Alex Jones samples the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition

The One Show's Alex Jones is given the privilege of a sneak preview of this year's Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts.

Now in its 246th year, it features work created in a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, architecture and film.

This year more than 12,000 artists submitted their work for consideration, whittled down to just over a thousand for the final display.

Making her first visit to the Summer Exhibition, Alex is expertly guided around a selection of the works by Head of the Summer Exhibition, Edith Devaney, including the extravagant Cake Man in the Central Hall and a piece by Michael Craig-Martin.

Finishing touches were still being made to the exhibition when Alex took her tour.

From 16 June-9 August, the Royal Academy will present The One Show Summer Art Exhibition 2014 in the historic Reynolds Room. The One Show Summer Art Competition 2014 was open to amateur artists living in the UK and split in two age categories: 13-17 years old and 18 and over.

From over 1,000 submissions, a selection of 24 shortlisted works will go on display at the RA. A panel, including Michael Landy RA, Edith Devaney, Nick Grimshaw, BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast Show host, and the actress Maureen Lipman, will judge 12 shortlisted entries from each category.

The winners will be announced on The One Show in July, with two new works by the winners joining the exhibition.

The Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts opens to the public on Monday 9 June and runs until 17 August