ONE of the founders of a Warrington gallery has been shortlisted by the Royal Academy to showcase his work at its summer exhibition.

Matt George, from Technically Brilliant in Golden Square, should find out in August if he has made the final cut for the prestigious London event.

Technically Brilliant primarily shows the work of emerging artists from the area and has previously chosen three people who have been shortlisted by the Royal Academy.

The Royal Academy for the Arts has been holding an open show for more than 250 years.

There are usually about 16,000 entries which are then whittled down to between 700 and 1,200 exhibitors in the final show.

Matt said: “It’s a big deal for me personally but it’s great for the gallery as we have chosen three artists that have been shortlisted in the 19 months we’ve existed.

“The final results are in August but to be shortlisted is a major pat on the back. To get in can be life changing.”

Meanwhile, Technically Brilliant is preparing for its sixth show called Wish You Were Here which starts on Friday, July 23.

Matt added: “It will showcase the original artwork of 80 artists from the area which has been chosen by our six curators. The competition was really tough this time and approximately half the entrants didn’t get through. The good news for them is there will be another opportunity in two months. The exhibitions are free to enter, so we encourage people to have a go.”