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.