What’s On Magazine July issue features our pictures from the launch party of The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition.

Following last year’s record-breaking 250th Summer Exhibition, this annual celebration of art and creativity continues in 2019.

Run without interruption since 1769, the Summer Exhibition is the world’s largest open submission art show and brings together art in all mediums – prints and paintings, film, photography, sculpture, architectural works and more – by leading artists, Royal Academicians and household names as well as new and emerging talent.

This year, acclaimed British painter Jock McFadyen RA takes the mantle from Grayson Perry to co-ordinate the 251st Summer Exhibition. Over 1,500 works are on display, most of them for the first time. Highlights include an animal-themed ‘menagerie’ in the Central Hall, with works by artists including Polly Morgan, Charles Avery, Banksy and Mat Collishaw. Artist sisters Jane and Louise Wilson RA have curated two galleries, one of which showcases work exploring light and time. Further artists exhibiting include Jeremy Deller, Marcus Harvey and Tracey Emin RA, and Honorary Academicians Anselm Kiefer, James Turrell and Wim Wenders.

As always, most of the artworks are for sale with proceeds helping to fund the Academy’s non-profit-making activities, including educating the next generation of artists in the RA Schools.

What’s On Magazine was invited to attend the launch party of The Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition to mark the 251st year of the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition.

Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry CBE RA co-hosted this year’s annual Summer Exhibition Preview Party. The party was held in the presence of Christopher Le Brun PRA, artist and President of the Royal Academy of Arts.
This year’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition was co-ordinated by acclaimed British painter, Jock McFadyen RA., alongside the Summer Exhibition Hanging Committee, who has continued to build on the exhibitions’ success by providing a unique platform for artists at all stages of their career.
Celebrated artist Thomas Houseago showcased a group of large-scale sculptural works in the Royal Academy’s Annenberg Courtyard that respond to the Academy’s statue of Joshua Reynolds, which has stood in the courtyard since 1931.
To carry on the celebrations, Grayson Perry CBE RA held an intimate dinner in the RA Collections Gallery within the Royal Academy, Burlington Gardens. Guests joined Grayson for a relaxed dinner of locally sourced, British inspired menu created by Rocket Food.

Continues until 12 August 2019
Daily 10am – 6pm. Friday 10am – 10pm
£18 (without donation £16). Concessions available. Under-16s go free with a fee-paying adult. Free for Friends of the RA with no booking required.
Main Galleries and The Ronald and Rita McAulay Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts.

Summer Exhibition Explorer
Many of the works in the Summer Exhibition 2019 will be available to browse and buy online through the Summer Exhibition Explorer https://se.royalacademy.org.uk/