The Royal Academy Schools officially launched its 250th anniversary celebrations on 13th November by hosting an exclusive launch event for friends of the RA Schools, students, artists, patrons and the media – an event that included a tour and private viewing of its Burlington House teaching and production facilities and its purpose-built state-of-the-art Epson Digital Media Suite.
A number of respected artists and current Royal Academy students were also on-hand throughout the evening to share their experiences of digital printing and the role it increasingly plays in the development of their careers as professional artists.
Says Mark Hampson, painter and print maker and Head of Fine Art Processes at the Royal Academy Schools: “In 2018, the Royal Academy itself celebrated its 250th anniversary through its RA250 UK campaign, and this year, we have begun celebrating the 250th anniversary of the RA Schools. On the 13th November, in conjunction with our partner, Epson, we hosted an exclusive private viewing of the Schools’ facilities, which was incredibly well received. It was a rare opportunity for Artists, patrons and supporters of the Schools to get a real ‘behind the scenes’ understanding of the way we work with our students. The RA is a charity and therefore relies on the generosity of its patrons to continue training some of the most up and coming artists, so the Epson relationship is a very important one for us. The launch event was a great chance to demonstrate the depth and strength of this relationship to a much wider audience than usual.”
Says Nick White, Business Manager, Professional Graphics, Epson: “The Royal Academy School exemplifies the values we also hold true at Epson – the desire to continually push the boundaries of what is possible – to ‘exceed your vision’. The Epson Digital Media Suite is a fantastic example of what can happen when all the best in technology and creativity come together seamlessly. It provides the perfect environment for the Schools’ students to keep confidently pushing their artistic boundaries. We congratulate the RA Schools on its first 250 years of artistic excellence and we are very excited to be working so closely with this respected institution as they begin the next 250 years in their evolution.”
Concludes Mark Hampson: “The Royal Academy Schools is the longest-established art school in the UK and opens its doors to up to 17 post graduate artists each year, each of who participate in an intense three-year programme. We remain committed to providing a free and open, informed and critical environment for the personal and professional development of each artist and we are very proud of the heritage of the School and the solid foundation it has given so many artists who have gone on to great critical and commercial success. We are very much looking forward to celebrating this success with students past and present and all our supporters over the coming weeks and months.”
