A reference guide to art institution abbreviations, and the initials found after artists' names.
A | Associate |
AA | Architectural Association |
AAA | Allied Artists' Association |
ABNA | Association of British Naive Artists |
AEB | Art Exhibitions Bureau |
AG | Art Gallery |
AIA | Artists' International Association |
AOI | Association of Illustrators |
ARA | Associate of the Royal Academy |
ARCA | Associate of the Royal College of Art OR Associate of the Royal Cambrian Academy |
ARHA | Associate of the Royal Hibernain Academy |
ARPE | Associate of the Royal Society of Painters and Etchers |
ARSA | Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy |
ARSW | Associate of the Royal Scottish Watercolour Society |
ARWS | Associate of the Royal Watercolour Society |
AWG | Art Workers' Guild |
B | Royal Society of Artists, Birmingham |
BAG | British Artists in Glass |
BI | British Institution (established as a rival to the RA) |
BM | British Museum |
BSM | British Society of Miniaturists |
BSOE | British Society of Enamellers |
Bt. | Baronet |
BWS | British Watercolour Society |
CAS | Contemporary Art Society |
CASW | Contemporary Art Society for Wales |
CEMA | Council for the Encouragement of Music and the Arts |
CSD | Chartered Society of Designers (formerly the SIAD) |
EAGMA | East Anglian Group of Marine Artists |
F | Fellow OR Founder Member |
FAS | Fine Art Society |
FP | Founder President |
FPS | The Free Painters, Sculptors and Printmakers (formerly the Free Painters Group) |
FRSA | Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts |
FSA | Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries |
GG | Grosvenor Gallery (1877-90) |
GI | Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts |
H / Hon. | Honorary Member OR Honorary |
HS | Hilliard Society of Miniaturists |
IAL | Institute of Artists in Landscape |
ICA | Institute of Contemporary Arts |
IEA | Institute of East Anglian Artists |
IS | International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers |
L or WAGL | Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool |
LAA | Liverpool Academy of Arts |
LG | London Group |
LS | London Salon |
M or MCG | Manchester City Art Gallery |
MAFA | Manchester Academy of Fine Arts |
MASF | The Miniature Art Society of Florida |
MPSGS | The Miniature Painters, Sculptors & Gravers Society of Washington, D.C. |
Nat Gall | National Gallery, London |
NA | National Academy of Design (New York) |
NBA | North British Academy |
NEAC | New English Art Club |
NG | New Gallery (Founded 1888) |
NPG | National Portrait Gallery, London |
NPS | National Portrait Society |
NS | National Society of Painters, Sculptors and Gravers/Printmakers |
NSA | New Society of Artists OR Nottingham Society of Artists |
NWG | North Wales Group |
NWS | New Watercolour Society (see RI) |
OM | Order of Merit |
OWS | Old Watercolour Society (see RWS) |
P | President |
PP | Past President |
PAI | Paisley Art Institute |
PS | Pastel Society |
PVP | Past Vice President |
RA | Royal Academy of Arts or Royal Academician |
RBA | Royal Society of British Artists OR Royal Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street (SS) (See also SBA) |
RBC | Royal British Colonial Society of Artists |
RBS | Royal British Society of Sculptors (from 2003, formerly the Royal Society of British Sculptors) |
RBSA | Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, OR Member Royal Birmingham Society of Artists |
RCA | Member of the Royal Cambrian Academy, Manchester; Royal Canadian Academy; Royal College of Art, London |
RCamA | Royal Cambrian Academy |
RE | Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers/Painter-Printmakers (see RPE) |
RDI | Royal Designer for Industry |
RGI | Royal Glasgow Institute of Fine Art |
RHA | Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin OR Member Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin |
RI | Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours (formerly NWS) or Member Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolours |
RIBA | Royal Institute of British Architects or Member Royal Institute of British Architects |
RMS | Royal Miniature Society (Royal Society of Miniature Painters Sculptors and Gravers) |
ROI | Royal Institute of Oil Painters OR Member Royal Institute of Oil Painters |
RP | Royal Society of Portrait Painters |
RPE | Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers (later RE) OR Member Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers |
RPS | Royal Photographic Society |
RS | Royal Society |
RSA | Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce; Royal Scottish Academy OR Member Royal Scottish Academy |
RSMA | Royal Society of Marine Artists |
RSW | Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours OR Member Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolours |
RUA | Royal Ulster Academy |
RWA | Royal West of England Academy |
RWS | Royal Watercolour Society (formerly OWS) OR Member Royal Watercolour Society |
SBA | Society of British Artists, Suffolk Street Founded 1824 (See RBA) Also: Society of Botanical Artists |
SC | Senefelder Club |
SEA / SEq.A | Society of Equestrian Artists, OR Society for Education in Art |
SGA | Society of Graphic Art |
SGFA | Society of Graphic Fine Art (formerly The Society of Graphic Art) |
SIAD | Society of Industrial Artists and Designers (formerly the Society of Industrial Artists) |
SM | Society of Miniaturists |
SMP | Society of Mural Painters |
SOFA | Society of Feline Artists |
SPS | Society of Portrait Sculptors |
SS | Suffolk Street (See RBA) |
SSA | Society of Scottish Artists |
SSWA | Scottish Society of Women Artists |
STISA | St. Ives Society of Artists |
SWA | Society of Women Artists |
SWAS | South Wales Art Society |
SWE | Society of Wood Engravers |
SWG | South Wales Group/The Welsh Group |
SWLA | Society of Wildlife Artists |
TWASI | The Wildlife Art Society International |
UA | United Society of Artists |
VP | Vice-President |
WAC | Welsh Arts Council/The Arts Council of Wales |
WIAC | Women's International Art Club |
WSW | Watercolour Society of Wales |
A list of abbreviations commonly used when describing pictures and art may be found here.