The society was established in 1891 by Walter Tyrwhitt, with the aim of encouraging art in the city of Oxford and also the University.
[1] Its first president was Hubert von Herkomer (1849–1914), a Royal Academician who succeeded John Ruskin as the Slade Professor of Fine Art at Oxford.
The 2018 Open Exhibition was held in The Cloister Gallery at St John the Evangelist Church, Oxford.
[3] In 2019, it was held at The Oxfordshire Museum in the town of Woodstock, north of Oxford.
[2] She was on a panel of experts selecting artworks for the 2018 The Oxford Art Book.