Events, Festivals and Exhibitions

British artist and Royal Academician Ann Christopher, will oversee the 256th RA Summer Exhibition.

Since its inception in 1769, the The Royal Academy‘s Summer Exhibition has been the largest open submission art event in the world. Every Royal Academician on the Summer Show Committee is in charge of a certain gallery area. Members of the committee serve on a rotating basis. During the eight-day display at the galleries, works from all around the world are democratically evaluated based on merit. The final decision is then made. Rebecca Salter, the Royal Academy’s president, will serve as the Committee’s chair.

The bulk of the pieces will be available for purchase, giving viewers the chance to buy unique artwork. The money earned helps the Royal Academy’s work as well as the exhibiting artists, postgraduate students studying there, and other RA Schools students.

RA Summer Exhibition 2023 Theme

David Remfry will investigate the concept Only Connect, drawing inspiration from the line in Howards End by E. M. Forster, “Only connect! That was the whole of her sermon. Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its highest. Live in fragments no longer.”

Remfry said, “‘Only Connect’ can be as simple or as complex as you like – as simple as putting a plug into a socket, as meeting a friend for a coffee or the fabric of the entire cosmos.

“In Howards End, E. M. Forster’s 1910 novel, the phrase ‘Only Connect’ meant a connection between the spiritual and the quotidian; I use it to mean a connection between oneself and everything else.

“Almost 100 years later in 2005, Zadie Smith wrote On Beauty, a brilliant and moving contemporary retelling of the story. Both novels have wise central characters with humane views of their respective dysfunctional and often unfair societies, and both take the view that human empathy and connection is the only solution. American singer Nina Simone said, ‘You can’t help it. An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.’”

Submissions for the Summer Exhibition

Now that the exhibition is approaching, the Royal Academy is inviting sumissions for consideration at summer.royalacademy.org.uk. The RA Summer Exhibition 2023 entry deadline is 14 February 2023. The RA anticipates receiving roughly 15,000 entries, and 1200 pieces in a variety of mediums will be on show.

Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition 2024

The 2024 will be from from 18 June to 18 August, 2024.

Royal Academy Summer Exhibition Opening Times

RA Summer Exhibition entry will be from 10am to 6pm Tuesday to Sunday; 10am to 9pm Friday.

Admission

Prices yet to be announced, but previously for the RA Summer Exhibition 2022 they were from £20; concessions available; under 16s go free Tickets can be booked in advance at royalacademy.org.uk or by phone (0207 300 8090).

Main photo of RA Summer Exhibition 2022 supplied by the RA.