This year Oil Painters of America is once again returning to the prestigious Beverly McNeil Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama, this time for the 2025 Eastern Regional Exhibition. The show will open on Thursday, September 11 and run through Saturday, October 11. The opening reception and awards ceremony will take place on Thursday evening, September 11 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm with the awards presentation beginning at 6:00 pm.
If you have previously visited Birmingham and have already seen the Birmingham Museum of Art and the Birmingham Botanic Gardens you might want to visit the world’s largest cast iron statue “Vulcan” at the Vulcan Park and Museum. This statue was named after the Roman god of fire and forge and symbolizes the city’s iron origins. Another site of interest might be America’s oldest baseball stadium, Rickwood Field, which is now a museum dedicated to the history of baseball. In addition to these sites, Birmingham is known for it’s varied southern cuisine and offers a multitude of exceptional restaurants.
Our goal is to assemble approximately 100 of the finest representational oil paintings by our Associate and Signature
members, as well as paintings by our Master Signature artists. The focus in the jurying process will be to select paintings that show the highest quality in draftsmanship, color, and composition, emphasizing a diversity in representational style and subject matter.
The total awards will be approximately $12,000 in cash and merchandise.
The awarding juror will be an OPA Signature or Master Signature member.
Artists eligible to compete are 2025 OPA members who are citizens of the United States and Canada who reside in:
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Labrador, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Newfoundland, North Carolina, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Current members who are citizens, both natural born or otherwise, of the United States or Canada are eligible to participate regardless of where they live. For sake of convenience, citizens who reside elsewhere will compete in the region that corresponds with their last place of residence within North America. Nonresident aliens who currently live in the above states of the United States or Canada, may also be eligible to participate. Please see eligibility details on the OPA website.
Awards and Jurors
- Awards: The total awards will be approximately $12,000 in cash and merchandise.
- Jurors:
The awarding juror will be an OPA Signature of Master Signature member.
Show Information
- Entry: Online Submissions — Deadline: Thursday, July 10, 2025 Electronic applications will be accepted beginning Monday, April 21, 2025. Maximum canvas size may not exceed 1,200 square inches (unframed). Maximum file size is 5mb. Please upload a JPG,JPEG, PNG or HEIC with a filename that only contains alphanumeric characters. The minimum size for image uploads is 1400 pixels (px) in the longest dimension. However, for best results we recommend your image size be closer to the maximum size of 4000 pixels in the longest dimension. To submit your electronic application and images, please go directly to: http://www.oilpaintersofamerica.com and look for OPA’s 2025 Eastern Regional Exhibition. Jurying Fees The jurying fee for entries is: first painting is $35.00, second painting is $15.00 and third painting is $10. Only one painting can be accepted. Electronic payment may be made by credit card or through Stripe. No e-checks will be accepted. Membership You must be a paid member through December 31, 2025 at a cost of $80.00. If you are not a member of OPA you must apply and be accepted before the system will allow you to enter the exhibition. To apply for membership go to the OPA website and look for the Member Services menu. If you are a renewing member and have not paid your dues for 2025 the system will not accept your exhibition entry. To renew your membership, go to the Member Services menu on the OPA website.
- General Information: Artists will receive 50% of sale price with the other 50% going to the gallery and OPA. Please take this into consideration when setting your price. All work that is submitted must be for sale. No NFS. Paintings must be priced in accordance with the artist’s current pricing structure. Delivery and Return of Accepted Work Delivery for Local Artists: Deliver uncrated paintings to Beverly McNeil Gallery, 605 28th St. S., Birmingham, AL from August 26 through September 5. Hand delivered work should be picked up on October 12. Out of Town Artists: ship to Beverly McNeil Gallery, 605 28th St. S., Birmingham, AL 35233 to arrive from August 25 to September 2. Handling Fee: Out of Town Artists must pay a $25.00 fee online prior to their painting being hung. This fee covers the expense of uncrating, storage of crates, recrating and contacting your shipper for return. Artist may elect to include a return shipping label with their painting OR may email the label directly to Beverly McNeil Gallery. OPA will waive the uncrating fee for artists who use a commercially manufactured artist’s/strong box such as a StrongBox™ by Airfloat Systems, or similar brands, like Masterpak, Uline, or a FedEx Premium Art Box (not a FedEx Large Frame Box). NOTE: Home Depot boxes are NOT included in the list of boxes for which the fee will be waived. Artists who do not use one of these special boxes are required to remit the $25 prior to hanging of the painting. Strong boxes will be returned to the artists at the conclusion of the show at the artist’s expense. PLEASE, NO WOODEN CRATES!
- Show Rules: Show Rules can be found here: Show Rules
- Eligible Artists: Artists eligible to compete are citizens of the United States and Canada who reside in: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Labrador, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Newfoundland, North Carolina, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, who are 2023 OPA members. Members that are citizens, both natural born or otherwise, of the United States or Canada are eligible to participate regardless of where they live. For sake of convenience, citizens who reside elsewhere will compete in the region that corresponds with their last place of residence within North America. Nonresident aliens who currently live in the above states of the United States or Canada, are eligible to participate provided that they have been physically present at the address provided to OPA for eight of the last twelve months and that the residency is considered to be their permanent domicile and that they are 2025 OPA members. Nonresident aliens whose North American residency is in question will be asked to provide proof of residency including, but not limited to, employment history, references, and utility bills in the individual’s name. The decision of the Board is final.
- Liabilities and Responsibilities: Oil Painters of America and Beverly McNeil Gallery will not be responsible for loss or damage of any artwork, no matter what the cause. By submitting artwork to this exhibition, each artist will be deemed to have concurred with this agreement. Artists pay for shipping both ways. We suggest that you provide insurance to cover the full value of the artwork while in transit. Good Luck and Good Painting
- Opa Membership: Not a member and want to enter the Eastern Regional Exhibition? Learn how to become a member
Events
- July 30, 2025
- Location: OPA Website
