Rebecca Salter, the first female president of the Royal Academy of Arts, received the Freedom of the City of London in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the arts. Officials presented the honor at a ceremony at the Guildhall Art Gallery, marking a significant moment for the more than 250-year-old institution she has led since 2019.
The Freedom of the City is an ancient tradition that historians trace to 1237. Recent recipients include Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett, choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne, and former professional heavyweight boxer Frank Bruno.
Salter's response
Speaking after receiving the award, Salter emphasized the vital role of arts in society. "It is an honour to have been granted the Freedom of this great City of London. I am delighted to accept, both as an artist and as president of the Royal Academy of Arts," she said. She added that "In uncertain and difficult times, the arts play an increasingly vital role in developing our ability to understand ourselves and others."
Salter expressed her commitment to strengthening ties between the Royal Academy and the City. "I hope to continue to build links between the Royal Academy and the City of London, so that we can work together to ensure that generations to come are able to explore the many riches that flow from engagement with the arts in all of their forms," she said.
Recognition from officials
Chris Hayward, policy chairman of the City of London Corporation, congratulated Salter on the honor. "As the policy chairman of one of the UK's major funders of arts and culture, I am very pleased to offer my congratulations to Rebecca Salter on her Freedom," he said. The Corporation invests more than £130 million annually in arts and culture, managing institutions including the Barbican Centre, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, and Guildhall Art Gallery.
Judge Mark Lucraft, Recorder of London, paid tribute to Salter's nearly five-decade career. "Over the course of a career spanning nearly five decades, Rebecca Salter has revelled in the freedom to explore different media and techniques, which has enabled her to produce so much beautiful work and gain a loyal following," he said. He called it "a particular privilege to pay tribute to Rebecca's remarkable talents as an artist and her leadership of one of the UK's most prestigious cultural institutions."
Career highlights
The honor recognizes Salter's distinguished career as a British abstract artist. She became a Royal Academician in 2014 and the Academy elected her Keeper of the Royal Academy in 2017 before she became president. She studied ceramics at Bristol Polytechnic and received a Leverhulme Scholarship to Kyoto City University of the Arts in Japan, where she explored traditional Japanese techniques. Major collections including the Tate, British Museum, Victoria & Albert Museum, and Yale Center for British Art in the US hold her minimalist, multimedia work.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
