Wales’ only Royal Academy confirms closure after 144 years
Wales’ only Royal Academy has confirmed its closure later this month, after 144 years.
The Royal Cambrian Academy of Art, one of Wales’ oldest cultural institutions, has announced it will close for the final time on 24 August 2025.
Founded in 1881, the Academy, based in Conwy, has showcased work from generations of artists and welcomed visitors from across Wales and beyond.
The decision to close follows what is described as “a period of significant challenges”
Earlier this month, an urgent appeal for funding was launched, warning that without support and due to the impact of rising costs and cuts to public funding, it would be forced to close its doors.
In a joint statement confirming the closure, the Academy said: “This is not the future we imagined for the Academy, and we know this news will be deeply felt by the many people who value its place in Wales’ cultural life.
“We are proud of the Academy’s long history and the community that has grown around it. Our sincere hope is that, in time, something new may rise from its legacy.”
Only in Wales
Jess Bugler, a printmaker and RCA Council Member, said: “Every other nation has its own Royal Academy, but only in Wales is it allowed to fail. In the past six months, the RCA has restructured, fundraised and relied on volunteers. We have fought hard to stay open but without any external support from local or national government, in the current financial climate, it is proving impossible.
“The closure of the RCA will be a tragedy for the visual arts and Wales will be the poorer for it. ”
The Royal Academy has its roots in Britain’s first artists’ colony, whose members went on to found the Cambrian Academy of Art in 1881. In 1882, Queen Victoria commanded that the Academy be styled as ‘Royal’.
Public exhibitions
In the century and a half since then, it has supported Welsh artists, provided free public exhibitions, and delivered creative workshops for people across the community — including those with the least access to the arts.
The Academy has stressed that its closure will be more than a local loss. It will mean the end of a legacy that has helped shape generations of Welsh art and artists.
Having been headed up by painter Augustus John and Sir Kyffin Williams in the 20th century, it was recently governed by a Volunteer Council of artists.
It had been holding nine exhibitions per year and offered an extensive education programme and free public entry.
HRH the Prince of Wales was the Academy’s Patron and Honorary Artist Member.
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This is a disaster. Likely it would not have happened if it was in Cardiff…
This is really sad-so much for Welsh government support for the arts, which generates thousands of pounds every year as well as jobs, and community engagement.
I didn’t even know this existed. The art snobs will despair but if you want people to visit a gallery in large numbers the building itself needs to be an “iconic” globally recognisable visitor attraction. Think Tate Modern, Guggenheim Bilbao or the Louvre.
And maybe the RA could swap their hidden anonymous static building with a permanent tour of Wales, using empty shops to stage pop-up exhibitions in towns that have no access to art.
Is it worth having the title ‘Royal’ attached to anything anymore? It hasn’t helped here has it?
Start from new without the ‘Royal’. It is not needed. Academi Celf Cymru would be much better. Attract younger artists and more media attention and a new funding model might emerge.
That’s the spirit and then move on to removing Royal names from our hospitals as a matter of national pride. Our NHS is being ground down to extinction and suffering the insult of being hammered for rent by the names our hospitals are carrying. Rename them now.
Welsh government have similarly sat there whilst Music in Wales in schools has been dismantled . An area of natural excellence allowed to wither on the vine as Peripatetic music services were dumbed down and down and destroyed.
Scandalous. For two reasons, obviously such an institution is part of our Welsh cultural heritage. Secondly, I never heard of the RCA before, which seems a greater disgrace.