Background
For almost 300 years the Royal Dublin Society has responded to the needs and priorities of Ireland, addressing gaps in the development of our culture and economy that have shaped the country.
The RDS has a proud history of supporting the arts and was central to the establishment of several of our national cultural institutions. By 1877, the Society had created or nurtured four major cultural institutions to support artists and showcase the best of Irish arts and culture: The National Museum of Ireland, The National Library, The National Gallery and National College of Art and Design.
The RDS Foundation Arts Programme today provides significant financial support, as well as performance, studio, residency and exhibition opportunities to artists starting out in their professional careers.
The RDS Visual Art Awards is a flagship RDS Foundation project and is part of the wider RDS Foundation Arts which provides a programme to support emerging artists encouraging the pursuit of a career in visual art, craft and classical music. The RDS Visual Art Awards offers the most comprehensive assessment of graduate work in Ireland undertaken on a thirty-two-county basis. The competitive process is transparent, highly regarded and harnesses the expertise of some of the best visual arts professionals working in Ireland. Inclusion in the exhibition has a proven positive impact on the accelerated career progression of emerging artists.
Notes on completing the RDS Visual Art Award Application Form
The RDS Visual Arts Award judging panel are looking for potential Awardees who are able to create confident, enthusiastic and compelling applications.
The judging panel strongly encourages you to demonstrate positively and succinctly why your exceptional creative talent and passion make you an excellent candidate for an Award.
Your application must provide strong, accurate evidence that clearly demonstrates your outstanding ability.
This form can be saved.
Eligibility Criteria
Other/Overseas Applicants
Final year BA and MA students whose final year show took place outside of the traditional window for degree show, are eligible to apply. Irish final year BA and MA students enrolled in overseas art colleges are also eligible to apply through this form.
2025 BA and MA graduates, whose degree show took place between July 2025-April 2026, whose work was not already assessed for the 2025 RDS Visual Art Awards, are also eligible to apply.
Conditions of Entry
There is no fee for entering.
The deadline for receipt of applications is 30 June 2026 at 23.59 IST. No applications will be accepted after this date.
The RDS requires you to upload six high quality clear images of your work in jpg format. Please include at least one photo of your work as displayed in your degree show. They should be saved with your name and title of work in JPEG format. Ensure all contact details and details of your artwork are correct. Each photo should be sent in jpg format, minimum size 800 x 600 px and maximum size 2 Mb.
This information will be used in relation to ALL correspondence and for the purpose of print and publicity material.
All entries are automatically considered for the available awards.
If shortlisted by the judging panel you will agree to:
- Consent to be filmed for the RDS Visual Art Award video.
- Consent for the video of your work to be shown during the VAA exhibition at the RDS.
- Attend the Artists' Briefing day on 6 October, 2026.
- Attend the VAA exhibition preview on 5 November, 2026.
- Attend the RDS Foundation Arts Award Ceremony on 19 November, 2026.
- All applicants must take care of the accuracy of the information provided because it will be used in marketing and the exhibition display.
The judges’ decisions are final, and no correspondence will be entered into after the Awards.
For more information see RDS Visual Art Awards - RDS
For any other enquiries please email: arts@rds.ie