Come in number 1655 your time is up

1654 cards online.  Names given for each of the artists of those 1654 cards on the website.  1654 cards on the scrolling display in the room with the tills.

BUT there was a 1655th  card tucked away in a little corner with 4 other cards.  It’s to be assumed this was the “late arrivals board” and the card shared its little space with two Richard malone cards, a sadie Hennessy and a Celia Hempton.  Illustrious company indeed.  So who did it?  And who bought it?  Can you solve this mystery? 

Facebook group

An rca secret Facebook group has been set up.  Do come and join us https://www.facebook.com/groups/268019923871547/

My RCA secret 2018

This year' version of RCA Secret again brought changes.  The show was back in Kensington again but in a different space, the senior common room on the third floor of the RCA's Darwin Building.

The front of the RCA building was all closed off and therefore access to the show was from the back in Jay Mews.

Moreover the college restored a viewing day (hooray!), scrapped the raffle and allowed people to buy more than their 4 card allocation on the Monday, the last day of the sale.

I was pleased about most of changes but nervous about how the queueing would work.  The college had said that camping overnight would be banned and that queueing would only be allowed from 8am (opening time on sale day was also changed to 12 noon).  I couldn't understand how this would work but in the end the college's security team agreed a very sensible compromise with those who wanted to queue for longer than 4 hours and, to the security teams great credit, they managed the queue and the queue's expectations extremely well.

It's certainly a different experience isn't it having only 2 days to look at cards?  I can't say I will get used to it as there is a huge amount to take in over a very short space of time.  I would still prefer the viewing to take place in the week leading up to the sale but understand that this is a big commitment of time for the college to manage.  Perhaps we could have online viewing for a few days before the sale?

Anyway online viewing opened on the Thursday before the sale on the Saturday so it was eyes down to review all the 1654 cards online.  Did others spot there was a 1655^th card in the exhibition?  I'll do a post about this.

I was lucky enough to be able to take some time off to review the cards in person which was very useful.  I got a good chance to walk round the exhibition with John and Adam and various others pointing out cards we liked, speculating on who did what and generally taking it all in.

I also had the chance to talk to the show's two curators Janice and Anna.  Their love and enthusiasm for the works and excitement at curating this project was clear for everyone to see and I enjoyed speaking to them both immensely.  Those who went to the show will have seen lots of nice touches – a pink wall, a portrait wall, a political wall, close juxtaposition of Donald Trump images to dick pics etc.  Very nicely done and I hope that this is the start of a long association between Janice and Anna and the show.    

Others have commented that they found the numbering confusing and I do have to agree with that – for someone with my rubbish eyesight I had problems reading the numbers placed underneath the cards and the fact that they didn't run round the room in ascending numerical order did make it tough given the limited time and the poor lighting in the room.   It was also quite hard to see the cards on the top 2 levels as they were put too high up.

Anyway back to the art and despite some noticeable missing names from the list of contributors my view is that it was a very strong year in terms of the quality of the pieces on display.  There were some jaw droppingly brilliant pieces by both upcoming and established artists, young and old, identifiable and secret in a huge variety of media.  It's very hard to pick out just one as there were so many to choose from but as you would expect there were brilliant paintings,  some amazing ceramics, intricate pencil drawings and so much in between.  I was a kid in a sweet shop trying to choose between them.

Anyway I had a good Friday looking round the cards, having lunch with John in Wagamama's and then discussing with my daughter on Friday evening at home her favourites.

Out of deference to the college's request and for various other reasons I decided not to queue overnight and had a warm, comfy night in bed before arriving first thing in morning to the queue.  I think I was probably about 15 in the queue which, given there was no raffle, was very exciting.  I took my place just behind Kay and in front of a student at the college who was queueing for his first time.  As usual I met so many lovely people in the queue, some for the first time and a few for the 18^th time and everything in between.  Was great to catch up with Chris again and to see Gerrard, Brie and far too many others to namecheck but hello to you all.  The RCA Secret queue is the friendliest in London. 

My word did it rain for a couple of hours.  The rain came sheeting down – drenching my little pop up stool and my bag.  I kept relatively dry through a rather bedraggled brolly and waterproof trousers.  Perhaps because of this awful weather and the missing contributors the queue wasn't long and by the time some other members of my family turned up after 12 it was still probably around 200 deep.  Even those who joined the queue at the end still therefore had at least 800 to 900 cards to choose from.  

Eventually the rain relented and the last hour of queueing was relatively dry.  Doors opened promptly at we walked up the stairs to the tills.  This is the most nerve-making and exciting part of the sale.  Are you going to get the cards you want?  What will be left?  

Once at the front of the till I spent some time asking for cards that weren't there and deciding what I wanted.  First card I asked for was the Peter Jones card and I was delighted and little bit surprised when I heard that it was available.  I then eventually made my mind up about the other three and was about to sort out payment when the person at the till said "Oh do you only want 3?".  It became clear that I must have misheard her about the Peter Jones and I subsequently discovered that it was sold to the first person in the queue.   Ah well.  I am lucky enough to have one of Peter's cards from another sale and some other works by him so I can’t complain.

So what did I get.  Well here we go:

A card that read on the front "A study for a Picasso Emoji… After Velasquez"  I had no idea who it was by at the time I bought it but subsequently found out on Instagram it is by Toby Ursell.   Toby very generously offered to send me another study he had done which is really above and beyond.  Thanks Toby!

2 cards by Gordon Cheung.  Avid readers of this blog will know I've picked up one of Gordon's cards before (albeit very different to his lovely tulips).  I was so pleased to get these.

One of Debbie Lawson's red bears.  I rather regretted making this blog post when I say what Debbie Lawson's contributions to this year's sale was.  I loved her red bear at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and this smaller version is a delightful addition to my collection.

After completing my purchase I spent a few minutes in the gallery talking to others and then rejoined the queue (only to keep my mum and daughter company).  Those who saw me in the queue again and thought I might be trying to buy another set of cards I hope will be reassured that I wasn't and was just there to keep them company and give both young and old support if needed (more needed for the old than the young these days!).

My daughter who is now 16 has grown up with the sale and her bedroom walls reflect her changing age and tastes as she has matured into a young woman.  Its lovely to see her enthusiasm and excitement for the sale.  Some may know she has not been terribly well these last few years but she is on the mend now and one year she hopes to camp out overnight.

My other half was also in the queue, with her own list as well and buying her own cards.   This year she ended up, purely coincidentally, with one of Wayne Chisnall's amazing paintings, which she had high up on her list.  Years ago after a previous sale I bought her a Wayne Chisnall drawing of a Jellyscuttle after she missed out on it at RCA Secret.  Funny how these things come around. 

But But But that wasn't the end of the buying.  Due to the new rule for Monday I was back again on Monday buying more.  Not just for me but for others who couldn't make it.  I had 5 different lists to manage and tick off but I successfully picked up more cards for myself, my daughter and for 2 others.   What a great success this innovation was – I know I wasn't the only person to return and buy more (some really pushed the boat out).  It's a complete no-brainer to do this and I very much hope the college keeps this idea going next year.  I got some lovely cards including an amazing piece by Follie Gioir that is so beautifully intricate and delicate.  Going to be tricky to frame!

So all in all a wonderful RCA Secret yet again.  Thanks to the college for a great show and to the wonderful contributing artists.

Sale day

A fabulous day at RCA secret today.  The predicted queuing chaos didn’t happen due to some pragmatic decisions taken by the RCA security team.  Hats off to them.

It was great to catch up with so many regulars.  So lovely to see you all.  A full write up will follow after collection day but I’m very happy with my purchases.

I would encourage anyone who hasn’t yet had a chance to go down there to pop down.  There will still be some great cards left.

Thanks to all at the rca for another great sale and thanks in particular to all the contributors.  The efforts put into so many of the cards was immense.  

Minutes until the cards go live!!

Who’s excited?  I know I am.

Just a reminder for those who haven’t noticed SALE DAY IS SATURDAY AT 12 NOON.

Don’t be turning up expecting the sale to start at 8am as in previous years.  

The college have asked people not to queue before 8am so we should respect that.

Eyes down, have fun spotting your favourite cards and I will see you at the viewing tomorrow or the sale on Saturday. 

Definitely over 2000 cards then

The college most recent article on the sale clearly says that over 2000 cards will feature in this year’s sale - a significantly increased number on last year.

Here’s the full text 

From 30 November until 3 December 2018 over 2,000 postcard-sized original artworks will be on display at the College’s Kensington campus. The annual fundraising exhibition offers the unique opportunity to own original artworks by some of today’s greatest artists and designers with each small-scale masterpiece available for a minimum donation of £60. The only catch, or perhaps what makes Stewarts RCA Secret so appealing, is that all postcards are displayed anonymously.

In the past contributors to the exhibition have included renowned alumni and friends of the College including Christopher Bailey, David Bailey, Sir James Dyson, Tracey Emin, Norman Foster, Thomas Heatherwick, Anish Kapoor, Mike Leigh, Steve McQueen, Grayson Perry, Zandra Rhodes, Sir Paul Smith and Yinka Shonibare. Current students and recent alumni are also invited to contribute to the exhibition, offering the chance to view and own works by the art and design stars of the future.

A huge range of approaches, subjects and mediums feature in the exhibition, demonstrating the creativity, ingenuity and innovation of RCA students, staff, graduates and friends. From photography and collage, to drawing, painting, and even sculpture and embroidery – the works on display offer something for all tastes, with the only requirement being that all artworks have to be postcard sized. Confirmed contributors this year include Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park; contemporary artist Bob and Roberta Smith; and painter and sculptor Maggi Hambling.

Stewarts RCA Secret was established in 1994 and is London’s original postcard exhibition. All proceeds from the annual event go towards theRCA Fund. This vital support enables the College to offer bursaries to students who would not otherwise be able to attend the RCA and benefit from its world-leading education. Through the support of the public, Stewarts RCA Secret enables the College to provide transformational experiences to talented individuals regardless of their background or financial circumstances and foster the next generation of RCA graduates at a formative time in their careers.

Images of all postcards in the exhibition will be released online from 9am on Thursday 29 November, 24 hours before the exhibition opens to the public. Stewarts RCA Secret will then be open for viewing from Friday 30 November at 12pm. Supporters will have the opportunity to purchase their postcards from Saturday 1 December to Monday 3 December.

In order to purchase a postcard, supporters must register on the RCA Secret website to obtain a buyer’s ID. Buyers will be able to purchase their chosen postcards, initially capped at four per buyer, throughout the exhibition from 1 to 3 December. On the last day of the exhibition, everyone will be welcome to come back and choose unlimited postcards. 

Purchased postcards can be collected in person on the collection day, Thursday 6 December, or posted once the exhibition has closed.

---

Stewarts RCA Secret 2018
Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU
Exhibition & postcard selection: Saturday 1 December 12–6pm; Sunday 2 and Monday 3 December 10am–6pm
Collection day: Thursday 6 December from 4–8pm
Viewing day: Friday 30 November from 12–7pm 

Stewarts LLP is proud to sponsor the RCA Secret exhibition. Stewarts is one of the UK's leading litigation law firms. They have built a strong reputation for innovative and ground breaking dispute practice

Who is Candra Cassini part 2?

We’ve written about this topic before here

In the midst of the chaos that was rca secret 2017 one thing may have passed people by - Candra Cassini did no less that 8, yes 8 cards.  If you don’t believe us see here.

Now we know that for most contributing artists last year they were only sent 2 cards.  Some appear to have done 4, either because they were well known contributors or presumably because they were sent 2 packs in error and decided to generously donate 4 cards.  But no one else did anywhere close to 8.

Indeed in the history of rca secret it has been very rare indeed for an artist to contribute more than 6 cards.  6 cards used to be the maximum sent to any artist - Gehard Richter did 6 in 2009 for example.  There are plenty of other examples.  

There is one example we can recall  of an artist doing more than 6 and that was Richard Wentworth a few years ago, around 2010 from memory.  Of course Wentworth was head of sculpture at the college at the time so that is perhaps not so surprising.  His cards, photographs of tomatoes in odd places, were a delight that year.  

Readers may be able to remember other examples but there certainly aren’t that many.  

The existence of 8 cards last year leads us to suspect even more than Cassini is a “nom de plume” for someone at or close to the college.  It’s noteworthy this year that the college are doing their Hidden RCA exhibitions - is Cassini one of the college’s technical staff?  We know it is someone who has been connected to the college since around 2003 or 2004 who has been able to contribute to rca secret every year since then.

Who knows, it’s a fabulous mystery and one we rather hope will never be revealed.  It’s a glorious sub plot to the wonderful institution that rca secret has become and is one of the many reasons why we love it so much.

More contributor news

More exciting contributor news from fad magazine.  Plenty of big names to get your teeth into here and a different number of cards - more than 2000 are said to be exhibited in this article.

Full text here: 

Established in 1994, RCA Secret is London’s original postcard exhibition where supporters have the opportunity to purchase artwork by some of the world’s most celebrated artists, illustrators and designers, as well as up-and-coming graduates and students from the College. 

Each year supporters have their art credentials tested as the identity of their chosen artwork’s maker is kept secret and revealed only once the £60 donation is made. All proceeds go to the RCA Fund, which supports the next generation of RCA students. 

More than 2,000 postcard sized artworks will be exhibited this year and confirmed contributors include Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry, film director Ridley Scott, fashion designer Sir Paul Smith, conceptual, video and installation artist Jeremy Deller, artist Celia Hempton, conceptual artist Ryan Gander, painter and sculptor Maggi Hambling, fashion designer Sadie Williams, photomontage artist Peter Kennard, ceramicist Magdalene Odundo, contemporary artist Bob and Roberta Smith, sculptor Alison Wilding and fashion designer Richard Malone. 

Every contribution is an original artwork, produced with the same rigour as any other work by the maker. Although restricted to being postcard sized, the subject matter and approaches vary widely, from photography and collage to drawing, painting, and even sculpture and embroidery.

Previous contributors include renowned alumni and friends of the College David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Stella McCartney, David Bailey, Sir James Dyson, Tracey Emin, Anish Kapoor, Jarvis Cocker, Steve McQueen, Zandra Rhodes, Peter Blake and Yinka Shonibare.

RCA Secret will be open for viewing from Friday 30 November at the RCA’s Kensington campus. Supporters will have the opportunity to purchase their artworks from Saturday 1 December to Monday 3 December.

Images of all artworks in the exhibition will be released online from 9am on Thursday 29 November, 24 hours before the exhibition opens to the public. In order to purchase an artwork, supporters must register on the RCA Secret website to obtain a buyer’s ID. 

Preview day: Friday 30 November, 12 – 7pm
Exhibition & artwork selection: Sat 1 December 12 – 6pm; Sun 2 & Mon 3 December 10am – 6pm
Collection day: Thursday 6 December, 4 – 8pm

Senior Common Room, Royal College of Art Darwin Building, entrance off Jay Mews SW7 2EU
london.secret.rca.ac.uk/2018 #RCASecret

Grayson Perry a contributor to this year’s sale

Sponsors of rca secret Stewart’s law have revealed that Grayson Perry is a contributor to this year’s sale.  They also advise that there will be 1,800 cards in this year’s sale.

Here’s the full text of the article 

The Stewarts RCA Secret Exhibition 2018 runs from Friday 30 November to Monday 3 December, and has 1,800 anonymous postcard-sized pieces of art available to purchase.

Established in 1994, Stewarts RCA Secret is London’s original postcard exhibition where supporters have the opportunity to buy artwork by some of the world’s most celebrated artists, illustrators and designers, as well as up-and-coming graduates and students from the college.

This year, contributors include Turner Prize-winning artist Grayson Perry, film director Ridley Scott, fashion designer Sir Paul Smith, conceptual, video and installation artist Jeremy Deller, painter and sculptor Maggi Hambling and Wallace and Gromit creator, Nick Park.

Each year, the exhibition’s supporters have their art credentials tested as the identity of their chosen artwork’s creator is only revealed once the £60 donation is made. All proceeds go to the RCA Fund, which supports the next generation of RCA students at a formative time in their careers.

Stewarts is proud to sponsor the RCA Secret Postcard exhibition for the 6th year running.

Images of the artworks in the exhibition will be available to view from 9am on Thursday 29 November, 24 hours before the exhibition is open. They will be available to view online here.

The exhibition will be held in the Senior Common Room at the Royal College of Art’s Darwin building, which is part of the Kensington Campus.

To be eligible to purchase the postcards, you will have to be registered via the RCA Secret’s website.

Countdown to the sale - our list of contributors

Really not long to go now and little news emanating from the college about contributors so we thought the below might give you something to pass the time.   


We are no clearer on how sale day is going to work and what systems the college will have in place to deal with the number of people who all will be turning up at 8 in the morning all with an expectation of being first, or near first, in the queue.  I very much hope the college have a cunning plan (they can't say they haven't been warned).


The lovely Anita Klein has confirmed to us that she has contributed again.  Needless to say her mini masterpieces won't be too difficult to spot. 


Also keep an eye out for Debbie Lawson's contributions.  Debbie did the amazing Red Bear (pictured) at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition which many commentators felt was the standout piece of that exhibition.  What will her postcards be???


Three of the very best RCA secret contributors have also confirmed they will be there again this year - Peter Jones, Elinor Evans and Susie Hamilton.  Any collector can be very proud to add a piece from these amazing artists to their collection. 


We also know the show will feature contributions from in no particular order K M Bosy, Emma Barnard, Broughton & Birnie, Wayne Chisnall, Jolanta Dolewska, Dorthe Kaergaard, Sarah Kurdika, Ray Richardson, Michael Angove, Frances Aviva Blane,  Nadia Nervo, Babette Wagenvoort, Angela Lamb, Lorraine K Snape, Anya Charikov-Mickleburgh, Pernille Braun, Liesel Thomas, Simon Leahy Clark, Andrew Bunce, Andrew Kulman, Jennie Edwards, Jo Lewis, Jospehine Halbert, Mark Gamsu and Jennifer Baird amongst no doubt many others.


Some more very wonderful artists on that list many of whom have supported the event for many years. 

First contributor news

An rca press release has revealed contributor news for this year’s sale.  First named contributors are Nick Park, Maggi Hambling and Bob and Roberta smith.  The press releases also confirms that cards will be £60 this year.

Royal College of Art, Darwin Building, entrance off Jay Mews SW7 2EU 
Exhibition & postcard selection: Sat 1 December 12 – 6pm; Sun 2 and Mon 3 December 10am – 6pm
Collection day: Thurs 6 December from 4 – 8pm
Viewing day: Fri 30 November from 12 – 7pm 

The Royal College of Art (RCA) is proud to announce details of its fun and exciting annual fundraising exhibition, RCA Secret, sponsored by Stewarts.

Established in 1994, Stewarts RCA Secret is London’s original postcard exhibition where supporters have the opportunity to own artwork by some of the world’s most celebrated artists, illustrators and designers, as well as up-and-coming graduates and students from the College.

Each year supporters have their art credentials tested as the identity of their chosen artwork’s maker is kept secret and revealed only once the £60 donation is made. All proceeds go to the RCA Fund, which supports the next generation of RCA students at a formative time in their careers.

More than 2,000 postcards will be exhibited this year and confirmed contributors include Wallace and Gromit creator, Nick Park, contemporary artist Bob and Roberta Smith, and painter and sculptor Maggi Hambling.

Every contribution is an original artwork, produced with the same rigour as any other work by the maker. Although restricted to being postcard sized, the subject matter and approaches vary widely, from photography and collage, to drawing, painting, and even sculpture and embroidery.

Previous contributors include renowned alumni and friends of the College including Christopher Bailey, David Bailey, Sir James Dyson, Tracey Emin, Norman Foster, Thomas Heatherwick, Anish Kapoor, Mike Leigh, Steve McQueen, Grayson Perry, Zandra Rhodes, Sir Paul Smith and Yinka Shonibare.

Stewarts RCA Secret will be open for viewing from Friday 30 November at the RCA’s Kensington campus. Supporters will have the opportunity to purchase their postcards from Saturday 1 December to Monday 3 December, just in time for Christmas.

Images of all postcards in the exhibition will be released online from 9am on Thursday 29 November, 24 hours before the exhibition opens to the public. In order to purchase a postcard, supporters must register on the RCA Secret website to obtain a buyer’s ID. Buyers will be able to purchase their chosen postcards, initially capped at four per buyer, throughout the exhibition from 1 to 3 December. On the last day of the exhibition, everyone will be welcome to come back and choose unlimited postcards. 

Postcards can be collected in person on the collection day, Thursday 6 December, or posted once the exhibition has closed.

Stewarts is proud to sponsor the RCA Secret exhibition. Stewarts is the UK's leading litigation-only law firm. They have a strong international reputation for excellence in ground breaking and innovative litigation. http://www.stewartslaw.com

£60

The price of cards is going up to £60 for this year according to this blog


Text reproduced below

Exhibition

RCA Secret

Opening: 30 Nov 2018, 12:00 - 19:00

30 Nov 2018 – 3 Dec 2018

Address

• Kensington site: Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU

RCA Secret is a fundraising exhibition of original postcard-sized artworks by internationally acclaimed artists, illustrators and designers plus up-and-coming graduates and students from the Royal College of Art.

About

Established in 1994, RCA Secret is London’s original postcard exhibition. RCA Secret not only directly helps the next generation of artists and designers pursue their studies and supports students at a formative time in their careers, but also gives you a chance to get your hands on original works of art for a small donation. The Secret? Each postcard is signed only on the back, so supporters don’t know the identity of the artists until they have made their donation.

Each postcard in the exhibition is unique and available to keep for a donation of £60.

An RCA secret card isn't just for Christmas

Just under 3 months to go until RCA Secret and for those who haven't noticed the college has published details of the arrangements for this year on the RCA Secret site.

Lets start with the positives.  Cards have gone out very early to contributing artists and with the deadline for return not being until the beginning of November it is to be hoped that this will be a really great year for contributions.  Already on twitter artists such as Peter Jones, Anita Klein and Susie Hamilton have tweeted that they have returned their cards to the college so this seems very promising.   Also last year contributing artists were only sent 2 cards to return.  I understand that artists have been able to do 3 or even 4 cards each this year which means hopefully a bumper number of cards and more opportunities for fans to get what they want.

Next the college has reintroduced the viewing day.  It is clearly important to get an opportunity to see the cards in the flesh not just online and the college have responded to the criticisms of last years show by having a full viewing day on 30 November 2018.  I am sure I will see many of you there, I have already booked a day off from work.

Also the college have relaxed the rules on numbers of cards that can be bought so that on the final day of the sale, Monday 3 December, so you can return to the sale and buy as many more cards as you like.  I've been saying for some time this would be a good idea, so I'm pleased the college have implemented it.  The limit on purchases to 4 cards each is essential at the start of the sale but there seems no reason to continue to enforce that once the initial rush has subsided.  I'm sure I'm bound to return on the last day for a final trawl and the opportunity to scoop up a couple more cards.  I suspect I am not alone.  More cards sold, more money for bursaries so everyone is a winner.  I expect the cards to sell well give how close the sale is to Christmas.  

On the more controversial side the raffle has been scrapped this year.  I appreciate the raffle wasn't universally popular but it's worth remembering that the raffle was introduced for 3 reasons – to bring extra revenue to the college; to try and stop people queueing for so long as local residents complained; and because it levelled the field and meant that everyone had a chance of getting the best cards, not just the predominantly male and 100% able bodied people who were prepared to queue for 2 weeks plus outside the sale.  If the raffle is scrapped then an efficient system has to be introduced to deal with the sale day.  The college have simply said at the moment that camping is banned and that queueing will not be allowed until 8am on the morning of the sale and that security will be around to enforce this.  I'm struggling to understand how that works in practice.  

The reality is that there will be a number of people – at least 100, probably more, who would have been prepared to queue for longer than 4 hours for the sale.  It can be assumed that most of those people will be there at 8am on the day, and many will have turned up much earlier than that.  How will this be dealt with?  Who will be 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd in the queue when the college allows queuing at 8am.  If it is a free for all then I worry that it could get unpleasant.  People may be put off coming at all, which would be sad.  The college need to, in my opinion, give information as to how they envisage this working.

Anyway I will be sure to publish updates and thoughts on this blog, together with any news I get.  Looking forward to that first contributor news.

Do let me know what your thoughts are on the changes.   

Consultation

True to their word the RCA have consulted with some of those who complained about last years show.  I wasn't asked initially but have now given them my thoughts.   Hopefully the results of the consultation will be out soon and that the views of the those consulted is taken into account.  It will be the autumn before we know it and I would hope that we will soon have a date for this years show as well so that we know what to work to.

RCA secret 2018 will return in the autumn

The college have announced on their website that this years RCA secret will return in the autumn of 2018. 


They also say that this will be the 25th year and 25th Sale.  I'm not sure that is right.  RCA secret started in 1994 so I guess you could just about shoehorn that as being "the 25th year" of RCA secret (although most I think would argue that was 2019).  As there was no sale in 2012 this will definitely be only the 24th sale.  


Anyway away from the pedantry it is exciting news.  Can't wait for the next incarnation.  Let's hope the college make good on their offer to discuss with the fans the format of the show after last years disastrous sale day.


Here's the text from the article:

The RCA will launch its 25th annual RCA Secret exhibition and sale in Autumn 2018.

Since its launch in 1994, the RCA's annual fundraising postcard exhibition and sale features over 1,000 postcard-sized drawings, collages, photographs and sculptures by some of the world’s most celebrated artists and designers, as well as by promising students from the College.


All proceeds of RCA Secret go to the RCA Fund, funding bursaries and scholarships going to students who benefit from the financial aid the RCA is able to provide through this unique fundraiser.


RCA Secret attracts high-profile art collectors and passionate art lovers. Each of the postcards on display is sold anonymously, with the artist only being revealed after the point of sale, once the card is bought by a collector. Previous contributors include David Hockney, Yinka Shonibare, David Bowie, John Baldessari, Tracey Emin and Christopher Bailey.


In 2018, RCA Secret will mark its twenty-fifth year. More information and dates coming soon…


In the meantime, please support students to complete their studies and make a gift to the RCA Fund today.  


To view postcard images of past RCA Secret exhibitions and for more details on the event visit http://london.secret.rca.ac.uk