Royal canadian academy of arts

Founded in 1880 with the purpose of promoting the arts in what was then a young country, it is the oldest national organization of Canadian artists.?? Organizers were twenty-six of the country's outstanding architects, painters and sculptors along with the Marquess of Lorne, the Governor General of Canada.?? Elected artist members became known as Academicians, and these persons founded and established the core collection of the National Gallery in Ottawa.?? Before 1949 there was no retirement age in the RCA and its constitution allowed a total of only 40 Academicians; made up of 22 painters, 5 sculptors, 9 architects, and 4 designers, etchers and engravers.?? The amount of Associate members was not limited and in 1946 there were 65.?? Therefore an Associate had to wait for an Academician to die or resign to have a chance at advancement and a vote.?? In 1949 the constitution was amended to increase the number of Academicians to 45 and adopt a retirement age of 70.?? In 1973 the constitution was again changed to drop the designation Associate (ARCA) and replace it with RCA elect (RCAe) indicating the member had not yet presented diploma work.?? There are currently (2011) over 700 members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts.?? Artist member names include Bertram Binning, Dora De Pedery-Hunt, Yvonne Housser, William Brymner, Maurice Cullen and John Ford Clymer. Sources: Canadian Association of New York; AskART database; "Passionate Spirits: A History of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts, 1880 ??? 1980" (1980), by Rebecca Sisler (see AskART book references); and the RCA ??? http://www.rca-arc.ca/en/about_members/index.asp. Courtesy, M.D. Silverbrooke