I wish I remembered who first told me about the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition so I could give them a big squeezy hug. This was easily one of my favorite experiences of the year.

What's the Summer Exhibition?

The Summer Exhibition is an annual open submission art exhibition coordinated by the Royal Academy of Arts in London.

Open submission means anyone can submit (though few are chosen); the works displayed are created by a range of people - experienced, established artists, new talent, or a first time work from anyone. I think this wide range of sources is a large part of why I feel such a strong connection to this event – I can imagine someone like myself made some of these works.

I also find it fascinating that almost all these works are for sale. Proceeds benefit the Royal Academy of Arts to support its various charitable activities.

By the Numbers

• The first was hosted in 1769.
• This year's exhibition is the 255th.
• It runs through the summer, this year from June 13 to August 20. I visited in mid-July.
• 11,204 works were submitted to the open call (total submissions were capped at 16,500).
• A submission costs £38.
• 1,613 works were exhibited, by 998 artists.
• 12 gallery rooms, plus a small side room.
• Over £70,000 in prizes were awarded.
• The lowest listed art for sale was £45.
• The highest listed art for sale was £1,354,999 (it was authored by a comedian so I wonder if it's a joke). The next highest priced artwork was £210,000. Many works were Not for Sale (NFS) and may have already been sold for more.
• 167,000 visitors attended the exhibition.

First Impressions

It was 10am on a weekday when I visited so it wasn't crowded. I enjoyed having the space to see the works and watch the galleries fill up with visitors.

The first couple rooms I went through seemed like normal contemporary art galleries.

Architecture

My interest ratcheted up in the Architecture gallery because I've never seen architectural samples and models and sketches presented together in this way and I loved it.

And, to be honest, I was very impressed with the bright green this gallery was painted. Shocked even. I've never seen a gallery painted a bright color.

The architecture exhibits I've seen so far in my life have been showcasing finalized works through photos, sketches, and floor plans. Usually these focus on a specific building or an architect and try to emphasize the overall effect of the architecture.

My favorite part of architecture is often the details - the materials, the textures, and the decoration. I was thrilled to see this wide range of architectural artifacts, which are often art on to themselves, and up close.

From the List of Works introduction to the gallery:

The architecture room has been curated by Peter Barber RA. He has considered the overall theme and decided to focus on sociologist Richard Sennett’s assertion that ‘making is thinking’, and through the physical craft of making we have a better connection with the world around us. Barber has focused on architectural pieces that are more analogue and crafted – a product of the mind and the hand. Looming large and cutting through the room is ‘Tree and the Truss’, conceived by Design + Make, Architectural Association Hooke Park.

Galleries

I'd never really thought about what goes into hanging a gallery. I'd considered the expertise that is necessary to handle and hang the work, which can be much more challenging than the normal flat painting on a wall. I'd also considered archival challenges like room temperature and keeping oily fingers from touching. I've even taken a course on exhibit design as part of library school which included designing an exhibit guide - What is the story you want to tell? What viewpoints do you want to offer the visitor?

Here, each gallery has been curated by one of 7 committee members. (I imagine a fight breaking out between committee members over the Darth Vadar piece.)

Wall Colors

Honestly, I was really surprised to see that the walls of the galleries weren't just white. And I love thinking about how the curators for each gallery chose these colors.

Some of these colors do a lot to bring out the colors in the pieces in a fascinating way.

Here is a rough estimate of these colors, as a palette. I wouldn't guess from this palette that it would work so well but I'm a color newbie. But since these are different rooms, they aren't really competing with each other.

How do the curators develop each gallery?

And what happens if multiple curators want the same piece for their gallery?

Did they flip coins to see who would get to include a piece in their gallery? Is there a formal challenge like drawing an owl?

If you know, please get in touch. :)

People Watching: An artist shares a moment with someone close

I witnessed an endearing moment wherein a woman photographed an older woman with a young fellow (barely 20) in front of his submission, a small photograph. The scene had the feel of a art teacher or mentor meeting her mentee to share the joy and pride of seeing the success of someone you care about. It was very touching to observe.

So Much Fun Stuff

I'll stop writing here and leave you with a bunch of pictures of favorites.

Submit

If you're interested in submitting, go for it! Entry tickets go on sale in early January and the details of the work(s) must be submitted by early February: Call for Submissions

More Links

• Summer Exhibition 2023 Royal Academy of Arts
• Royal Academy Summer Exhibition: Who makes the cut?
• KULTURA - The price of art at the Summer Exhibition from nicolita's blog
• Charity Commission: Royal Academy of Arts: 2023 Accounts & Trustees' Annual Report
• Royal Academy of Arts, building history
• Summer Exhibition 2023 (online).pdf The List of Works, in case you want to look up something in a photo that I didn't label in a caption.

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