A Nantwich artist has been shortlisted to exhibit her work at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Show in London.
It’s the second consecutive year Barbara Barlow has made it through to the show and has been shortlisted from 10,000 entries to the final 1,000.
Part of the acceptance was being invited to Varnishing Day in London and that took place on June 9.
Barbara said: “I am over the moon.
“It’s a unique event including a church service for artists and they open the doors of the exhibition for the first time, exclusively to welcome participants in to see their work in situ.
“We congregated late morning in the courtyard of Burlington House, Piccadilly.
“The clergy from St James’s Church in Piccadilly came down to greet us. Along with a calypso band, we formed a procession and walked up Piccadilly to the church where a special service was held.
“Luminaries of the art world were present including Cheshire-born Cornelia Parker.
“I met a lady called Donna from Tamworth who only took up drawing in a serious way just over a year ago and she succeeded in having a very fine drawing of Zelensky accepted into the show!”
Speakers included the President of the Royal Academy, Rebecca Salter and Christine Checinska, Senior Curator for Africa and Diaspora: Textiles and Fashion at the V&A.
The exhibition officially opened to the public yesterday (June 16) and will remain open until August 17.
Barbara’s entry this year is a ceramic tryptic called The Shipping Forecast, with each of her three vessels individually named Cloud Breaker, Cyclonic and Fair Isle.
The theme of the show this year being DIALOGUES.
The Royal Academy of Arts Annual Open Exhibition, based in Piccadilly, London, is the world’s longest running and largest show.
Each year, organisers commission someone of renown within the art world to lead in coordinating the exhibition.
In 2018, Grayson Perry was in charge, and in 2024 Phyllida Barlow was involved.
People from other artistic disciplines also exhibit and last year Barbara found her artwork sited
close to “Gary The Clam”, a sculpture submitted by the comedian Joe Lycett.
Barbara took her work to London in early May and left it there for the final round of judging.
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