Call for Entries: RA Summer Exhibition 2024

The Call for Entries for the 2024 Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Art was recently published. In the past I've written really long blog posts about the call for entries for the summer exhibition - but this one is shorter and is about the 

• key things you need to know about the Call for Entries
• aspects worth bearing in mind if you're thinking about submitting

In previous years, nearly two thirds of the exhibits were by non-Academicians, £50,000 worth of prizes was awarded, and over 5,000 works were sold. About the RA Summer Exhibition 

IMPORTANT Things You Need to Know

Entries are limited to 16,500

This year entry is limited to the first 16,500 submissions and you can't purchase an entry form once that limit has been reached i.e. 16,500 got there before you.

In effect this means the deadline for entries is not as stated, the deadline for entries is when all entry forms have been purchased!

It's unlikely that the RA will have a problem getting that many submissions - however I'm guessing the RA and the Selectors have worked out that's the number they're happy to review and select from. 

HOWEVER the RA Summer Exhibition is the largest open exhibition in the UK - with well over 1,000 exhibits - so you need to take the statistics around selection into account before deciding whether or not enter.

Basically a LOT of people do NOT get selected for the Summer Exhibition. 

I can't remember where I came across this next image - and it relates to the exhibition in 2017, but the stats are pretty similar year on year. As you can see, in 2017:

• c.90% of entries submitted via the open entry are rejected
• the number of exhibits are broadly speaking split between Royal Academicians and the open entry (although the current page suggests two thirds - but I'd very much like to see the statistics for that! There are NONE published.)
• which means something like 500-600 artworks from the open entry will be selected for the exhibition

However, as the space allocated to the exhibition has got bigger, more exhibits have been selected from the open entry 

By way of contrast, last year, the BBC reported that 

It presents an unparalleled opportunity for amateur artists to have their work publicly displayed and then purchased, although entries are capped at 16,500 and competition is fierce - this year, more than 11,000 people submitted work but less than 10% were successful. Royal Academy Summer Exhibition: Who makes the cut?

and

This year 11,204 entries came from the public, with 998 artists making the cut

which is 9% of those who entered.

Of those who enter, around 4,000 will make the first cut - and are asked to send their work to the RA for further consideration by the Judges and, last year, around 25% of this number will be selected.

So, bottom line, it seems likely that your chances of getting selected are between 3-9%. 

At the bottom end of the range this is slightly better than the chance of getting selected for what used to be called the BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery!

AND IMPORTANTLY - the main purpose of the Summer Exhibition is to generate funds for the bursaries for those who are selected to study at the Royal Academy Schools. 

So if complaining about the expense of the entry, just take a moment to think about the expense of an art education.

Who gets selected

The RA's Selection and Hanging Committee changes every year so just because your work has been rejected in the past does not mean it will be rejected this year.

Lots of professional artists still yearn to be selected - because of the kudos of being able to say you have been selected by the Summer Exhibition

At the same time lots of people for whom art is a hobby while working full time in other occupations DO get selected.

So there is no qualification for getting selected - your art does the talking for you.

What you can submit

On behalf of the Summer Exhibition Committee I would like to say send in your best work whatever its medium or category and we will endeavour to give it space.'

So basically you can submit paintings, drawings, original fine art prints, sculpture, photographs and videos - and artwork for architecture proposals.

How the open submission works

This is the website you need to consult https://summer.royalacademy.org.uk/

The is an online art competition.

• only YOU or a gallery authorised on your behalf can enter your work
• your initial entry is ONLINE ONLY - and the quality of your digital images does count for a lot (see Video Tutorial: How To Photograph Your Work and How to Photograph Your Work for advice)
• your artwork will only be submitted to the Royal Academy if you get through the first stage of selection. Basically this means you save the transport costs of getting the work to and from London if it's one of those which does not progress.

Timeline

This is the Exhibition Schedule

• Entry opened on 9 January
• The digital submission deadline is 23:59 (GMT) on Tuesday 13 February
• Digital Judging Results: Wednesday 20th March
• Delivery iof works (varies according to type) 7th-10th May
• Results announced Friday 31st May

What you can submit

There's no limitation on your artwork in terms of media but it MUST BE:

• your own original work i.e. does not infringe on the rights of others
• conform to all applicable health and safety standards and regulations.
  

and it has NOT been imported in violation of any applicable laws or regulations

How to submit

To be able to enter you must first register for an account HOWEVER

• registering for an account in order to enter does NOT mean you have entered.
• you need to PURCHASE an entry form before you register to enter
• although you do not need to complete the details about your artwork when you purchase the entry form. You can do that later.

Entry is limited to 16,500 submissions and it will not be possible to purchase entry once the limit is reached

(UPDATE) You can enter one or two works, for a fee of £40 per work. The fee is non-refundable (meaning you don't get your money back if your artwork is not selected). 

Basically it's an expensive competition to enter.

You must complete the form - including all relevant details about the artworks - and upload the required images before you submit it.

Content you MUST read

These links contain content that you should read

• Terms and Conditions of Entry 2024
• Instructions for Entering Work
• Exhibition Schedule
• Video Tutorial: How To Photograph Your Work
• How to Photograph Your Work
• VAT Information - International Artists
• Guide to Selling
• Suggested Transport Agents

I highly recommend you READ the Guide to Selling which includes 

• very prescriptive requirements of you as the seller in relation to:
• provision of your details to the seller
• invoice content provided to the seller
• AND NEW REQUIREMENTS in relation to Customer Due Diligence 
  

The government has introduced new legislation that affects all art dealers, galleries and buyers. If a buyer purchases over £7000 worth of artwork at the Summer Exhibition over the course of 12 months, we are obliged to perform identity checks, similar to those made when an individual opens a bank account. For more information, please visit royalacademy.org.uk/guidance

which includes

If you are an artist selling artworks through the Summer Exhibition, the necessary checks will be processed by the Royal Academy prior to your receiving confirmation of your sale. You can rely on the checks performed by the Royal Academy via a specific pro forma which is available for this purpose. As the seller of the artworks, you may, however, also be independently responsible for carrying out any required customer due diligence. Please get in touch for further info.

I'm guessing that this occurs when you are selling to an existing art collector of yours who has already bought work from you in on a rolling 12 months basis.

Note also that all sellers of original fine art prints should have included the cost of postage and packing in the sale price notified to the RA i.e. you're not going to be ask for any extra prior to despatch.