Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

Open call for RA Summer Show, Wayne White Art, Ieva Baklane paintings, Art Jobs & Opportunities

Apr 13, 2021

RA Summer Exhibition

Hi hi. Happy to announce the belated launch of the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, one of my favourite art competitions of the year. There are 16,500 entry places of which up to 4,000 will be shortlisted to send work in for the next round.

Prizes are yet to be announced but last year saw a first prize of £25,000 from an overall prize fund of £73,000. Closing date is 24th May, entry fee £35. Good luck!

Here’s co-ordinator Yinka Shonibareon on the title “Re-claiming magic”:

This exhibition seeks to transcend a Western art history perspective to focus on the transformative powers of the magical in art, and a return to the visceral, joyful aspects of art-making.

On restoring value to marginalised artists:

We will include artists who are not normally shown within the Royal Academy, and by that I mean self-taught artists, artists with disabilities, artists from the African diaspora, and also artists trained in the Western tradition but who work in a more visceral manner.

Watch Kirsty Wark and Brenda Emmanus go behind the scenes at last year’s online only Summer Exhibition (1 hour, BBC iPlayer)

2021 Summer Exhibition opens 22 Sep 2021 — 2 Jan 2022.

Spend over £50 at Jackson’s Plein Air Sale & get a free size 4 Akoya brush.

New Art Competitions

Sustainability First Art Prize - £1,000 1st prize, art on fair climate future (closes 10 Jul)

Pooch & Mutt - £1,000 cottage stay & dog food for a year! Submit photo of your dog & how they make your life better (30 Apr)

UKTS Art Competition - £500 prize fund by Thalassaemia Society, ages 3-17 (3rd May)

UK Art Competitions - 29 prizes open.

Children’s Art Competitions - 13 open.

Wayne White Paintings

Beauty is Embarrassing, a film about the endlessly creative life of Wayne White tops our list of inspiring art documentaries. White’s thrift store word paintings are now available in desk art and jigsaw puzzle form from Genuine Fred.