An artist's guide to the Summer Exhibition
Each year more than 100 first-time 'open submission' artists show work in the Summer Exhibition; approximately 1,200 entries are displayed and almost two thirds of those are by non-Academicians.
The Summer Exhibition acts as a survey of what’s happening in all areas of the contemporary art world. The works are selected and hung by a panel of accomplished practitioners working across the disciplines of fine art.
Academicians from Summer Exhibition 2009 selection panel viewing the many paintings from the open submission.
(L-R) Ann Christopher, Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, Eileen Cooper, Basil Beattie, Mick Moon and Mick Rooney. Photo: Eamonn McCabe.
The show affords an excellent opportunity for independent artists to display their work in an exhibition of international repute, held at a major venue; artists and gallerists have the prospect of making sales during the otherwise quiet summer months.
It is a unique event where the works of emerging and established artists, from students to celebrated names, are hung alongside one another. In recent years exhibitors have included the likes of Anselm Kiefer, Tracey Emin, Michael Landy, Tacita Dean, Gavin Turk, Callum Innes, Cornelia Parker and Anish Kapoor.
Video
A selection of last year's entrants talk about why they are submitting work
Watch video here
More information:
Summer Exhibition Testimonials
Andrew Curtis, Artist
Andrew Curtis. Gold Nibs. Courtesy of the artist. Photo John Bodkin. As printmaking students at the RCA we were encouraged to apply for the Summer Show which I did for the first time in 2008. I have had my work selected each year since then and have benefited from the wider audience, that such a prestigious and visually rich exhibition attracts. Applying for the Summer show has now become an annual activity in my practice.
Daniel Burn, Architect (Hawkins\Brown)
Daniel Burn, Summer Exhibition architecture room. Hawkins\Brown were delighted to be included in the Summer Exhibition. We were first time exhibitors with two works displayed. Varnishing day was a hugely enjoyable experience. It was great to see our work alongside such a wide-range of other exhibits both from architects we know and admire and new exhibitors we were yet to discover.
Our model, produced for an architectural competition for the Wellesley Road and Park Lane masterplan in Croydon used fabric and stitch to describe our design intentions, an unusual method of architectural representation. I must admit to listening in to the reactions of other visitors and was pleased to hear that our work captured attention and drew a great deal of positive comment.
Jane Bustin, Artist
I enjoyed being part of an exhibition that showed challenging work alongside the more familiar; the summer show takes away context and allows the public to focus on the work. I particularly enjoyed the positive collective nature of the exhibiting artists, there was a rare feeling of solidarity.
Jane Bustin, Holzlied, oil and gesso on oak. Image courtesy of the artist. Photo John Bodkin.
James Capper, Artist
James Capper, Rota-Carve, steel, plaster, wood. Image courtesy of the artist. Though my work in sculpture is not classical, I felt that it would be a great opportunity to exhibit something of the new, not yet accepted in the world of sculpture, in the home of the great artists past and present.
The RA called me to say that the sculpture had been accepted into the Summer Exhibition and that I had also won the Jack Goldhill Award. The feeling was immense, as a young sculptor working in London I couldn’t have asked for more.
