The Royal Academy of Arts

The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. We were founded by George III in 1768 to promote painting, printmaking, sculpture and architecture; there are some 100 Academicians in those disciplines. Today the Royal Academy continues to encourage the creation, enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts through exhibitions, education and debate. The Royal Academy mounts a continuous programme of internationally renowned loan exhibitions complemented by gallery education programmes, seminars and debates. The Summer Exhibition of works of art by Academicians and other artists, the largest open-submission exhibition of works for sale in the world, has been held every year since 1769. Future generations of artists are trained in the RA Schools, which offer the only three-year postgraduate fine-art course in Britain. The Royal Academy owns a major collection of works by Academicians past and present and has the oldest and one of the best fine-art libraries in Britain. The collection has been given gifts such as the Michelangelo Taddei Tondo, one of the greatest works of art in the world, which is on display in the Sackler Wing. The Royal Academy supports itself through admission charges and sales, the Friends and the generosity of its individual and corporate benefactors. The Royal Academy receives no regular government funding for its cultural activities.