250th Summer Exhibition

12 June — 19 August 2018

This exhibition is now closed

See upcoming exhibitions

In celebration of our 250th anniversary, Grayson Perry RA coordinated the biggest, brightest and most colourful Summer Exhibition yet.

Each summer our galleries are jam-packed with contemporary art made by internationally renowned artists and exciting new talent. In 2018, Grayson Perry RA and his committee of fellow artists handpicked over 1,300 artworks in an array of mediums.

The Summer Exhibition included a monumental sculpture by Anish Kapoor RA in the RA courtyard, while vast new works by David Hockney RA and Joana Vasconcelos appeared in the galleries. Artists Mona Hatoum and Tal R showed alongside Royal Academicians including Wolfgang Tillmans, Mike Nelson, Tracey Emin and Rose Wylie, and Honorary Academicians Bruce Nauman and Ed Ruscha.

The exhibition extended across our newly-expanded cultural campus, with prints on display in The Sackler Wing of Galleries and a “room of humour” in the new Ronald and Rita McAulay Gallery featuring David Shrigley and Martin Parr. The art extravaganza even spilled out into the streets of London’s West End, with an installation of over 200 flags designed by Royal Academicians.

As always, most of the art was for sale and purchases helped the Royal Academy raise money for the Academy’s non-profit-making activities, including educating the next generation of artists in the  Royal Academy Schools.

Please note: this exhibition is now closed.

12 June — 19 August 2018

Daily 10am – 6pm
Friday 10am – 10pm

£18 (without donation £16). Concessions available. Under-16s go free with a fee-paying adult. Free for Friends of the RA with no booking required.

Main Galleries, The Sackler Wing of Galleries and The Ronald and Rita McAulay Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts