LONDON.- Acclaimed British painter, Jock McFadyen RA is the co-ordinator of the 251st Summer Exhibition. McFadyen, alongside the Summer Exhibition Committee intends to build on the exhibition’s success, recognising that it continues to provide a unique platform for artists at all stages of their career to present recent work.

Highlights within the Main Galleries include a ‘menagerie’ in the Central Hall curated by Jock McFadyen RA, with works by artists including Polly Morgan, Charles Avery and Mat Collishaw. Jane and Louise Wilson RA organised two gallery spaces, one of which showcases light and time based work. Spencer de Grey RA curated the Architecture Gallery, which explores the theme of sustainability.

The celebrated artist Thomas Houseago is showing 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. This is the first time that the courtyard has been dedicated to an artist that is not a Royal Academician as part of the Summer Exhibition.

Further artists exhibiting in this year’s Summer Exhibition include Jeremy Deller and Marcus Harvey alongside Royal Academicians such as Tracey Emin RA, Gary Hume RA, David Nash RA, Wolfgang Tillmans RA and Honorary Royal Academicians, Anselm Kiefer and James Turrell. The celebrated German filmmaker and photographer Wim Wenders Hon RA have taken over the free McAulay Galleries, with a series of panoramic photographs.

The Summer Exhibition is the world’s largest open submission contemporary art show which has taken place every year without interruption since 1769. The members of the Summer Exhibition Committee serve in rotation, ensuring that every year the exhibition has a distinctive character, with each Royal Academician responsible for a particular gallery space. Works from all over the world are judged democratically on merit and the final selection is made during the eight-day hang in the galleries. This year the Royal Academy received over 16,000 entries. Around 1200 works, in a range of media, are on display, the majority of which are for sale offering visitors an opportunity to purchase original work.

A significant part of funds raised continue to contribute to financing the postgraduate students at the RA Schools.

Summer Exhibition 2019 Hanging Committee This year’s committee members are Royal Academicians Stephen Chambers, Anne Desmet, Hughie O’Donoghue, Timothy Hyman, Barbara Rae, Bob and Roberta Smith, Jane and Louise Wilson and Richard Wilson. Spencer de Grey will curate the Architecture Gallery. The Summer Exhibition Committee will be chaired by the President of the Royal Academy, Christopher Le Brun.