Royal academy of arts london

Located at Piccadilly, London in Burlington House, it is the country's oldest art school and also has extensive space for exhibitions and ongoing artist education. The Royal Academy was chartered in 1768 by King George III as a privately funded institution led by artists and architects "to promote the creation, enjoyment and appreciation of the visual arts through exhibitions, education and debate." Its establishment met the need of providing English artists with a venue to sell their works at a time when European art had a much stronger, more prestigious market. Membership was limited to 40, and founding members included Benjamin West, Sir Joshua Reynolds, and Thomas Gainsborough. The first exhbition was held April 25 to May 27, 1769 with 136 works of art, and established an unbroken exhibition program from that time. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Academy