RCA Secret is one of the UK’s most distinctive art events and was the brainchild of an RCA student in 1994 to help raise funds for the fine art students. The idea was simple – ask famous artists and young art graduates to submit an original piece of art with just two rules – the art work must be completed on a postcard and it must be signed on the reverse, keeping the artists’ identity a secret.
Fifteen years later, RCA Secret has grown in popularity and now has over 1,000 artists donating to the event each year. The list of artists who have contributed is a roll call of some of the best names in contemporary art, it includes: David Hockney, Damien Hirst, Julian Opie, Tracey Emin, Sam Taylor-Wood, Grayson Perry, Sir Peter Blake, as well as many incredible designers, from Stella McCartney, Manolo Blahnik and Giorgio Armani and musicians like David Bowie, Sir Paul McCartney and Graham Coxon. Names of artists participating in this year's event will be announced shortly.
We hope that this year’s anniversary will be bigger and better than ever. The format stays the same with the postcards exhibited in the RCA galleries and on-line from 14 to 21 November. Then for one day only on 22 November, all the postcards will go on sale for the incredibly low price of just £40 each. Postcards can only be bought on a first come, first served basis, with no sealed bids or reservations in advance. There will also be a raffle for buyers to win a position in the first fifty places of the sale-day queue.
As in previous years all moneys raised go to the Royal College of Art Fine Art Student Award Fund. To date, sales of postcards have raised over £1 million for the Fund, helping hundreds of emerging artists at a formative stage in their careers.
As well as being a fundraiser for the Fine Art students at the College, RCA Secret has a loyal following of supporters including regular collectors and art-lovers who have been visiting the show since it began. It is not only one of the most popular events at the RCA, but has now become an established date in the British art calendar.
If you would like more information on the event with details on how you can register to become a buyer then please visit: www.rca.ac.uk/secret.
RCA Secret 2008
Location: Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU
Viewing Days: 14 - 21 November, 11am - 6pm daily (20 November until 8pm).
Sale Day: 22 November from 8am.
Free Admission.
Public information: +44 (0)20 7590 4186 or www.rca.ac.uk/secret.
Tube: South Kensington/High Street Kensington
Buses: 9,10, 52, 360, 452