ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS
As The Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, it was founded in London's Covent Garden in 1754 to encourage excellence in the arts, commerce, and manufacturing, now more usually known as the Royal Society of Arts (RSA). For over 250 years, experts in these fields have presented innovative ideas and fostered debate amongst their peers and interested parties, usually Fellows of the Society. The Society's Medals recognise outstanding achievements with three important awards, the first is the Albert Medal named after Prince Albert (1819-1861), the Society's long serving President, originally awarded to individuals who achieved distinction in the promotion of the arts, commerce, or manufacturing and today is recognises people who have achieved major forms of social innovation. Winners include Sir Rowland Hill (1795-1879), the inventor of the postage stamp, Sir Hugh Maxwell Casson (1910-1999), architect, painter and President of the RA, musician Yehudi Menuhin, Baron Menuhin (1916–1999) and Sir Timothy John Berners-Lee (1955-), the inventor of the World Wide Web. The second medal is the Benjamin Franklin Medal, awarded to individuals or to groups and organisations who foster and encourage Anglo-American relationships, being awarded in alternate years to U.K. and then U.S. citizens. The third medal, the Bicentenary Medal, established in 1954 to commemorate the founding of the Society was originally awarded to an individual who was influential in the promotion of innovative art and design in British Industry, recipients include Robin Vere Darwin (1910-1974), painter and Principal of the Royal College of Art, William Menzies Coldstream, painter and Principal of the Slade School of Fine Art, and designer and entrepreneur Sir Terence Orby Conran (1931–2020). Another important award given by the Society, which commenced in 1936 is the ‘Royal Designer for Industry’ (RDI) which is awarded annually to designers of all disciplines who have achieved ‘sustained design excellence, work of aesthetic value and significant benefit to society. There are over thirty Suffolk artists associated with the Society for the Encouragement of Arts.
Website: https://www.thersa.org