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Current URL: visualartsscotland.oess1.uk
Client Name: Visual Arts Scotland
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Open Submissions for VAS Biennial 2025 Exhibition
Visual Arts Scotland are delighted to be exhibiting once more in the Upper Galleries of the RSA building in Edinburgh from 5th December 2025 to January 2026.
The new VAS Biennial is a continuation of the longest-running contemporary art exhibition that is delivered in partnership with the Exhibiting Societies of Scottish Artists (ESSA). The exhibition provides a platform for contemporary ...
Preselection in Progress
Entry Deadline: 27/08/2025, 5pm
Preselection in Progress
Selection is currently in progress, please login again from 24th June to find out If you have been preselected for the gallery installation.
Exhibition Location: UK
Exhibition Type: Gallery
Open Submissions for Visual Arts Scotland's 2026 Kirkcudbright Art Gallery & Museum Exhibition
Exhibition Dates: Exhibition Dates: Saturday 31st January 2026 - 4th May 2026
Venue: Kirkcudbright Galleries, Kirkcudbright DG6 4AA | Presented by Visual Arts Scotland
Gathering Ground is an exhibition that brings together artists and makers whose work speaks to our deep, evolving relationship with Scotland’s nat...
Open for Entry
Entry Deadline: 28/10/2025, 5pm
Exhibition Location: UK
Exhibition Type: Gallery
Open Submissions for Visual Arts Scotland's 2026 Maclaurin Art Gallery Exhibition
Visual Arts Scotland invites artists and makers to apply for inclusion in Future Folklore: The Craft of Storytelling, an exhibition exploring how folklore evolves through craft, imagination, and community.
Ayrshire and the wider Scottish landscape is rich with traditions, from selkie myths and fairy stories to Robert Burns’ Tam o’ Shanter. These tales connect us to land and sea, memory an...
Open for Entry
Entry Deadline: 28/10/2025, 5pm
Exhibition Location: UK
Exhibition Type: Gallery
Open Submissions for VAS Biennial 2025 Exhibition
Visual Arts Scotland are delighted to be exhibiting once more in the Upper Galleries of the RSA building in Edinburgh from 5th December 2025 to January 2026.
The new VAS Biennial is a continuation of the longest-running contemporary art exhibition that is delivered in partnership with the Exhibiting Societies of Scottish Artists (ESSA). The exhibition provides a platform for contemporary creators in Scotland and beyond.
For this upcoming exhibition we are inviting applications from VAS Members and non-members from across the globe to exhibit across six of these expansive galleries. We welcome submissions in all areas of visual arts and crafts, including but not limited to painting, printmaking, photography, drawing, sculpture, audio, text, textiles, woodwork, furniture, glass, large works, moving image, installation, performance and jewellery.
The exhibition aims to celebrate contemporary fine art alongside applied arts and design disciplines; the crossover of this relationship being central to our message of inclusivity and celebrating the range of creative practices.
You are invited to submit up to SIX works in any size for consideration.
Call Status: Preselection in Progress
Exhibition Location: UK
Exhibition Type: Gallery
Entry Deadline: 27/08/2025, 5pm
Exhibition Contact: admin@visualartsscotland.org
Submission Entry Deadline: 27th August 2025, 5pm.
Selection Notification: In early September, exact notification date to follow- please log back into your OESS account for your results - they will not be automatically emailed to you.
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Provisional Artwork Arrangements:
Postal submissions: Information will be released in October but provisionally is marked for mid September.
Couriered submissions: Information will be released October but provisionally is marked for mid september.
Large Artwork delivery: Monday 1st December 9am-11am (we have our own shared courier option for members based in scotland this year) (A van pool where artists can have worked courier at a discounted rate)
General Artwork drop off (in person) Information will be released in October
Please note these will be confirmed and updated once selection is complete. These dates are for guideline purposes only, at this stage. For any information or clarification please contact admin@visualartsscotland.org
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Exhibition Open To Public: For the duration of December 2025
Standard Prices.
Maximum Artwork Entries: 6
First or Single Entry Price: £15.00
Additional Entries: £15.00 per artwork up to 6 artworks.
VAS Members
Maximum Artwork Entries: 6
Free Entry - please check conditions in Entry Details and Information.
Up to 5 artworks: £5.00
Up to 6 artworks: £10.00
VAS Professional Member
Maximum Artwork Entries: 6
Free Entry - please check conditions in Entry Details and Information.
Up to 5 artworks: £5.00
Up to 6 artworks: £10.00
Entry Fees
Non-members:
Maximum number of submissions permitted = 6
1 Submission: £15
2 Submissions: £30
3 Submissions: £45
4 Submissions: £60
5 Submissions: £75
6 Submissions: £90
Artist, Associate Members
Maximum number of submissions permitted = 6
1 Submission : FREE
2 Submissions: FREE
3 Submissions: FREE
4 Submissions: FREE
5 Submissions: £5
6 Submissions: £10
4 FREE – cost of submissions included in membership subscription - Please ensure you are a VAS Member with an up-to-date subscription.
Professional Members :
Maximum number of submissions permitted = 6
1 Submission : FREE
2 Submissions: FREE
3 Submissions: FREE
4 Submissions: FREE
5 Submissions: £5
6 Submissions: £10
4 FREE – cost of submissions included in Membership subscription - Please ensure you are a VAS Member with an up-to-date subscription.
Terms and Conditions
Restrictions
Work submitted must have been completed within the last three years (2022 onwards).
Work that has been shown in the RSA in the last 5 years previously or shown with VAS in the last 5 years must not be submitted.
No reproductions or copies of any kind will be accepted.
All pre-selected works need to be delivered to and collected from the gallery by the artist or a nominated representative or courier. VAS is unable to assist with the shipping and collection of your work.
Selection
Pre-selection results will be via log in to your OESS profile on date stated in open call, we do not email results out to you. We will remind you to check in via newsletter and social media. We regret that we cannot offer feedback on the results of the selection.
Pre-Selected Works
Works that pass the online pre-selection process must be delivered to the gallery by the date stated in the open call details on the assumption the piece will be shown in the exhibition.
All works that are pre-selected online are still subject to final selection by the panel on delivery to the gallery. This assessment is to ensure that the work is exhibition ready, and is neither damaged or not reflective of what was submitted. In the unlikely event that the works are not included in the final selection, they should be uplifted from the gallery on the date detailed in your notification email. If you have to come from afar, we can arrange storage for smaller works until the end of the exhibition.
You may be required to install your own work depending on the scale. You will be contacted in advance if this is the case.
Work selected for the exhibition will be subject to £15 admin fee per artist (one payment per artist regardless of number of selected works). This must be paid by bank transfer or payment link we will not take cash or PayPal.
All wall works should come ready to be hung upon the traditionally gallery chains available.
Delivery and Collection of Work
Please attach a stiff label to the back of your work with string. This label must be able to hang freely over the front of the work and should include your name, title of artwork, price and a contact phone number and email address.
Please also attach a permanent label to your work with name, title, price and a contact phone number.
We can recommend couriers if you do not have your own contracts. Please email admin@visualartsscotland.org for advice on this matter.
Artists sending work from outside the UK are responsible for any customs and duty charges, declarations and other related documentation for the artwork both entering and leaving the UK, and for ensuring that work is received at the gallery by the specified time. VAS is unable to pay import duty or related fees on any submitted work or arrange delivery back to you, this will be entirely the artists’ responsibility.
IMPORTANT:
Please download your labels and attach them to your work following the instructions, and bring a copy of your submission form to the gallery.
Please also attach a permanent label to your work with name, title, price and a contact phone number.
Sales and Commission
Artist, Associate Members and non-members will be charged a commission of 40% on the sale price of all work sold in the exhibition.
VAS Professional Members will be charged a reduced commission rate of 35% on the sale price of all work sold in the exhibition.
Insurance
Whilst every possible care will be taken of works submitted, VAS cannot be responsible for any loss or damage incurred during the exhibition or in transit to and from it. The Society does not insure the exhibits; artists are advised to insure their own work.
Framing and Finishing
Please ensure a high standard of presentation of works. Any framing should be professionally finished and contemporary.
Works with wet paint will not be accepted; the artist is liable for the cost of any damage caused to other works by such items.
The artist is liable for the cost of any damage caused to other works by protruding hooks and fixings. Mirror plates for hanging are provided by VAS.
Please note that works requiring bull dog clips are not permitted, we welcome the following types of fixings: screws, pins, magnets (if the piece allows magnets to be used effectively). No bulldog clips or similar will be permitted and works delivered with this requirement will be rejected on site.
Plinth and Display Equipment
Artists must provide their own floor-standing plinths or display equipment at the time of delivery - VAS has limited plinths or display solutions.
Photography
Photographic reproduction of all works submitted and use of images for promotion or marketing purposes by the VAS is allowed by the Artist unless otherwise indicated.
Agreement
By submitting to the exhibition you are deemed to accept and agree to the following:
The decision of the Selectors on all matters is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
I understand that the organisers reserve the right to make such changes to the exhibition arrangements and the Terms and Conditions as may be deemed necessary by circumstances.
I authorise the organisers to process, store, and utilise the data in my submission and agree that, if selected for exhibition, images of my work can be freely used by The Organisers, The Gallery and associated organisations for promotional and publicity purposes.
VAS cannot be responsible for any loss or damage incurred during the exhibition or in transit to and from it. The Society does not insure the exhibits; artists are advised to insure their own work.
All information provided by me is true and accurate and that the work submitted is wholly of my own creation.
I have read and understood these terms and conditions and by submitting this application I accept and agree to observe all the Terms and Conditions therein.
Please Note: The above terms and conditions are provided by the exhibition organisers.
For terms and conditions which apply to the use of the OESS entry system please view below:
OESS Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
Open Submissions for Visual Arts Scotland's 2026 Kirkcudbright Art Gallery & Museum Exhibition
Exhibition Dates: Exhibition Dates: Saturday 31st January 2026 - 4th May 2026
Venue: Kirkcudbright Galleries, Kirkcudbright DG6 4AA | Presented by Visual Arts Scotland
Gathering Ground is an exhibition that brings together artists and makers whose work speaks to our deep, evolving relationship with Scotland’s natural environment. Through objects, images, and installations, it explores how creativity can reflect, honour, celebrate and reimagine the interconnectivity of Art and Nature.
Note all mediums are welcome, including but not limited to textiles, drawing, painting, sculpture, print, installation, digital, and collaborative work.
You are invited to submit up to Four works in any size for consideration.
Deadline for submissions: 28th October 5pm | Submissions via OESS
Exhibition Dates: Saturday 31st January 2026 - 4th May 2026
Note all mediums are welcome, including but not limited to textiles, drawing, painting, sculpture, print, installation, digital, and collaborative work.
Works to be dropped off/couried to Edinburgh in advance of the exhibition at agreed drop off date.
Call Status: Open for Entry
Exhibition Location: UK
Exhibition Type: Gallery
Entry Deadline: 28/10/2025, 5pm
Exhibition Contact: admin@visualartsscotland.org
Deadline for submissions: 28th October 5pm
Selection Notification: In early November, exact notification date to follow- please log back into your OESS account for your results - they will not be automatically emailed to you.
For any information or clarification please contact admin@visualartsscotland.org
VAS Members
Maximum Artwork Entries: 4
Free Entry - please check conditions in Entry Details and Information.
Up to 4 artworks: £5.00
VAS Professional Member
Maximum Artwork Entries: 4
Free Entry - please check conditions in Entry Details and Information.
Up to 4 artworks: £5.00
Entry Fees
Maximum number of submissions permitted per VAS member or NEW Vas Member = 4
1 Submission: £0
2 Submissions: £0
3 Submissions: £5
4 Submissions: £10
2 FREE – cost of submissions included in membership subscription - Please ensure you are a VAS Member with an up-to-date subscription. You can join vas via our website or emailing admin@visualartsscotland.org
Terms and Conditions
Restrictions
Work submitted must have been completed within the last four years.
Work that has been shown in the RSA in the last 3 years previously must not be submitted.
No reproductions or copies of any kind will be accepted.
Selection
Pre-selection results will be via log in to your OESS profile on date stated in open call, we do not email results out to you. We will remind you to check in via newsletter and social media. We regret that we cannot offer feedback on the results of the selection.
Pre-Selected Works
You may be required to install your own work depending on the scale and complexity of your proposal. You will be contacted in advance if this is the case.
Work selected for the exhibition will be subject to £15 admin fee per artist (one payment per artist regardless of number of selected works). This must be paid by bank transfer or payment link.
All wall works should come ready to be hung/ installed.
Delivery and Collection of Work
Please attach a stiff label to the back of your work with string. This label must be able to hang freely over the front of the work and should include your name, title of artwork, price and a contact phone number and email address.
Please also attach a permanent label to your work with name, title, price and a contact phone number.
We can recommend couriers if you do not have your own contracts. Please email admin@visualartsscotland.org for advice on this matter.
Artists sending work from outside the UK are responsible for any customs and duty charges, declarations and other related documentation for the artwork both entering and leaving the UK, and for ensuring that work is received at the gallery by the specified time. VAS is unable to pay import duty or related fees on any submitted work or arrange delivery back to you, this will be entirely the artists’ responsibility.
IMPORTANT:
Please download your labels and attach them to your work following the instructions, and bring a copy of your submission form to the gallery.
Please also attach a permanent label to your work with name, title, price and a contact phone number.
Sales and Commission
Artist, Associate Members and non-members will be charged a commission of 40% on the sale price of all work sold in the exhibition.
VAS Professional Members will be charged a reduced commission rate of 35% on the sale price of all work sold in the exhibition.
Insurance
Whilst every possible care will be taken of works submitted, VAS cannot be responsible for any loss or damage incurred during the exhibition or in transit to and from it. The Society does not insure the exhibits; artists are advised to insure their own work.
Framing and Finishing
Please ensure a high standard of presentation of works. Any framing should be professionally finished and contemporary.
Works with wet paint will not be accepted; the artist is liable for the cost of any damage caused to other works by such items.
The artist is liable for the cost of any damage caused to other works by protruding hooks and fixings. Mirror plates for hanging are provided by VAS.
Please note that works requiring bull dog clips are not permitted, we welcome the following types of fixings: screws, pins, magnets (if the piece allows magnets to be used effectively). No bulldog clips or similar will be permitted and works delivered with this requirement will be rejected on site.
Plinth and Display Equipment
Artists maybe be required to provide their own floor-standing plinths or display equipment at the time of delivery - VAS has limited plinths or display solutions.
Photography
Photographic reproduction of all works submitted and use of images for promotion or marketing purposes by the VAS is allowed by the Artist unless otherwise indicated.
Agreement
By submitting to the exhibition you are deemed to accept and agree to the following:
The decision of the Selectors on all matters is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
I understand that the organisers reserve the right to make such changes to the exhibition arrangements and the Terms and Conditions as may be deemed necessary by circumstances.
I authorise the organisers to process, store, and utilise the data in my submission and agree that, if selected for exhibition, images of my work can be freely used by The Organisers, The Gallery and associated organisations for promotional and publicity purposes.
VAS cannot be responsible for any loss or damage incurred during the exhibition or in transit to and from it. The Society does not insure the exhibits; artists are advised to insure their own work.
All information provided by me is true and accurate and that the work submitted is wholly of my own creation.
I have read and understood these terms and conditions and by submitting this application I accept and agree to observe all the Terms and Conditions therein.
Please Note: The above terms and conditions are provided by the exhibition organisers.
For terms and conditions which apply to the use of the OESS entry system please view below:
OESS Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy
Open Submissions for Visual Arts Scotland's 2026 Maclaurin Art Gallery Exhibition
Visual Arts Scotland invites artists and makers to apply for inclusion in Future Folklore: The Craft of Storytelling, an exhibition exploring how folklore evolves through craft, imagination, and community.
Ayrshire and the wider Scottish landscape is rich with traditions, from selkie myths and fairy stories to Robert Burns’ Tam o’ Shanter. These tales connect us to land and sea, memory and imagination. Folklore is never fixed; it changes with each retelling.
This exhibition invites you to reinterpret folklore from the past, uncover hidden or overlooked stories, or invent the folklore of the future. We are interested in the ways artists and makers use process itself, the act of making, as a conduit for storytelling, where experimentation, material transformation, and the traces of practice can become part of the narrative.
In a time of rapid ecological, social, and technological change, stories help us understand who we are and where we belong. Folklore continues to offer a living framework for exploring identity, resilience, and imagination. Artists and Makers are uniquely placed to carry these narratives forward. By reworking ancient myths or creating new ones, artists can help shape how communities respond to change, find meaning in uncertainty, and imagine alternative futures.
Reimagining Ayrshire and Scotland’s myths, legends, and ghost stories. Rituals, customs, or “objects of belief”. Folklore as a lens on ecology, migration, technology, or identity. Craft as storytelling: material, process, and the residue of making. Performance and live art as a way of re-enacting, reimagining, or generating folklore. Participatory or collaborative works that invite audiences to contribute their own stories, voices, or rituals. Contemporary myths emerging from digital culture or everyday community traditions. (This is not an exhaustive list, just possible starting points)
Note all mediums are welcome, including but not limited to textiles, drawing, painting, sculpture, print, installation, digital, and collaborative work.
You are invited to submit up to Four works in any size for consideration.
Call Status: Open for Entry
Exhibition Location: UK
Exhibition Type: Gallery
Entry Deadline: 28/10/2025, 5pm
Exhibition Contact: admin@visualartsscotland.org
Deadline for submissions: 28th October 5pm
Selection Notification: In early November, exact notification date to follow- please log back into your OESS account for your results - they will not be automatically emailed to you.
For any information or clarification please contact admin@visualartsscotland.org
VAS Members
Maximum Artwork Entries: 4
Free Entry - please check conditions in Entry Details and Information.
Up to 4 artworks: £5.00
VAS Professional Member
Maximum Artwork Entries: 4
Free Entry - please check conditions in Entry Details and Information.
Up to 4 artworks: £5.00
Entry Fees
Maximum number of submissions permitted per VAS member or NEW Vas Member = 4
1 Submission: £0
2 Submissions: £0
3 Submissions: £5
4 Submissions: £10
2 FREE – cost of submissions included in membership subscription - Please ensure you are a VAS Member with an up-to-date subscription. You can join vas via our website or emailing admin@visualartsscotland.org
Terms and Conditions
Restrictions
Work submitted must have been completed within the last four years.
Work that has been shown in the RSA in the last 3 years previously must not be submitted.
No reproductions or copies of any kind will be accepted.
Selection
Pre-selection results will be via log in to your OESS profile on date stated in open call, we do not email results out to you. We will remind you to check in via newsletter and social media. We regret that we cannot offer feedback on the results of the selection.
Pre-Selected Works
You may be required to install your own work depending on the scale and complexity of your proposal. You will be contacted in advance if this is the case.
Work selected for the exhibition will be subject to £15 admin fee per artist (one payment per artist regardless of number of selected works). This must be paid by bank transfer or payment link.
All wall works should come ready to be hung/ installed.
Delivery and Collection of Work
Please attach a stiff label to the back of your work with string. This label must be able to hang freely over the front of the work and should include your name, title of artwork, price and a contact phone number and email address.
Please also attach a permanent label to your work with name, title, price and a contact phone number.
We can recommend couriers if you do not have your own contracts. Please email admin@visualartsscotland.org for advice on this matter.
Artists sending work from outside the UK are responsible for any customs and duty charges, declarations and other related documentation for the artwork both entering and leaving the UK, and for ensuring that work is received at the gallery by the specified time. VAS is unable to pay import duty or related fees on any submitted work or arrange delivery back to you, this will be entirely the artists’ responsibility.
IMPORTANT:
Please download your labels and attach them to your work following the instructions, and bring a copy of your submission form to the gallery.
Please also attach a permanent label to your work with name, title, price and a contact phone number.
Sales and Commission
Artist, Associate Members and non-members will be charged a commission of 40% on the sale price of all work sold in the exhibition.
VAS Professional Members will be charged a reduced commission rate of 35% on the sale price of all work sold in the exhibition.
Insurance
Whilst every possible care will be taken of works submitted, VAS cannot be responsible for any loss or damage incurred during the exhibition or in transit to and from it. The Society does not insure the exhibits; artists are advised to insure their own work.
Framing and Finishing
Please ensure a high standard of presentation of works. Any framing should be professionally finished and contemporary.
Works with wet paint will not be accepted; the artist is liable for the cost of any damage caused to other works by such items.
The artist is liable for the cost of any damage caused to other works by protruding hooks and fixings. Mirror plates for hanging are provided by VAS.
Please note that works requiring bull dog clips are not permitted, we welcome the following types of fixings: screws, pins, magnets (if the piece allows magnets to be used effectively). No bulldog clips or similar will be permitted and works delivered with this requirement will be rejected on site.
Plinth and Display Equipment
Artists maybe be required to provide their own floor-standing plinths or display equipment at the time of delivery - VAS has limited plinths or display solutions.
Photography
Photographic reproduction of all works submitted and use of images for promotion or marketing purposes by the VAS is allowed by the Artist unless otherwise indicated.
Agreement
By submitting to the exhibition you are deemed to accept and agree to the following:
The decision of the Selectors on all matters is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
I understand that the organisers reserve the right to make such changes to the exhibition arrangements and the Terms and Conditions as may be deemed necessary by circumstances.
I authorise the organisers to process, store, and utilise the data in my submission and agree that, if selected for exhibition, images of my work can be freely used by The Organisers, The Gallery and associated organisations for promotional and publicity purposes.
VAS cannot be responsible for any loss or damage incurred during the exhibition or in transit to and from it. The Society does not insure the exhibits; artists are advised to insure their own work.
All information provided by me is true and accurate and that the work submitted is wholly of my own creation.
I have read and understood these terms and conditions and by submitting this application I accept and agree to observe all the Terms and Conditions therein.
Please Note: The above terms and conditions are provided by the exhibition organisers.
For terms and conditions which apply to the use of the OESS entry system please view below:
OESS Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy