Welcome to Paisley Art Institute
Supporting Artists since 1876
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You are invited to attend a free live demo of soft pastel by award winning Scottish Artist Lynn Howarth DA. Lynn will take you through here entire process as she shares her tips and techniques in soft pastel.
After the demo you can enjoy a lovely lunch in the club and browse the fabulous PAI Annual Exhibition. Tuesday 5th May at 11.00-13.00.
It's a milestone year for us! PAI has promoted and supported the work of artists since 1876 and continues to provide a platform for contemporary painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture with its programme of exhibitions, demonstrations and talks.
This year we plan to offer enhanced awards, with a top prize of £2000, The Sir Peter Coats Award, others at £1000 and about 30 other awards. We are also encouraging young artists with a recent graduate award.
We will take a unique award to the RSA who are celebrating 200yrs when we present the £500, 'Paisley Art Institute 150th award' to some lucky winner in Edinburgh. We have judges from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Thompsons Galleries London, coming to talent scout. Our sales have risen every year since we had to move to the Glasgow Art Club with it's city centre footfall and historic Mackintosh Gallery.
This year we are also accepting entries via the Olist for the first time, and expect a larger open entry thanks to the increased reach of this popular online platform.
The 137th Annual Open Exhibition takes place at the Glasgow Art Club, 185 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4HU.
Telephone 0141 248 5210.
The exhibition runs from 25th April through to the 23rd May. Monday to Saturday 10.00-19.00.
Member and Open entry is now available. All enquiries to
Celebrating 150 years of the Paisley Art Institute.
This year we celebrate 150 years as an Institute with our 137th Annual Open Exhibition and we invite artists to submit work to exhibit alongside PAI artist members. Our new home is in the prestigious Glasgow Art Club, situated in the historic Blythswood area of Glasgow and famous for its main gallery with internal features designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh.
PAI has promoted and supported the work of artists since 1867 and continues to provide a platform for contemporary painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture with its programme of exhibitions, demonstrations and talks. This year we plan to offer enhanced awards with a top prize of £2000 and about 30 other awards.
Download a copy of our exhibition information pack here.
Members can submit artwork for the exhibition here.
Open entry to the exhibition this year is initially by image upload, you can submit here.
For all exhibition enquiries, please contact us at
An open call for Artists to submit artwork to our Annual Exhibition. Selected works will be shown alongside PAI Artist members.
Artwork to be handed into the exhibition venue 27th-28th March. Exhibition schedule and entry details will be available soon.
Next year is a very significant one for PAI as it marks 150 years promoting art under that name. Before we were called an Institute, we were the Fine Art Society. If we combine the two periods we will have our 200 years anniversary in 2029. We go back to before Paisley had an art school. In fact we were the driving force to establish one.
Paisley Historic art has been on display in Glasgow Art Club since summer 2024. Public can visit 10am till 5pm. In April and May 26, you will see 500 works of living artists as well as the historic items, and be able to enjoy lunch, and perhaps join us, or the Club.
Fra Newberry's ' Paisley Shawl' is our flagship painting. Do come visit her soon!