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The Pastel Society
Submit up to six pastel or dry media artworks for consideration in the Pastel Society's 128th Annual Exhibition, celebrating colour in contemporary drawing and painting.
Does this fit your work? 5 questions score every call to your medium, location and budget. Free.
Get matched →- Deadline
- 92 days left
- Entry fee
- Free
- Award
- $5,000
- Location
- Mall Galleries, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5BD
- Exhibition window
- Jan 27, 2027 → Feb 6, 2027
- Applicants notified
- Dec 4, 2026
- Size cap
- ≤ 94.49" max dimension
About
Overview
The Pastel Society invites artists working in pastel and contemporary dry media to submit work for the 128th Annual Exhibition. This celebration of colour features works in pastel, pencil, charcoal, crayon, chalk and beyond, exploring how colour unites us through a shared language of expression.
Key Dates
- Submissions open: Monday 17 August 2026, 12 noon
- Submissions close: Friday 20 November 2026, 12 noon
- Notification of selection: Friday 4 December 2026, 12 noon
- Receiving Day: Saturday 16 January 2027, 10am to 5pm
- Exhibition opens: Wednesday 27 January 2027
- Exhibition closes: Saturday 6 February 2027, 5pm
- Collection of unsold work: Thursday 11 February 2027, 10am to 5pm
Eligibility
- Any artist aged 18 or over from anywhere in the world
- Works must be original creations by the artist
- Works completed within two years prior to the exhibition
- Works must not have been previously exhibited at Mall Galleries
- Works should not exceed 2.4m along their longest dimension
Media & Submission Requirements
All types of pastel (soft, hard, oil, ink, water-based), conté crayons or sticks, sanguine, and other dry mediums are acceptable. Artists may enter a maximum of six works, from which up to four works per artist may be selected.
How to Submit
- Register or log in to the Open Exhibition Submission System (OESS) between 12 noon on Monday 17 August and Friday 20 November 2026
- Upload image(s) in JPEG or PNG format under 5MB
- One image per submission showing the complete work; optional two additional detail images per work
- Include title, medium, size (cm), year of completion, price per work, and optional artwork description
- Log in to OESS from 12 noon on Friday 4 December to see if your work has been selected
- If selected, deliver work on Saturday 16 January 2027, 10am to 5pm, unwrapped with relevant form and labels to Mall Galleries, 17 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5BD
Prizes & Awards
- Caran d'Ache Prize: £1,000 for the best work in the exhibition
- Pastel Society Prize: £1,000 for the best work by a member
- Yoshimoto Prize: £1,000 for an outstanding work in any dry medium by a non-member
- President's Prize: £500 for the best work by an artist aged 35 or under
- Bob Last Prize: £400 for a work celebrating the spirit of imaginative, innovative dry media
- Product prizes from Caran d'Ache, Daler-Rowney, Frank Herring, Henri Roche, Mamut, UART, Unison, and Pith Sketchbook
- Visitors' Choice Award: set of Caran d'Ache pastel pencils
- West Design Award, Publication Prizes including interview in Leisure Painter & The Artist
- Mall Galleries/FBA Award: ten free submissions to Federation of British Artists exhibitions (worth up to £220)
Successful Applicants Can Expect
- Work included in the exhibition at Mall Galleries and online
- Opportunity to win prizes and awards
- Invitation to the Private View (Wednesday 27 January, 5pm to 8pm)
- Chance to sell work to new collectors
- Membership in the network of exhibiting artists dating back to 1898
- Possibility of election to membership in the Pastel Society
Media accepted
charcoaldrawingmixed mediapaintingpastelpen and inkphotography
- Award
- Cash prizes totaling over £5,000 including Caran d'Ache Prize £1,000, Pastel Society Prize £1,000, Yoshimoto Prize £1,000, President's Prize £500, Bob Last Prize £400; product prizes from Caran d'Ache, Daler-Rowney, and other suppliers; publication in Leisure Painter & The Artist; and ten free submissions to Federation of British Artists exhibitions.
- Entry fee
- Free to enter
- Entries per artist
- Up to 6
- Theme
- A celebration of colour as subject, expression and connection in pastel and dry media, exploring how colour unites artists through a shared language of expression.
- Eligibility
- Any artist aged 18 or over from anywhere in the world; works must be original, completed within two years, and not previously exhibited at Mall Galleries.
- Audience
- Any artist aged 18 or over from anywhere in the world.
- Size & format
- Works should not exceed 2.4m along their longest dimension.
- Also worth noting
- Works should not exceed 2.4m along their longest dimension.
Every listing links to the organizer's official page. Always confirm deadlines, fees, and entry rules there before you apply.