EXHIBITIONS & EVENTS NEWS & BLOG ARTISTS   SHOP SUPPORT VISIT ABOUT The 2012 Hanging Committee selecting works for the 244th Summer Exhibition About the RA Living artists. Leading art. Who we are Led by artists Britain's first art school Exhibitions Summer Exhibition Our Collection Our future Our story Annual Report We exist to promote art and artists – a mission we pursue through exhibitions, education and debate. Who we are What makes us different? We are an Academy. We have much in common with museums and other galleries, but we have a broader role – to promote not just the appreciation and understanding of art, but also its practice. We are artist-led. Our artists represent many different perspectives, but we all share a deep commitment to art and a strong belief in the contribution that artists make to the world. We are an independent charity. Unlike most of our peers we do not receive revenue funding from government and so we are reliant upon the support of visitors, donors, sponsors, and the loyal Friends of the Royal Academy to continue our work. Find out more about supporting the RA Peter Freeth RA Benedict Johnson 2013 Led by artists Royal Academicians Just as our founders intended, we are still led by many of the greatest artists and architects of the day. Known as Royal Academicians, they are all practising artists who help to steer our vision and support our activities. From teaching in the RA Schools to deciding on our exhibitions programme, they are at the heart of everything we do. Meet the Royal Academicians Albert Irvin RA Eamonn McCabe A school of contemporary fine art Educating artists of the future We are home to Britain’s first art school, the RA Schools. Our three-year postgraduate course is one of the most competitive in the country, and we are proud to offer free tuition to all who study here. The RA Schools has trained some of the UK’s finest artists, from William Blake to 2013 Turner Prize-nominee Lynette Yiadom-Boakye. Our success lies in a constantly evolving programme which attracts some of the most sought-after teaching staff, visiting artists and thinkers in the world. Learn more about the RA Schools RA Schools © Benedict Johnson World-class exhibitions Variety, excellence and originality The diversity of our exhibitions programme sets us apart. From ancient sculptures to modern-day masterpieces and large-scale installations, we are the original home of the blockbuster. From 2010-13, five of the world's top ten exhibitions with the highest daily attendance were held at the RA, including David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture, The Real Van Gogh and Anish Kapoor RA. As well as the household names, we love to help you discover your new favourite artists. The Sackler Wing and our Burlington Gardens galleries provide the perfect space to do this, from American painter George Bellows to one of Germany's greatest living artists, Anselm Kiefer Hon RA. Academicians play an important role in our exhibitions, from setting the programme to presenting their own work. Learn more about our exhibitions Eduardo Souto de Moura, Sensing Spaces installation Photo Benedict Johnson, © Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition What will you discover? "There shall be an Annual Exhibition of Paintings, Sculptures and Designs, which shall be open to all Artists of distinguished Merit." This quote, from our Instrument of Foundation, captures what the Summer Exhibition is all about: opening our galleries up to the finest artistic talents of the day, selected purely on merit. It is the world's largest open entry exhibition, and has taken place every year since 1769. Each year, we have thousands of entries in all styles and media. These are narrowed down by a team of Royal Academicians to around 1,000 works for the final show. This British institution is a highlight of the social calendar. Its many traditions include a celebratory parade down Piccadilly before the doors open to the public, and the serving of restorative beef tea during the hanging. Learn more about the Summer Exhibition Installation view of the Lecture Room with Zaha Hadid RA 'Kloris'. Summer Exhibition 2013. The RA Collection A compelling story of British art and artists All Royal Academicians give a work to our Collection when elected, creating a treasure trove of British art. Over the decades we have amassed everything from masterpieces by Constable, historic objects like Queen Victoria’s paintbox and modern-day creations by some of our finest artists. We're incredibly proud of our Collection, and we display works from it around our buildings. You can look forward to seeing even more of it over the coming years, as we build new spaces for its display. Our Collection includes the first fine art library in Britain, where our staff look after thousands of historic volumes, monographs, books on British art, prints, photographs and drawings. Learn more about our Collection The RA Library Photo Benedict Johnson Working with the community Partnerships to reach new visitors Not everyone has access to art, so our Learning team work hard to forge partnerships in the wider community which introduce more and more people to what we do here. We currently work with a whole range of organisations including Kids Company, St Christopher’s Hospice, Crisis, Leonard Cheshire Disability, Vital Regeneration, Broadway London and Soho Community Centre. We are always thinking of new ways to inspire visitors we meet through our partnerships, whether it be workshops, discussions, tours or special events. Camila Batmanghelidjh and members of Kids Company at Child Hood - The Real Event at the RA Photo: Mark Blower Our future A new chapter in our story It’s an exciting time for us. To celebrate our 250th anniversary in 2018, we are making major improvements to our facilities. Over time, you will see a link built between our Piccadilly and Burlington Gardens galleries, a new 300-seat auditorium and an expanded RA Schools, giving our students more space to create. An extensive renovation of all our historic buildings will allow their original features to shine through. We're also reaching out to new audiences, both onsite and online. We’ve called this ambitious plan the Burlington Project, and the wheels are already in motion. Photo: Phil Sayer Our story Sir Joshua Reynolds PRA Portrait of Sir William Chambers RA (detail) c 1780 Oil on panel 1290 X 1032 X 40 mm © Royal Academy of Arts A company of artists On a winter’s day in 1768, architect Sir William Chambers visited the king, George III. He brought with him a petition signed by 36 artists and architects including himself, all of whom were seeking permission to ‘establish a society for promoting the Arts of Design’. What’s more, they also proposed an annual exhibition and a School of Design. Lucky for us, the King said yes. And so the Royal Academy of Arts, the Royal Academy Schools, and what you know today as the Summer Exhibition, were born. They set up home in Pall Mall, renting a gallery that was just 30 feet long. Johan Zoffany The Portraits of the Academicians of the Royal Academy 1771-72 oil on canvas 101.1 x 147.5 cm The Royal Collection, © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II The first Academicians A multicultural bunch, of the 36 founding Members, four were Italian, one was French, one Swiss, one American and one Chinese. Among the number were two women, Mary Moser and Angelica Kauffmann. Above, you can see Johan Zoffany’s famous portrait of the founders, set in the Life Drawing Room of Old Somerset House. It was completed in 1772 and includes our first president Sir Joshua Reynolds, seen in a black suit left of centre. Zoffany probably hoped his painting would please the King, and he was successful: the King bought it for 500 guineas, or about £65,000 in today’s money. After Thomas Girtin Front of the Royal Academy, Strand 1795 Line engraving 125 mm © Royal Academy of Arts Moving home In 1775, Sir William Chambers won the commission to design the new Somerset House. It would become, among other things, our new home and first official residence. The Exhibition Room was a thing of beauty, 32 feet high and situated at the top of a steep winding staircase, it was described by literary critic Joseph Baretti as “undoubtedly at the date, the finest gallery for displaying pictures so far built”. In the 1830s, we moved to Trafalgar Square to share premises with the newly-founded National Gallery. However, with space at a premium, we were on the move again in 1867 to Burlington House, where we remain to this day. Fortunately, our President at the time, Francis Grant, drove a hard bargain and secured our new home for an annual rent of £1 for 999 years. 1 2 3 4 2013 Annual Report You can find out more detailed information about every aspect of the Royal Academy by reading our Annual Report. Download our 2013 Annual Report. Download our 2012 Annual Report. Download our 2013 accounts. Download our 2012 accounts. A voice for art and artists since 1768 The Royal Academy of Arts is an independent charity and does not receive revenue funding from government. We are entirely reliant upon the support of visitors, our loyal Friends, Patrons, donors and sponsors to continue our work. Your support is our future. Become a Friend Join the conversation Piccadilly Site Burlington House, Piccadilly, London, W1J 0BD Burlington Gardens Site 6 Burlington Gardens, London W1S 3ET Press Careers Copyright Terms and Conditions Privacy Cookies