of new and exciting awards and prizes this year.

Call Status: Open for Entry

Exhibition Location: Belfast, UK

Exhibition Type: Galleries of Ulster Museum, Belfast

Entry Deadline: 10/07/2025, 5pm

First Stage Selection Complete: 22nd July 2025

(pre-selection notification)

Delivery of Work for Physical Selection: Sunday 3rd August

(ALL HANGING ATTACHMENTS MUST BE REMOVED)

Final Selection Complete: Monday 10th August 2025

Delivery of Artwork to RUA Offices, Alpha House, 1 Rosemary Street, Belfast, BT1 1QA for Physical Selection : Sunday 4 August 2025 

Exhibition Open To Public: Mid October 2025 - 6th January 2026 (Ulster Museum is open from 10am to 5pm on Tuesdays to Sundays)

Entry Fees
Maximum Artwork : 3

Submission fee for one Artwork: £20.00
Submission fee for two Artworks: £35
Submission fee for three Artworks: £50

Terms and Conditions

Royal Ulster Academy of Arts 

144th RUA Annual Exhibition - Call for Entries 2025

PLEASE READ THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS BELOW BEFORE PAYING, AS NO REFUNDS CAN BE GIVEN.

Eligibility 

- Open to visual artists working in all mediums: painting, drawing, original prints, photography, video, textiles, ceramics, sculpture. 

- Artists must be over 18 years old. 

- Work must have been created between 2022 and 2025. 

- Work previously exhibited in Northern Ireland will not be accepted. 

- The RUA reserves the right to reject work believed to be in breach of copyright. 

-Entries must be original works of art. Original prints, such as etchings, lithographs, screen prints, or other artist-created printmaking techniques, are admissible. Reproductions or copies of original artworks, including giclée prints or digital reproductions of paintings, drawings, or other media, are not permitted.

Submissions should be made online. All entries must be less than 2 meters in any direction, including the frame. There is no minimum size limit. 

Sculptures outside these dimensions may be considered but could be restricted due to weight. 

There is no minimum size limit. 

Delivery and Collection 

- Artists are responsible for the delivery and collection of their work. All packaging materials must be removed after delivery and brought back at collection. We do not have the facility to store packaging.

If you do require work to be returned by post or courier we can arrange post and packing at a cost.

Agreement 

By submitting work, artists agree to the following: 

- The decision of the Selectors is final. 

- The RUA reserves the right to amend exhibition arrangements and terms as necessary. 

- Artists authorize the use of their images for promotional purposes. 

- All information provided is true, and the work is the artist's original creation. 

- No refund of entry payments is possible after they have been paid.. 

INSURANCE

Artists are responsible for insuring their own work. All works accepted for exhibition will be transported entirely at the artists' risk. RUA will not accept liability for loss or damage occurring during travel to the exhibition, the selection process or during the course of the exhibition.

The utmost care will be taken of all works submitted for exhibition. The RUA will not be responsible for any damage, loss of or destruction of any works for any reason whatsoever. Artists should insure their works against all risks. 

 Prizes and Awards so Far

£1000 NIAVAC Award for most outstanding work from a member of the Academy 

£1000 Tom Caldwell Installations award for excellence from an Associate Member

£1000 Irish News Award for most outstanding work from the open submission 

£2000 Leonora Millar Memorial Award , Selectors choice

£500- Landscape Award (Gormleys ) 

£500** - Drawing Prize (BradburyArt) 

£500** - Textile Prize (ArtTalks: ArtWalks) 

£500** - Photography Prize (Errigle Inns) 

£500** - Watercolour Prize (Ulster Watercolour Society) 

£500** - Sculpture Prize (Hamilton Architects) 

£500 AE Russell Society Prize (George Russel Society)

Tyrone Guthrie Anita Young Bursary, residency at Annachmakerrig 

2 week Residency in France** (Hambly and Hambly Gallery) 

Gallery Invitation ArtisAnn Gallery

Image and video Submissions 

- **Images:** JPG or PNG, max 4MB. 

- Video Submission Guidelines: Submissions must be single-channel, no longer than 20 minutes, and provided via a URL (e.g., Vimeo or YouTube). Password-protected submissions must include the password. It is the artist’s responsibility to ensure that all video works have appropriate copyright clearances for both music and visuals, permitting their display in a public space. 

 Pricing and Sales 

- Selected work must be for sale. A 30% commission will be charged by the RUA, and VAT must be included if applicable. The minimum price of artwork is £200.

Exhibition Location:** Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Stranmillis, Belfast 

Please Note: The above terms and conditions are provided by the exhibition organisers.

Important: If you pay for more than one artwork, the system will allow you to complete another submission form. You will need to fill out the whole form for each artwork you want to submit. The number of submission forms you can complete depends on how many submissions you have paid for.