SATURDAY 12th JUNE – SUNDAY 29TH AUGUST 2021
Aberdeen Artists Society is delighted to announce a selected exhibition of
artworks from across Scotland and the UK. We are now calling for submissions
to this exhibition which presents a very exciting opportunity for artists.

Top image (detail) ‘Noust: Safely Home’
by John Inglis
Lower left image (detail) ‘Halcyon Days’
by Mary May
Lower right image (detail) ‘Emergence’
by Anita Inverarity
Painting, Ceramics, Sculpture, Screenprints, Photography, Watercolour, Drawing, Mixed Media, Jewellery and Video
SUBMISSIONS FOR AAS OPEN ART EXHIBITION 2021
The exhibition will feature new or current works, produced during or after 2019.
Submission of artworks will take place on-line, using the widely used Open Exhibition Submission System (OESS). A link to OESS can be found on the AAS website.
Photographic images are uploaded to OESS for consideration by Aberdeen Artists Society Selection and Hanging Committees. Selected works will be hung in the online gallery rooms.
All entrants will complete a Media release statement allowing release of general publicity ie statements/pictures of works etc or NOT ie “I allow”….or otherwise. This will allow Aberdeen Artists Society to use images of artworks for eg catalogues, local and national press publicity, media and videos. Entrants will also be asked to provide a UK address.
KEY DATES
- AAS Call for Work: 20th March
- OESS opens for submissions: Thursday 1st April 2021
- OESS Submission Deadline: 12.00 midnight Friday 30th April 2021
- Entrants can login to OESS on or after 28th May 2021 to find out the outcome
- Creators of selected works will be informed by email on 1st/2nd June 2021
- Exhibition (Online) opening will be Saturday 12th June 2021 at midday
- Exhibition closes on 29th August 2021
EXHIBITION ORGANISERS:
President AAS Donnie Ross and AAS Council Members – Andrew Dewar, Susie Hunt,
Claire Kidd, Trisha Richie and Gerry Stott.
All enquiries to AAS email: info@aberdeenartistssociety.co.uk
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
2D WORKS
Artists are invited to submit up to 3 current (2D) two-dimensional artworks, completed during or after 2019. Work may include: paintings, drawings, screenprints, photographs, mixed media and textiles. Giclee prints will not be considered.
- Dimensions: as the works will be exhibited online – dimension limits do not apply for submission but works should be photographed following AAS/OESS guidelines on the next page and edited accurately to exclude frames.
- Artworks should not have been previously exhibited publicly in Aberdeen City or Shire – or in an Online Exhibition.
- All works must be for sale.
3D WORKS
- Artists are invited to submit up to 3 current (3D) three-dimensional works (photo only).
- Artworks should not have been previously exhibited publicly in Aberdeen City or Shire – or in an Online Exhibition.
- All works must be for sale.
VIDEO WORKS
- Video works should be no more than 7minutes in duration. Submission will be via OESS, but not as an upload directly – artists will need to provide their own weblink to Vimeo or similar provider.
- Video works should not have been previously exhibited publicly in Aberdeen City or Shire – or in an Online Exhibition.
SUBMISSION AND SELECTION PROCESS
- Go to the Aberdeen Artists Society website, https://aberdeenartistssociety.co.uk
- Click on OPPORTUNITIES, click on Call for Works Aberdeen Artists Society Online Open Exhibition 2021, click on the OESS link or copy and paste this link to the address bar: https://aberdeen artists society.oess1.uk
- If you are already a user of OESS, login and select the AAS Open Exhibition link to enter your submission or sign up as a new user to OESS. Registration requires your email address and contact telephone number, and for each of your artworks, the title, medium, sale price and dimensions. Note: AAS membership is separate from OESS – to become a member of AAS please join via our website – https://aberdeenartistssociety.co.uk/membership/
- Upload a good quality photograph of each artwork to OESS. Deadline is midnight on Thursday 30th April 2021.
- Each uploaded image file must not exceed 3.00MB and should be at least 96dpi. Smartphone photographs are perfectly acceptable, but for best results, use daylight.
- Please see the Photo Guide at – https://aberdeenartistssociety.co.uk/guide-tophotographing-artwork-for-online-submission/ on how to prepare photographs of artwork to meet the necessary image size and quality standards.
- All submissions are subject to entry fees as follows:
- £7.50 per artwork for AAS member, and £12.50 per artwork for non-members Entry fees are payable online through the OESS and are not refundable.
- The sale price of each work must be stated on the entry form, and must include commission (20% for AAS members and 30% for non-members).
- Artists submitting work must accept the Exhibition agreement on OESS.
For help with online entry difficulties, please contact OESS (details on the entry form) otherwise please contact Aberdeen Artists Society’s Exhibition Organiser by emailing an account of the problem you are experiencing together with your contact details to info@aberdeenartistssociety.co.uk
PLEASE NOTE – OESS HELPLINE
- The purpose of the OESS Helpline is for technical help only. No discussion on AAS policies or procedures can be entered into.
Artists should login to OESS on or very soon after 28th May to find out if their work has been selected.
AAS/OESS will send emails to the successful entrants to inform them of the outcome, on 1st-3rd of June 2021.
COMMUNICATIONS:
All communication will be by AAS email or via OESS.
SALES:
Details of the buying and selling procedures can be found in the Standing Rules section
on the website – https://aberdeenartistssociety.co.uk
EXHIBITION OPENING/PRIZES/SALES/PAYMENTS ABERDEEN ARTISTS SOCIETY ONLINE EXHIBITION SUMMER 2021 OPENING EVENT
The exhibition will be opened by Dr. Donnie Ross MB, ChB, FRCA, President AAS, Grampian Hospitals Art Trust Founder-Member, Retired Medical Director of NHS Grampian.
The following prizes will be awarded:
- The AAS Prizes for excellence: 4 Awards of £250.00
- The MSD* Design Ltd Prize for Drawing and Painting 2021 Prize: £500
- The GRP* Aberdeen Ltd Prize for Drawing and Painting 2021 Prize: £500
- The Donnie Ross Prizes for Innovation and Creativity in Watercolour painting 1x £500.00, & 2x £250
The MSD Design Ltd* and GRP Aberdeen Ltd* prizes in the list above were gifted by Martin Stevenson, who is the owner of both Companies with the aim of encouraging and championing traditional drawing and painting imbued with the British school aesthetic. It would be expected that prize winners would display mastery in the techniques underpinning drawing and painting: draughtsmanship and understanding of the emotional palette.
SALES
All works sold will be marked in the usual way with a red dot, and sold works must remain in the exhibition until it closes on 29th August 2021.
PAYMENTS TO PRIZEWINNERS AND WORKS SOLD
Payments to prizewinning artists and for works sold during the show will be made by Aberdeen Artists Society by cheque or BACS.
How to become a member of Aberdeen Artists Society:
Go to – https://aberdeenartistssociety.co.uk/membership/
Aberdeen Artists Society (AAS) Council and the Exhibition Organisers will not under any circumstances discuss with entrants or external entities any aspect whatsoever of the outcomes of our Selection and Hanging.