So its that time of year again, what to submit to the summer exhibition at the Royal Academy? I haven’t decided, I have a short list of my own and they are generally peices ready to go that are easy to transport. I have a couple of wildcards, they’re all peices I love so it’s kind of hard to part with them, but I also want others to enjoy them, it’s a weird conflict. I suspect I’ll end up leaving it to the last minute possible aided by wine and crisps.
The number of entries have increased from 17000 in 2024 to 18000 this year. Thats alot and it’s not cheap, but it is the best open call in the world, I don’t think there is anything else like it, so it’s always worth going for. The critics always love to pan it but as with movies, audiences don’t always agree with critics! I love the colourfull walls that get repainted every year and how it’s hung close and tight, such a feast for the eyes. I’d love to know how they prep the walls, what they do with all the holes in the walls from previous years where the paintings have been hung? how to they make the walls look perfect again, and safe to exhibit on year after year?
I like that it goes towards the RA schools and that it’s part of a historical tradition. I was reading about the schools, they only take 10-17 student per year! It’s a full time 3 year program in London and it’s free, each student gets 4k busery per year, nice! but then it is London so that’ll last a month. They only permit working at the weekend and evenings, and the average student age is early 20’s to late 40’s, they take people who have already completed a fine arts degree, mostly. So you really do already have to be quite well off do to this, or have financial support from family/spouse. Which feels a bit at odds with the fact it’s free, which implies it’s for those with less means, but I’m not sure it is. Still, whatever, unlikey I will face those questions as I definately cannot afford to live for 3 years in London on bugger all! So on balance the fee for a few entries doesn’t sound so bad.
