Gill Govan: Composition in Gold
Mull Highland Games
Art Prize Exhibition
The purpose of the Highland Art Prize is to promote Highland art on a national scale and raise the profile of local artists working across the Highlands and Islands. Together with a cash prize of £1,000 for the winning artwork, the winning artist will also have the opportunity to mount an exhibition during 2027 in a street-front space at The Briggait cultural hub in central Glasgow, courtesy of Wasps – Scotland’s studio specialists, and the UK’s largest provider of studio and creatives spaces.
The winning artwork will be selected by a panel of independent judges during the course of the Royal National Mòd week, to be announced at a prize giving ceremony at 12.30pm on Friday 16th October 2026; and the exhibition will be promoted as part of the Royal National Mòd by An Comunn Gàidhealach. There will also be a prize for the highly-commended runner-up. For the 2026 Highland Art Prize, only two-dimensional artwork can be accepted.
There is no entry fee or hanging fee for the exhibition, and there is no requirement for the submitted artworks to be for sale. However, it would be the responsibility of the artist and/or art organisation to arrange delivery of the artworks to the gallery in the week before the exhibition; to arrange collection of them in the three days immediately after the exhibition; and to ensure that the artworks are insured throughout. The gallery will provide the facility to sell artwork if requested, for 30% commission.
The details of each submission (including title, dimensions, sale status, artist, artist contact details, corresponding Art Association, Art Association contact details) and a high-quality photograph (to be displayed for up to one year on this website, or ongoing if selected for the shortlist or winner) must be submitted on or before 15th September 2026. Each artwork should be the sole work of the submitting artist, and should have been completed in the preceding 15 months; photographic work is not eligible.
Whilst there are no specific geographical limitations in relation to artists or art organisations and no thematic guidelines for the artworks, the purpose of the exhibition is to celebrate the art and culture of the Highlands and Islands in conjunction with the Royal National Mòd. Given capacity constraints, artworks submitted with one or more dimension greater than 100cm are not guaranteed to be displayed continuously throughout the exhibition week; but they remain eligible for the competition in any event.
The Briggait
The Highland Society of London is delighted to announce that the Highland Art Prize will return for a fifth year in conjunction with An Comunn Gàidhealach as part of the Royal National Mòd from Friday 9th October to Saturday 17th October 2026, during which the 70+ artworks comprising the Highland Art Prize exhibition will be open to the public at The Briggait, 141 Bridgegate, Glasgow G1 5HZ, courtesy of Wasps.
We are also grateful to Wasps, the UK’s largest provider of studios and creative spaces, for once again offering the winning artist the opportunity to mount an exhibition during 2027 in a street-front space at The Briggait in central Glasgow. For more details about participating in this year’s Highland Art Prize, please review the Entries page for details.