Join us as we see the annual summer exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts. We have been to this exhibition some of the previous years and the new art on display from members of the academy is always interesting! Afterwards we have fun and discuss our impressions at a nearby bar/restaurant. 

An essential part of the London art calendar, The Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition is the largest open contemporary art exhibition in the world, drawing together a wide range of new and recent work by established, unknown and emerging artists.

Held annually since the Royal Academy's foundation in 1768, the Summer Exhibition is a unique celebratory showcase for art of all styles and media, encompassing paintings, sculpture, photography, prints, architectural models, film, and artist's books. Historically, the exhibition has also provided an opportunity for Royal Academicians, many of whom are internationally renowned, to show their work.

Following long Academy tradition, the exhibition is curated by an annually rotating committee of Royal Academicians who are all practicing artists and architects. Any artist may enter work for selection - over 12,000 works are submitted for consideration every year and around 1200 are exhibited. The Academy works hard to encourage a diverse range of artists to enter and, as a result, well over 100 artists are included every year who have not previously exhibited in the Summer Exhibition. The show provides an unrivalled opportunity for exhibitors to sell their work and have it seen by the 200,000 visitors that the exhibition draws during its three-month run; all artists are strongly encouraged to enter work that is available for sale.

This will be a unique presentation of recent and new work of all sizes by both artists from open submission and from the Academicians. The aim is to exploit the grandeur of the Academy’s principal room with a memorably dense and rich visual experience.

Taking advantage of all available hanging space, paintings will be hung from the dado rail to the picture rail. The ambition of the Committee is that by the careful arrangement of the hang, each work will be properly seen and ‘read’ in its space, and that the cumulative effect - which will have echoes of Summer Exhibitions of past years - will be to infuse the gallery with life and energy, providing a central focus to the exhibition and contrasting dramatically with other more sparsely-hung rooms.

This year the Architecture Room will be located in Gallery VI and the Architecture Members hanging this gallery, Piers Gough RA and Alan Stanton RA, are keen to receive modestly sized works in the usual media – models, drawings and high quality photographs.

As in previous years, a major work of sculpture will be presented as part of the Summer Exhibition in the Annenberg Courtyard.

Details: We are meeting on the steps in front of the RA at 12.00 and will go in shortly after. Ticket are £11.50 and can be booked on-line here. Should you wish to purchase art that is something you can arrange on the day. :)

We will go for a drink/meal after the exhibition. Look forward to seeing you there!