Royal Academy of Arts

History

The Royal Academy of Arts was founded in 1768 by a group of prominent artists and architects, among them Sir Joshua Reynolds and Sir William Chambers. Under the patronage of George III the newly founded institution set out to promote and showcase British arts and architecture. During the first three years the Academy was situated in the City of Westminster. Since 1868, after a few relocations, the Royal Academy now resides in Burlington House.

Membership

Members are called Academicians and are elected by their peers. The number of Academicians is restricted to 80 and includes painters, sculptors, engravers, printmakers, draughtsmen and architects. The current President of the Academy is Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, an architect. He is the 25th President in the history of the Royal Academy. Although under the patronage of the Royal House, The Royal Academy does not receive public funds but is self-financed through exhibition ticketing, private sponsorship and individual donations.

Activities

The main event is an annual exhibition held since 1769 called the Summer Exhibition, where members and other selected artists get to show their work. The Summer Exhibition is a big social event in London. The Royal Academy also hosts several temporary loan exhibitions. The Royal Academy has a library with an important collection of books, archives and works of art.

Sources

Visit the Royal Academy here: [1]

Wikipedia article with a list of current and former members: [2]

Encyclopædia Britannica: [3]