Liz Vibert, The Park at Noon. Courtesy RWA
The Royal West of England Academy’s autumn exhibition is a stalwart of the south west’s arts calendar, with a history going back more than 150 years.
While it may not attract the media coverage of events like the Royal Academy’s summer show in London, it remains a highly popular and diverse event, and this year’s exhibition - the 155th - continues the tradition.
With more than 600 works on show the exhibition encompasses a huge variety of styles and artists and includes four etchings of moody and misty landscapes by Royal Academician Norman Ackroyd.
David Fisher, Reflections. Courtesy RWA
Other highlights include Sylvia Lauder’s Celestial Hierarchy, a work made of communion wafers printed with pictures of angels, and Sue Whale’s love hearts pinned as butterflies in a display case.
As well as these unusual mediums there are more traditional themes, with plenty of portraits, landscapes and still lifes, along with bronze and wood sculptures.
Photography also features heavily and there are plenty of works by local artists.
Most of the works in the show are for sale, with prices ranging from the modest £100 mark to around £25,000. Many are available to buy through Art Council England’s Own Art purchase scheme, which offers interest free credit on the purchase of arts and crafts up to the value of £2,000.
M Porter, Coastal path. Courtesy RWA
The Royal West of England’s 155th Autumn Exhibition opens to the public on October 21 and runs until December 12 2007.
The Academy was found back in 1844 and is one of only five Royal Academies in the UK. Its building, in Bristol’s fashionable Clifton district, dates from 1858 and was the first art gallery in the city.
Its permanent collection includes work by the St Ives, Newlyn and Bloomsbury schools and past academians include Terry Frost, Vanessa Bell and Wilhemina Barns-Graham.
