How to exhibit at RHS Botanical Art Show 2027 (Part 1: How to get approved to exhibit)

This is for all those who want to learn about how to submit an entry to the most prestigious botanical art exhibition in the world - the RHS Botanical Art Show.  
​It's a summary of what you need to do - with current dates for next year's show.

Part 1 (this post) covers "how to get approved to exhibit".

Put simply, you cannot exhibit unless you have been approved as meeting at least the "silver medal standard".

I have a VERY LONG page on my website which explains everything in more detail. 
See RHS ​Botanical Art Shows: How to Exhibit | How to Visit (or click the pic below and open in a new tab),  This covers:

• RHS Botanical Art Show: How to Exhibit
• ESSENTIAL READING: RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show Exhibitor Factsheet 2006
• MY QUICK READ SUMMARY of current information about exhibiting at the RHS Botanical Art Show.
• How to Display Your Botanical Art at the RHS Botanical Art Show in 2027 & Future Years
• Regulations and Guidance
  • #1.  How to be "approved to exhibit"​
  • ​#2 The Selection Meeting - the approval process by the RHS
  • #3 What to exhibit
  • #4 TRY to VISIT THE SHOW - BEFORE you decide your theme or start your project (plus how to visit the 2026 show)
  • #5 How to apply for a space at a SPECIFIC RHS Exhibition of Botanical Art
  • #6 How to present your botanical artwork and exhibit 
  • #7 How botanical artwork is judged at the RHS Show
  • #8 How to win an RHS Gold Medal

RHS Botanical Art Shows - under Exhibitions Section on the Botanical Art and Artists website

There is also the RHS Botanical Art & Photography Show artists factsheet (2026)  which provides guidance for those wanting to exhibit - but at the moment we only have the version for the 2026 Show.

Selection Meeting: How to be approved to exhibit

The #1 thing which makes this exhibition different is that you cannot apply for a space in the exhibition before you have been approved to exhibit by the RHS.

In other words, the standard of your artwork is assessed BEFORE you can apply to exhibit in a specific annual exhibition.

• The Selection Meeting considers submissions from artists wanting to be "approved to exhibit" in the next five years
• Successful applicants MAY then be able to exhibit at the exhibition in the following year
• WHEN you can exhibit depends on:
  • the competition for space from previously approved artists 
  • how many are approved to exhibit at this meeting
  • how many artists are coming to the end of their five years approval period

Hence - for all new potential botanical artists wanting to exhibit with RHS - there is  a Selection Meeting to determine who may exhibit with the RHS within the five years from 2027. 

The Selection Meeting this year will take place on Thursday 8 October 2026.
​

What you need to submit to get approved

The RHS Botanical Art Judging Panel need to assess and approve you as a botanical artist who meets the standard.

This takes place once a year at the SELECTION MEETING.

You need to submit a sample of four pieces of botanical artwork

• you can submit these as high quality prints
• each print should be representative of the size and quality of the original artwork
• each print must be labelled - on the reverse (use a label!) - with:
  • title of artwork
  • date of painting
  • medium used
  • artist's name and title
  • postal address
  • email address
• this applies to both UK and international artists

In terms of getting the artwork to the Selection Meeting:

• Prints should be sent rolled in a poster tube
• Send this to RHS Lindley Library addressed to:
  • ​Botanical Art Panel Secretary, RHS Lindley Library, 80 Vincent Square, London SW1P 2PE UK
• by Tuesday 22 September 2026 (i.e. 10 weeks from today!)
• all international artists should mark the tube as having a value of £0 (Otherwise it does't get out of Customs)

Note that no prints are returned.

The Selection Meeting then takes place just over two weeks later.
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Do you want to apply as a Group?
​

You can apply to exhibit as a group HOWEVER.....

• An artist can no longer apply to exhibit - as a member of a group of artists - on the strength of one picture.  (I'm assuming the reason is there have been group exhibits badly let down by the calibre of artwork by one or two artists)
• EACH ARTIST in the group should already be approved to exhibit as a solo artist. 

​In other words a group of six would require approval of EACH of the six different artists as if they were exhibiting on their own.
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​What happens at the Selection Meeting
​

Assessment and selection is undertaken by the Botanical Art Panel Judges - and you can see some of them below. This a link to who are the current RHS Botanical Art Judges

Botanical Art Panel Judges (left to right): Masumi Yamanaka, Helen Allen (Moderator), Gillian Barlow (Chair) Dr Andrew Brown and Deborah Lambkin.

Selection criteria focus on:

• Quality of botanical illustration
• Quality of the presentation
• Overall impression 

A very high standard of work (equivalent to at least a Silver RHS medal) is required to be selected to display botanical illustration, judged by the RHS. Emphasis is placed primarily on botanical accuracy in combination with aesthetic appeal. Artists should present examples of their work that is of the highest quality and has been completed recently (and at least within 5 years). 

After the selection meeting the Secretary will write to each artist, informing them of the Panel’s assessment.

Accepted artists should stage an exhibit within 5 years, otherwise they must be assessed and approved again. 

IF you are accepted as meeting the standard required:

• Your contact details are held on a mailing list for five years from the date of acceptance or most recent exhibition 
• Invitations to exhibit are issued by the RHS Shows Department
• Eligible artists may apply for space.
• It may not be possible to accommodate all of the artists who apply for space. If this is the case,
  • selection criteria will be employed taking into consideration previous exhibition and medal history. 
  • priority is given to first time exhibitors and those coming to the end of the five year approval period.

TIP: I have been saying for years you really need to aim to win Gold or Silver Gilt at your first attempt because there will a point when any less might mean you only then get that first chance. Whereas artists with good track records (eg Gold and Silver Gilt Medallists) have repeat visits to the show with new exhibits.

In Part 2, for those approved to exhibit (or aiming to be so), I'll highlight all the different ways you can help yourself to achieve a good medal. 

FIND OUR MORE about the RHS Botanical Art Show on the following Pages on this website:

• RHS ​Botanical Art Shows: How to Exhibit | How to Visit - the expanded fuller vision of this post - plus the rest of what you need to do
• ARCHIVE: RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2026 - you can view gold medal winning exhibits
• Exhibit Titles at RHS Botanical Art Shows 2007-2026 - and see how these have changed over the years
• Tips from RHS Gold Medal Winners - from when I used to be able to interview all of them