2014 Archive
January
The first photography group of 2014 meets at 7:30pm at Number 8 (Upstairs Bar) on Thursday 16th January.
Please remember to add the date of our AGM to your 2014 diaries and calendars: Thursday 30th January. It’s most important to come if you are able and it's an opportunity to socialise with other members.
We are hoping our three-panel mural will be installed in Pershore library in the very near future - A big thank you to all our members that worked so hard on this project.
February
Unfortunately, due to the adverse weather conditions, the illustrated talk by David Birtwhistle has been postponed. We hope this event will take place in the near future - watch this space for details!
Photography Group will still take place on 20th February for all that can make it. The suggested topic is Winter
March
We are very pleased and honoured that David Birtwhistle has agreed to be patron of Pershore Arts. He will be giving an illustrated talk about art and his relationship with it on 27th November.
April
Trip to Moore / Rodin exhibition at Compton Verney.
Visit by car -
apply to secretary John Williams.
Tel: 01386
550123 for details.
May
Our newly appointed President Jane Hordern has been awarded a BA (hons) in Fine Art. Congratulations!
This year Pershore Arts members will be demonstrating their artistic skills in four exhibitions in Pershore over the next six months, starting with our Number 8 exhibition which runs from 28th May until 18th June. Ric will contact you with the details and information he requires from exhibitors. Please give him the support he needs to make this event as successful as possible.
On Saturday May 17th we are assembling at the bottom of Cherry Orchard at 9am for a conducted tour of Pershore Wetlands, now a wonderful wild-life habitat. This should be a great preparation for our exhibition of Wetlands-inspired artwork, to be held in Pershore Library in October.
The triptych for the library was completed on schedule but is still not on display! Frans will write to the Town Hall to find out when we can expect the work to be installed for all to see.
Our recent visit to Compton Verney was hugely enjoyed by all. Ten of us went and on this occasion we shared cars to keep the cost down. We will organise other trips and details will be distributed nearer the time.
The main focus at present is preparing for our exhibition at Number 8 which opens on May 28th and lasts until 18th June. Anyone coming to the exhibition will find application forms for joining Pershore Arts should they be interested, and there will usually be a committee member there to give further information.
However, there's another project on the horizon; Pershore Arts and Wychavon have got together to generate an exhibition focusing on Pershore Wetlands and the wonderful variety of wild life to be found there. Infant and primary school are also joining in - for the sheer joy of drawing or painting what they find within the Wetlands. So we now have some very young, temporary members joining the grown-ups!
This exhibition will be opened by the Mayor of Pershore, in Pershore Library on Friday 3rd of October.
Note: if May looks a bit exhausting, don't despair! Our members pick and choose what they go to - nobody goes to everything!
June
After all that Spring activity, June is relatively quiet (many of us try to get away in June).
However, there's a life class at St Andrews on Thursday 12th at 7.30 - that is, you can come along and draw or paint from a life model (male). We charge £3 extra for this to pay for the model. As usual, non-members are welcome - our rule is that a non-member can always come and try out one event without becoming a member.
The photography group meets, as usual, upstairs at Number 8 at 7.30 on Thursday 19th June and 17th of July. Again, non-members always welcome.
July
Our members Hazel Green and Richard Phillips are exhibiting with Ian Gibson, Gloria Norman and Will Clapton at Cherry House, 83 Bretforton Road, Badsey as part of Warwickshire Open Studios - Sunday 6th July, Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th July, 11am - 6pm. Do visit to see some high quality art.
The evening sun shone kindly on our Summer Social in July this year, which was generously hosted by John Williams in his garden. We enjoyed drinks, nibbles and conversation - some of it about art!
August
With attendances increasing each year, 9th August 2014 was the third Severn Stoke Village Fun Day. It was the first time an Art Exhibition was staged in the Village Hall, drawing a steady flow of visitors - with the added attraction of tea and scones! We plan to use the Village Hall in this way again next year - pencil 8th of August in your calendars.
On Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th August we have our exhibition in Pershore Abbey. Our Patron, David Birtwhistle will be taking part and he's keen to meet members, talk about his work, and maybe - like you - hoping to sell some pictures!
The exhibition coincides with Pershore Plum Fayre, so there should be a great atmosphere and plenty of visitors!
You can also view some of our members' work at the Rose and Crown in Severn Stoke. Publican Peter Fryar has kindly allowed us to fill the walls of the dining room with our paintings, prints and photographs. Whilst there, you can enjoy good food, good drink and a very warm welcome!
September
An exciting sculpture exhibition at Gloucester Cathedral opened on Monday 1st September 2014. Curated by Gallery Pangolin, the show features 100 works of art by 61 sculptors, including Lynne Chadwick, Anthony Gormley, Damien Hirst, Henry Moore and Eduardo Paolozzi. This exhibition is FREE and runs until 31st October.
The creation of an art installation "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" has begun at the Tower of London. Marking the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War, 888,246 ceramic poppies will progressively fill the moat until 11th November. Each poppy represents a First World War British military fatality. Word has it that this is an impressive and moving sight - plan to visit soon. You won't want to miss it!
October
Pershore Wetlands exhibition:
Our exhibition in the upstairs gallery of the library celebrating the Wetlands opened 3rd October. The exhibition was well-received and ran until the end of October. It has now been replaced by an exhibition of watercolours by our very own Chris Dodds! Do visit before the end of November to enjoy Chris’s work.
The installation of "Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red" at the Tower of London started in September. Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1, 888,246 handmade ceramic poppies progressively filled the moat until 11th November, each poppy representing a WW1 British military fatality. Around 4 million people have visited so far and there are proposals to allow even more people to see this wonderful and moving sight.
November
David Birtwhistle illustrated talk
A big thank you to David Birtwhistle for his excellent illustrated talk and demonstration at St Andrew's Centre Hall on Thursday 27th November. Thanks also to Kevin Pugh for helping with the technology.
Rob Broadhurst’s Gallery
Pershore Arts member Rob Broadhurst has generously offered us the chance to exhibit in his gallery in the run-up to Christmas. There is space for 12 to 15 images at most, each maximum 60 x 60 cm, to give everyone a fair chance to exhibit. If possible, work should reflect the spirit of Christmas. If you take part you will be expected to help to man the shop during business hours (probably 2 people at any given time). Exceptions will only be considered on grounds of health or mobility. If you would like to be involved, please contact the committee.
December
Our Christmas gathering
December tends to be a very busy time, so this year we propose to move our Christmas social event to early January 2015 and the venue we suggest is the pub that has supported Pershore Arts by providing exhibition space for the last 6 months, ie. the Rose & Crown in Severn Stoke. The menu is flexible, the food has been recommended by several members, the atmosphere is relaxed and we would be surrounded by our own work!
Please let us know what your feelings are so that we can make firm plans for what promises be a very pleasant get-together.
Days out:
The visit to the Rodin/Moore exhibition at Compton Verney was a great success. We would like to build on this and would suggests visits to the following venues:
- Broadway Ashmolean
- Roland Emett at the Birmingham Gallery
- The Ikon Gallery in Broad Street in Birmingham
- for photographers but not exclusively: "Finding Vivian Maier."
This film has won great reviews and is now available on DVD; if there is enough interest, Pershore Arts could purchase the film and show it in a convenient location to our members. A small contribution will be appreciated towards the cost of the event. This film can then be made available to all our other members against a peppercorn contribution to PA art funds.
By the end of the year the committee will be reduced to four so we are looking for a new colleague. If you are interested in helping us to make Pershore Arts even more successful please contact us either by or through the contact page. Obviously it involves some of your time as our meetings are held every 6/8 weeks depending on workload. These meetings tend to be pretty informal and congenial.
In the meantime we wish you happy days and we look forward to seeing you all at the various events in the Autumn.
