RA Summer Exhibition: C&B Curates top 30 edit

For the first time in its 252-year history, the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition has been retitled the Winter Exhibition. This open entry exhibition supports artists and architects, by showcasing art of the moment to the nation. Despite COVID-19 ripping through this year like a typhoon and making the exhibition skip a couple of seasons, the success appears to have been sustained.

While picking our C&B Curates top 30, I was impressed by how many artworks had been snapped up. I spoke to a number of artists exhibiting, who were complaining they had a lot of posting and packing with the number of works they’d sold. Nice problem to have…

Having worked at the RA for six years, I was exposed to the incredible machine it becomes during the planning, selection and installation of the Summer Exhibition; thousands of entrants, a big committee of Royal Academicians, then all the rituals such as the beef tea, members’ varnishing day and previews. Obviously this year it was a bit different, with a few more masks and a few less visitors, but I hope you agree that this selection shows that lockdown was a creative moment for artists.

On a personal level, the Summer Exhibition Explorer has allowed me to discover a whole sea of new artists, at all the price points you need. I urge you to explore and make your own edit. Our top 30 edit features some of our favourite artists; works we would include on our wish list if we won the lottery, but most are by new artists at affordable prices - unfortunately for us, they’re pretty much all sold!