General Information

The Hunt Open Submission Exhibition will be held at the Hunt Museum, Customs House, Rutland Street, Limerick City from 5 December 2026 until 21 February 2027.   

Eligibility

Submissions of work are invited from visual artists working in the following medium painting, print, photography, drawing and sculpture. Works outside these categories are not usually accepted.

Submission Procedure

Submission is by online entry only. Please click on the link from our website and follow the instructions. There is a €15 non-refundable fee per artwork submitted. The selection committee is made up of five to eight invited artists. Artworks will be judged solely on merit. The decision is final and binding, and no correspondence or feedback will be entered into under any circumstance. The work should not have been exhibited previously in Limerick with the exception of Graduate Exhibitions. If selected for exhibition, work cannot be removed from display until after the close of the exhibition.

The Hunt Museum reserves the right to reject work that it believes is in breach of copyright laws.

Reproductions of existing artworks are not eligible.

Work must be professionally presented for exhibition. All artworks must be presented with complete mechanisms for hanging for wall-mounted pieces (mirror plates or string/ wire). Exposed wet canvases or works that could cause damage to others will not be accepted under any circumstances. Work that arrives damaged or unfit for exhibition due to any material defect will automatically be deemed ineligible for exhibition.

Artwork must have been created in the past five years.

Labelling & Presentation 

Each artwork must be clearly labelled. Please ensure that the label information matches the information at the time of entry. It is important that all details are included on the form, as incomplete details will deem the entry inadmissible. All works will be checked on entry, so please make sure your information is correct.

All works handed in for exhibition must be:

• Unwrapped
• Professionally presented (needing no further work, additions or framing prior to exhibition)
• Labelled correctly
• Works that are of a delicate or fragile nature can be delivered wrapped but must be clearly marked with additional labels on the packaging. The organisers may ask that work is unwrapped.
• The utmost care will be taken of all works submitted for exhibition, however the Hunt Museum will not be liable for any damage, loss of or destruction of artworks. Artists should insure their works against all risks. All works accepted for exhibition will be transported entirely at the artists' risk. The Hunt Museum will not accept liability for loss or damage occurring during travel to and from the exhibition or the selection process. Works are insured when accepted to the exhibition and condition checked by the museum team.

Size

Due to constraints on the exhibition space, artworks measuring over 120cm x 120cm (including frame) cannot be accommodated. For sculpture, the height restriction of 150cm also applies as does a maximum weight of 65 kilos.  

Pricing & Commission

Work selected for exhibition will be expected to be for sale except in exceptional circumstances agreed beforehand. A commission of 25% will be paid to the museum. It will be assumed that the sale price includes the cost of any frame and the commission. Please allow for these points when pricing your work. 

Prices should include VAT if applicable. If you are VAT registered, please provide a VAT number in the box provided. 

Sold work will be marked with a red dot. The Hunt Museum will not be liable for any loss arising out of the failure by a purchaser to complete a sale or the mis-marking of any sold artwork. 

The museum will collect 25% of the artwork’s price as a deposit on the sale along with the buyer’s contact information and permission to share that information with the artist. The buyer will then pay the balance to the artist prior to collection. If the balance of the purchased artwork has not been paid by the end of the exhibition, the artwork will be released back to the artist for them to complete the transaction. Fully paid for artworks will be released to the buyer.  A price for framed work for artwork with editions, e.g. photography or print, must be included for the catalogue and online sales platform. There is no unframed sales option for editions.

Photography & Copyright

The artist allows the museum to photograph the works and  to use the images of any artwork for publicity and public engagement purposes only. This includes television, print (catalogue, newspapers, trade publications), website (Hunt Museum and others), social media (Hunt Museum and others) and any other method that the organisers deems fit for purpose.

Communications

All communication will be by email or via the online login process. Applicants will be required to login to see if they have been selected and will be asked to download and print their application details to be delivered with the artwork. Failure to do so could result in work being withdrawn from the exhibition. 

Selection

The Selection Committee will select the works for the exhibition. The Selectors will consider all correctly completed submissions. The decision of the Selectors on all matters is final and no correspondence will be entered into. An email reminder will be sent to artists to check their status on the dates listed.

Insurance

Artists are responsible for insuring their own work. All works accepted for exhibition will be displayed entirely at the artists' risk.  Organisers and the museum will not accept liability for loss or damage occurring during the exhibition.

Delivery and Collection

Artists are responsible for the delivery and collection of their work at the Museum. All packaging materials must be removed after delivery (no storage is available for this) and brought back at collection. 

If you are applying from overseas, please consider how you will get your work to and from the exhibition at the required times. We will accept applications from outside the EU, however artists sending works from outside the EU are responsible for payment of any associated duties or taxes. The Hunt Museum will not be responsible for resolving any customs issues that may occur. Artists must ensure that their work reaches us on the designated days and is customs compliant. The Hunt Museum will not pay customs charges, duty or any associated charges on works arriving by courier. It is the artist’s responsibility to ensure that the work is correctly packaged, as the museum will not accept responsibility for work damaged in transit or by any third parties.

Work not collected at the stated times will be subject to a daily charge of €10 and will be disposed of after one week. 

The Hunt Museum will not undertake the wrapping, crating and packing of any artworks.

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 these Terms & 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 museum and associated organisations for promotional and publicity purposes.
• I authorise the museum to share my contact information with the buyer.
• 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

Entry Fees

Non-members:

Maximum number of submissions permitted = 5

1 Submission: £15

2 Submissions: £30

3 Submissions: £45

4 Submissions: £60

5 Submissions: £75

General & Emerging Members

Maximum number of submissions permitted = 5

1 Submission : FREE

2 Submissions:  FREE

3 Submissions:  FREE

4 Submissions:  £10

5 Submissions: £20

3 FREE – cost of submissions included in membership subscription - Please ensure you are a VAS Member with an up-to-date subscription or sign up for membership prior to applying.

Professional Members :

Maximum number of submissions permitted = 5

1 Submission : FREE

2 Submissions:  FREE

3 Submissions:  FREE

4 Submissions:  £10

5 Submissions: £20

3 FREE – cost of submissions included in Membership subscription - Please ensure you are a VAS Member with an up-to-date subscription or sign up for membership prior to applying.

Terms and Conditions

• All entries must be submitted through OESS by the stated deadlines.
• Only works that have been pre-selected via the online submission process will be accepted on the hand-in day.
• All selected works must be for sale.
• There are no restrictions on size, discipline or media.
• Non-members will be charged £15 per submission and can submit up to five works.
• Unless part of a diptych/triptych etc, each artwork must have its own submission. Multiple works submitted on one submission will not be considered.
• Works that will be exhibited framed, must show the frame or a similar example within the submission images.
• There is no entry charge for any VAS Members for the first 3 works submitted.
• A One-Off £15 Administration and installation fee is charged per artist/maker for both Members and non-members that are exhibited. Payment must be made by 18th October 2026 via bank transfer or Stripe link.
• Please ensure all artwork details are correct – titles, prices etc. submitted at this stage will be used for labels, the exhibition catalogue, and online.
• Image files should be JPG or PNG and no more than 3MB large. If you are having problems uploading your images please use image-editing software to resize your image to approximately 1600 pixels wide and then save as a new file.
• Save your image files with your name and the title of your artwork as the file name, eg example.jpg.  Do not include any extra characters such as ‘ ” & % * ( ) < > / ~ # + =

Restrictions

Work submitted must have been completed within the last three years (2024 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.

Artists and makers are responsible for their own Public Liability and Artwork Insurance during transit and when onsite throughout the course of the exhibition - VAS does not insure Members or Non Members artwork on your behalf. 

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.

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.

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.  

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