It gives me enormous pleasure to welcome you to the 165th Annual Open Exhibition of the Society of Women Artists at the Mall Galleries. This exhibition is always a highlight of our year, and it's a joy to share with you the breadth, energy, and quality of work being created by women artists today. 

For over a century and a half, the Society has championed women artists, offering a space where established and emerging voices can be seen together. That sense of connection and shared purpose feels especially important now, and the Open Exhibition remains at the heart of everything we do. 

This year, our selection panel reviewed more than 2,500 submissions - a remarkable and inspiring response. There were so many works of real merit that narrowing the selection was no easy task, and we were genuinely sorry not to be able to include more. I do hope you enjoy the final selection of over 450 works, representing artists from across the UK and beyond. 

Supporting the next generation of women artists is something we care deeply about. It's a real pleasure to include work by students and recent graduates, whose confidence, originality, and fresh perspectives bring such vitality to the exhibition. Many of these graduates were first identified by Art Historian and Curator, Jo McLaughlin, following extensive research and studio visits across the UK in the run-up to the 2025 Battersea Affordable Art Fair Graduate Exhibition, which she curated. My sincere thanks go to Jo for her encouragement and support in this area - we are also delighted that she will be joining us as guest speaker at our Young Artists' Initiative event. 

There is much to enjoy during the exhibition. Our members will be giving demonstrations throughout the week, visitors are invited to vote for their favourite work, and our raffle - featuring a wonderful album of members' original signed artworks - will raise funds to support young artists. 

Welcoming new members is always a special moment for the Society, and I warmly congratulate our new full members: Rachel Arif, Asya Dudko, Svetlana Kornilova, Caroline Mackintosh, Jane Morgan and Sally Ward. We were also delighted by the strength of this year's membership applications and are pleased to welcome our new Associate Members: Huihua Bi, Jane Molineaux Boon, Julie Cross, Denise Doran, Sarah Jennings, Sarah Muwanga, Gail Reid, Rebecca Swainston, and Lotta Teale. 

I would like to extend heartfelt thanks to our sponsors, supporters, and everyone who works so hard behind the scenes to make this exhibition possible. We are, as ever, deeply grateful to our loyal, long-standing Patron, HRH Princess Michael of Kent, for her continued support. 

On a personal note, I would like to thank our Council for their generosity of time, energy, and spirit. It is their commitment that ensures the Society continues to thrive more than 170 years after it was founded. My thanks also go to our Executive Secretary, Rebecca Cotton, for her constant support, patience, and good humour, and to the excellent team at the Mall Galleries for all they do to bring the exhibition together so beautifully.

I do hope you enjoy exploring the exhibition as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to life. 

Rachel Parker

President, Society of Women Artists