EDINBURGH.- The ninth annual RSA New Contemporaries exhibition will take place at the Royal Scottish Academy Galleries in Edinburgh from 18th February to the 15th March 2016. Showcasing 66 graduates selected from the degree shows in 2016, this carefully curated exhibition offers a unique opportunity to see the best of Scotland’s emerging talent under one roof.

RSA New Contemporaries continues to cement its position as Scotland’s most important showcase for emerging artists. In addition to the initial selection for the exhibition and the opportunity that this brings, the value of exhibition prizes now total over £40,000 and provide their recipients with yet another stepping stone in the early careers of these recent graduates.

The RSA in now in year three of our partnership with William Grant & Sons, offering one artist the opportunity of a three-month funded (£10k) residency at the Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown, plus the opportunity for an exhibition. Our flagship award - the £14k Fleming Wyfold Bursary – offers one artist a monetary award of £10,000 plus an additional £4000 towards material costs, accession of work into the prestigious Fleming Collection, one year of mentoring from an experienced arts professional and automatic selection for the New Scottish Artists exhibition in London.

Following on from RSA New Contemporaries - for the fourth year running and in partnership with the Fleming-Wyfold Foundation - the RSA will present a selection of artists from the exhibition at the David Roberts Art Foundation in London. This exhibition is titled “New Scottish Artists: A Royal Scottish Academy exhibition supported by the Fleming-Wyfold Foundation” and will run from 21 April to 6 May at the David Roberts Arts Foundation in Camden, providing a significant platform for emerging Scottish artists in London.

The selection was made at the 2016 degree shows (list of graduates/institutions in notes) by exhibition convenor Delia Baillie RSA, with assistance from fellow academicians and representatives from the art schools. This year the five Scottish schools of architecture are represented by graduates who will work with architecture convenor Charlie Hussey RSA. These recent graduates are given the opportunity to launch their careers at the prestigious RSA galleries by exhibiting a substantial body of work; including painting, sculpture, film making, photography, printmaking, architecture and installation.

RSA NEW CONTEMPORARIES represents the RSA’s commitment to supporting and presenting the best contemporary work in Scotland. The RSA team works closely with the artists and architects towards developing a lasting relationship in the lead up to the exhibition and beyond. With nearly £40,000 worth of monetary prizes in addition to residency, studio and purchase prizes, the development of this exhibition is an important initiative for emerging artists in Scotland, enabling a ‘first exhibition’ opportunity for 60+ emergent artists annually. The RSA are delighted to announce that Walter Scott & Partners Limited are continuing their partnership with us through their role as Exhibition Patron. NVT Group will sponsor City Night (our exhibition preview for Scotland’s business community) and, for the ninth consecutive year, The Skinny will be our Media Partner.

“The RSA is to be commended for providing recent graduates with the opportunity to show their work in such a high-profile venue at the start of their careers.” Jim Birrell, Head of Painting & Printmaking, Glasgow School of Art.