Scott Mead work accepted into Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition

Best known for his philanthropy and an extensive career in investment banking, Scott Mead has recently become more visible in the fine art world, actively creating and exhibiting his fine art photography most recently in the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition in Piccadilly, London.

Scott Mead was born in Washington, DC. When he was 13 years old, he received one of his grandfather’s cameras and a lifelong passion for photography was ignited. As a child, he would take pictures at home, spend hours in the family darkroom developing prints and exploring the art form of photography. Later, as an undergraduate student of American History and Literature at Harvard University, Scott Mead also studied visual arts and art history. It was during this time that Mead had the unique opportunity to study with some of America’s best-known photographers: William Eggleston, Emmet Gowin, and Minor White. In 1975 he used a complex photographic technique to take a series of black and white photographs that captured rural New England. By combining a large format camera with a smaller lens and using advanced darkroom technology, Scott Mead was able to create images that would otherwise be nearly impossible to achieve when shot. In 1977 he graduated and continued his studies as a Harvard Scholar at Emmanuel College, Cambridge University, where he obtained his M.Phil in 1979. And finally, in 1982 Scott Mead concluded his academic career with a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School .

After deliberating between a career in photography or in the field of investment banking, Scott Mead decided to suspend his artistic pursuits and accepted an offer to work in First Boston Corporation. From there, he moved on to Goldman Sachs & Company, He first worked in the New York offices beginning in 1986, then moved to London in 1988 to continue expanding and growing the company’s European presence. Mead worked at Goldman Sachs until 2003, worked for a few years at Apax partners as a senior advisor and chairman of the technology and telecommunications advisory council, and finally in early 2009, Mead co-founded a private merchant bank, Richmond Park Partners. As Scott Mead’s professional career grew over time, Mead always expressed an ongoing interest in the world of fine arts. This passion was recently rekindled in 2009 when Mead discovered old negatives of his works in 1975, which had been in his attic and forgotten for many years.

In 2010, Scott Mead exhibited works from these years in Hamiltons Gallery in London. The individual exhibition, Looking back, included 25 black and white prints taken from the time period between 1974 and 1977. The prints, mostly circular images inspired by their teacher at the time, Emmet Gowin, were created with a special technique that allows the viewer to see perspective identical to that seen through the photographer’s eyes, without the jagged edges that are common in most rectangular photographs. All proceeds from the exhibition were donated to the Great Ormond Street Children’s Charity, specifically for the Gene and Cell Therapy Laboratory at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

In 2011, two of Scott Mead’s photographs were accepted by the Royal Academy of Arts for its annual Summer exhibition. One of the photographs, The evening light, is part of a series of photographs taken during his college years that are also featured in the Looking Back exhibition. The second photograph, “Untitled”, is another black and white photograph showing the ocean and the closed beach umbrellas, under a cloudy sky with an eerie atmosphere.

From 1769 to the present day, the Royal Academy of Arts in London has held a summer exhibition that recognizes the works of new emerging artists in the contemporary art world alongside established artists. This year marks the 243rd Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, showcasing 1,117 works including paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographs, films, and architecture. The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is known to be one of the largest open-presentation exhibitions, allowing artists from around the world to submit their works for consideration. This year, the academy’s pending committee received more than 12,000 submissions from 27 countries and chose a few from the pool of submissions to create the exhibit.

The Royal Academy of Arts was established by King George III in 1768 in order to promote the arts through education and exhibitions. In addition to its ongoing public exhibitions, the Royal Academy of Arts runs an academic institution, the Royal Academy of Schools, and also has a public library. The Royal Academy is run by 80 artists who are also known as Royal Academicians. The requirements for an academic include being a fully or partially practicing artist in the UK. Each Scholar also has the opportunity to display their work during the Summer Exhibition. Some notable scholars include David Hockney, Tracey Emin, and Anish Kapoor. This year’s summer exhibition featured works by scholars Jeff Koons, Tacita Dean, Allen Jones, Jenny Saville, Anish Kapoor, and Tracey Emin.

In addition to his professional work and artistic endeavors, Scott Mead is also an active philanthropist, donating time and money to support causes close to his heart, including education, medical research, athletics, and the fine arts. Scott Mead founded the Mead Foundation in 1996 for the purpose of awarding grants and donations to a wide range of educational, medical and artistic initiatives. He also established the Mead International Scholars Program which provides financial support to law students who specialize in projects that support human rights and economic development in regions around the world. Scott Mead sits on the executive committee of the Tate Foundation, assisting with financial responsibilities in overseeing the staffing of the Tate museum at its four museum locations in the UK. Most recently, Scott Mead became a member of the board of New Look Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by recording artist Usher to help disadvantaged youth learn leadership skills and inspire change in their local communities. Lastly, Mead makes a donation to his alma maters, Harvard, Cambridge and the University of Pennsylvania, which support academic and athletic programs.