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.