Fine Arts Awards

Fine Arts Awards

Amba Sayal-Bennett, Lor, 2022.
Lara Smithson, Unnamed saint, 2022.
Barbara Walker, Marking the Moment 6, 2020-2022.

Abbey Awards

The Abbey Awards support artists whose primary practice is painting—UK and US citizens or residents—who are ready to deepen, challenge, and evolve their work. These prestigious residencies offer a rare opportunity to live and create at the BSR, surrounded by a vibrant community of artists and scholars.

Each year, we offer:

  • Three Abbey Fellowships (3 months each) for mid-career artists

  • One Abbey Scholarship (9 months) for an early-career artist

Award-holders receive a spacious, live-in studio in our historic building, shared communal meals, and a monthly stipend to support focused, uninterrupted creative work.

At the BSR, artists are given the freedom to reflect, experiment, and grow—immersed in the visual richness and layered history of Rome. Whether developing new ideas or refining your practice, the Abbey Awards provide the time and space to thrive.

Eligibility: Open to UK and US citizens and long-term residents (resident for a consecutive 5 of the last 10 years). There is no age limit.

Applications open each October. Click here to learn more and apply.

Latest Events

Latest Events

ITALY
Exhibition | 125 years of archaeology at the British School at Rome
As part of the celebrations of the 125th anniversary of the British School at Rome, a small photographic exhibition will be held celebrating its archaeological
15 October 2026
18:00 - 21:00
ITALY
Rushforth Lecture | Converging Romeward: British Visitors to Mediaeval Rome
British visitors to Rome in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries provide unique insights of the mediaeval cityscape and its inhabitants. They scrutinize ancient ruins and
28 October 2026
18:00 - 19:30
ITALY
Exhibition | Cent’anni a Roma: The Abbey Awards, 1926–2026
Founded by Gertrude Abbey in 1926, the Incorporated Edwin Austin Abbey Memorial Scholarships (now the Abbey Awards) have supported generations of British and American painters
4 November 2026
18:00 - 21:00

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