Art display to go on despite fire

One of the galleries due to host the exhibition caught fire

The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) has said it will go ahead with its next exhibition, despite a blaze last week which gutted one of its galleries.

The fire broke out at the venue in Burlington Gardens, London, and created huge amounts of smoke.

The exhibition in Piccadilly, which showcases American artists, is scheduled for 6 October and is in collaboration with the Saatchi Gallery.

One of the galleries which was due to house the art was damaged in the fire.

The building which caught fire was adjacent to but separate from the main RA building - which was evacuated and closed for the day.

Sixty firefighters fought the blaze

Sixty firefighters tackled the fire before it was brought under control.

The exhibition, called USA Today: New American Art, will now be held in two replacement galleries which will display 150 works by 40 young American artists.

Charles Saatchi, co-curator of the Saatchi Gallery, said, "The team at the Royal Academy has done an incredible job to ensure that USA TODAY can open as planned."

The RA's exhibition's secretary, Norman Rosenthal, said he was "delighted" about the opening.

"The Royal Academy and the Saatchi Gallery have been working hard together to ensure that this seminal exhibition remains a key feature of this autumn's cultural calendar," he said.