Royal Academy becomes hub of London summer event rebranded as ‘Mayfair Art Weekend’

The Royal Academy’s ‘Burlington Gardens Festival’ will now be consolidated into ‘Mayfair Art Weekend’. Image copyright: Benedict Johnson Photography.

• Anne Crane
  
• 23 Feb 2017

From now on it will be known as Mayfair Art Weekend to reflect the emphasis on the volume of events taking place in that district. Brown’s Hotel remains a sponsor of the event.

As well as the relaunch, the organisers have announced a collaboration with the Royal Academy of Arts which will act as the hub for the event.

Over 60 galleries across Mayfair and St James’s take part in the arts fest which runs this year from June 30-July 2. Many of the participants are well known Modern and Contemporary art galleries such as Blain Southern, PACE and Gagosian but the range extends further.

But there are also all-rounders such as The Fine Art Society and specialists like Robert Bowman with sculpture from the 19^th century onwards or Daniel Crouch Rare Books with antique maps, prints, globes and other cartographic material.

Bond Street auction house Bonhams are also participating.

Visitors at a guided tour titled ‘Discovering the very best of Halcyon Gallery, from Picasso and Miró to Lichtenstein and Warhol’, which the Halcyon Gallery put on last year as part of ‘Brown’s London Art Weekend’ which has now been rebranded as ‘Mayfair Art Weekend’. Image copyright: Denise Odong.

The Royal Academy’s partnership means that the Mayfair Art Weekend has a central focal point to tie all the events together. The RA not only holds its long-standing Summer Exhibition and RA Schools Show at this time but will also incorporate a free arts festival in its courtyard and across Burlington Houses offering creative workshops, music, dance and performances.  

The RA’s artistic director Tim Marlow said: “For the Royal Academy it began back in 2015 when we collaborated on the Brown’s London Art Weekend. In addition, there was the RA’s Burlington Gardens Festival.

“Now, both are consolidated into one project – the Mayfair Art Weekend. It should be a dynamic, expansive, inspiring and momentum-building experience, with the RA’s festival providing a platform for young artists in particular and encouraging the involvement of the public in the creative process”.