The institution is dedicated to developing and collecting works from the Beijing school of painting.

The ongoing exhibition showcases long scrolls of classic ink paintings which depict construction projects from the 1950s, such as the Shisanling Reservoir in northern Beijing.

Another highlight is the 46-meter-long Spring of Capital, a work of six painters from the academy and bearing an inscription by Guo Moruo, a prominent author and historian. The painting was completed in 1959 in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the founding of People's Republic of China.

Other paintings on display are those produced as part of two ongoing creative projects jointly initiated by the academy and the Beijing Artists Association.

The projects, Beijing's Charms, which will run for six years, and Beijing Images, which will run for 10 years, want artists involved to create works which document the capital's renewing cityscape, for example the new Daxing International Airport set to open soon and preparations for the Beijing 2020 Winter Olympics.