Celebratory lunch and showcase of the Royal Academy’s historic silver collection
Friends 40th anniversary
Monday 23 January 2017 12.30 - 3pm
The Keeper's House Restaurant
£45. Includes two-course lunch.
Friends of the RA book first
Join our Secretary and Chief Executive Charles Saumarez Smith for a celebration of the Friends 40th anniversary. This special event includes a two-course lunch in the Keeper’s House Restaurant, as well as a showcase of the Royal Academy’s historic silver collection.
In January 2017, we will celebrate 40 years of the Friends of the Royal Academy scheme. Founded in 1977 to support the RA Schools and exhibitions, our Friends have been instrumental to the running of the Academy ever since. As a part of the Friends 40th anniversary, we are hosting a series of events to reflect on the successes of the past 40 years and to look forward to the future of the Academy in 2018 and beyond.
Following lunch, guests will be shown items from our historical silver collection, which dates back to the establishment of the Royal Academy in 1768. Tradition once required each newly appointed Academician to gift the RA a piece of silver, as part of their appointment. Our collections team will bring a selection of pieces usually stored in the silver vaults with very limited access to the Keeper’s House Restaurant for you to view.
Tickets to this event include a donation to support the redevelopment of the Royal Academy. For nearly 250 years, the RA has been a place where art is made, exhibited and debated. Thank you for supporting the future of the Royal Academy by participating in this event.
Booking is essential for this event; if you wish to bring a guest please book one ticket for each person.
Limited-edition products and prints, designed by you
To commemorate the Friends 40th anniversary, we asked Friends to create "art on A4", inspired by the question: what does the RA mean to you? Explore the new range of limited-edition products and prints designed using the artwork of the competition winner and five runners up.