Art Friend is seeking artists who submitted work to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition but weren’t selected and still have their artwork available. Rejects will run from 3rd–13th July 2025 at Stokey Pop Up (147 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 0NY). All artwork must be delivered on 1st July.

REJECTS is back!

Due to popular demand, Rejects is returning to London this summer to celebrate incredible artworks that didn’t make it into the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition—but absolutely deserve to be seen!

Art Friend is a friendly, down-to-earth gallery that aims to make everyone feel welcome in the art world. We’re looking for artists who submitted work to the RA Summer Exhibition, weren’t selected, and still have their artwork available.

Exhibition Details

Dates:

3rd–13th July 2025

Artwork Requirements:

Must be framed, ready to hang, and delivered on 1st July. Any unsold work must be collected on 13th or 14th July.

Commission:

50/50 split

Exclusivity:

Work must be exclusive to Art Friend for the duration of the show and for two months afterward (exceptions can be made for print editions).

Promotion:

We ask participating artists to share details of the exhibition via social media and newsletters (if applicable).

Last year, Rejects was a huge success, with coverage in The Guardian, LOTI, and even on BBC Radio! This year, we’re excited to make it even bigger.

How to Apply

Due to limited space and curation requirements, we won’t be able to accept every submission. We know this isn’t ideal, but we want to be upfront. By applying, you acknowledge that selection is not guaranteed.

Deadline:

8th June 2025 (to include artists rejected in the second round). However, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible, as space is limited and curation will begin before the deadline.

Application Fee: 

We are charging a £5.60 application fee per artwork, maximum of 2 submissions to help cover the administrative costs of processing submissions and organising the exhibition. This fee is non-refundable and applies to all applicants.

By applying, you agree to our exhibition terms as outlined above.

We’re looking forward to seeing your work! Due to the high volume of submissions, we may not be able to respond to everyone straight away—but we appreciate every entry.