The first Royal Academy of Arts (RA) founded in 1768 in Burlington House on Piccadilly in London. The exhibition of contemporary art, open to all artists, opened on 25 April 1769 and ran until 27 May 1769. 136 works of art were shown and this exhibition, now known as the "Royal Academy Summer Exhibition", has been staged annually without interruption to the present day. RA has a lot in common with museums and other galleries, but as an Academy, it has a broader role – to promote not just the appreciation and understanding of art, but also its practice. In 2018, the Academy's 250th anniversary, the results of a major refurbishment were unveiled. Working Days: Tuesdays – Sundays 10am–6pm
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News and Articles

Summer Exhibition 2021 22 September 2021 — 2 January 2022
Our annual celebration of art and creativity continues in 2021, with coordinator Yinka Shonibare RA celebrating the joy of creating art through the theme of ‘Reclaiming Magic’.
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Tracey Emin and Edvard Munch: The Loneliness of the Soul
Tracey Emin selects masterpieces by Edvard Munch to show alongside her most recent paintings.
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