The British Art Medal Society Annual Student Medal Project, 2026
The British Art Medal Society Annual Student Medal Project, 2026
2 May to 6 June 2026
New Ashgate Gallery, Farnham
Now in its 33rd year, this annual exhibition brings together medal work from leading UK art schools and invited international academies. Alongside the student presentation, the exhibition includes work by artists from the British Art Medal Society New Medallist Scheme, supported by the Belvedere Trust. Selected works are available for sale. The exhibition coincides with the British Art Medal Society’s 2026 conference in Farnham, taking place from 8–10 May.
The British Art Medal Society Annual Student Medal Project, 2026, the 33rd year
Now in its 33rd year, the British Art Medal Society's Student Medal Project brings together work from leading UK art schools and invited international academies. The project supports and encourages the practice of lost-wax casting in bronze, with a focus on bas relief - a demanding and increasingly rare skill within contemporary art education.
The art medal is a distinctive form. It is a small, two-sided artwork designed to be held in the hand. Its scale invites close looking. Form, image and text come together to create a narrative that unfolds as the object is turned. Rooted in Renaissance traditions, the medal continues to offer artists a space for experimentation and personal expression.
This year's exhibition presents a wide range of responses. Subjects move from landscape and mythology to social and environmental concerns. Across the display, there is a strong sense of curiosity and technical ambition, as students test material, surface and narrative.
Alongside the student presentation, the exhibition also includes work by artists selected through the British Art Medal Society New Medallist Scheme, supported by the Belvedere Trust. Established in 2005, the scheme supports emerging artists through mentoring, research visits and professional development, enabling them to develop a sustained practice in medal making.
These works show the discipline at a professional level. Themes range from ecology and the human condition to time, memory and personal experience. Selected works by New Medallists are available for sale.
The 2026 prize-winning medals highlight the strength of this year's submissions:
- Sienna Williams - Drowned Lands (Leeds Arts University)
- Henry Plumb - Just had to carry on (West Dean College)
- Leonie Steinhauer - Wings and Blossoms - A Symbiosis (Pforzheim University)
- Evie Black - Penny for Your Thoughts (Leeds Arts University)
- Jocelyn Trevena - Many A Mus Makes A Mickle (City & Guilds of London Art School)
- Scarlet Brown - Escapism (Leeds Arts University)
- Toby Williams - A Ship at Sea (Birmingham City University)
- Lena Latifa - Mined Minds (Glasgow Kelvin College)
- Leila Omerova - Evge (Homeward) (University of Edinburgh)
- Jemima Benbow - An Icy Dip (Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design).
For collectors, art medals offer an accessible way to own original bronze work. As cast pieces, they are produced in editions while retaining the integrity of the artist's hand. Their scale and tactility make them works to return to, to hold, and to share.
The exhibition coincides with the British Art Medal Society's 2026 conference in Farnham (8-10 May). The programme brings together artists, curators and collectors. Student Medal Project is supported by the Goldsmiths' Centre.
Dates
2 May to 6 June 2026
Venue
New Ashgate Gallery, Wagon Yard/Lower Church La, Farnham GU9 7PS
View the catalogue:
BAMS Student Medal Project Catalogue 2026
For more information
Image Credit:
Jocelyn Trevena - Many A Mus Makes A Mickle (Lunts Prize)
City & Guilds Of London Art School
£700.00
