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1945-
Newark Art Club has been around in some form for over sixty years.
It was proposed on the 27th July 1945 that there should be a
'Newark Art Club' to encourage the advancement of the arts in the
district. The Clubs meetings were held monthly in the hall of the
Newark Technical College in the form of lectures and demonstrations
on a variety of subjects: painting, sculpture, architecture and
crafts such as engraving, linocut, marionette theatre and fashion.
Members were not actively involved but watched and
listened.
1946-
The Club's first exhibition took place in the gallery above the
Appletongate Museum in October 1946. The early catalogues of
paintings cost one penny and the price of works ranged from £2 to
£5. Members of the Club came from many walks of life including Sid
Vanns, who was appointed cartoonist for the Newark Advertiser.
Gradually Newark Art Club became more and more concerned with
painting and other elements fell away.
1953-
Around this time grants were sought to help with the payments to
tutors for 'painting weekends'. These ceased in the 1970's, but in
the last two years 'day workshops' and 'sketching mornings' have
been developed for members' benefit.
1963-
In this year the Club became the 'Newark Society of Artists'. The
objective of the re-organisation was to concentrate on active
participation painting in all mediums and to enable amateur and
professional artists to work together. Meetings were still
monthly.
1982-
The matter of finding a suitable and affordable studio was a
constant problem. Venues included a studio in a small building
which has been the Tourist Information Centre, a studio in
Guildhall Street, a room at the Grove Hotel in Balderton, and in
1982 the Society moved to the Old Chapel in Beacon Hill
Road.
1987-
In the early '80s active membership dropped and another move was
made to the Craft Room at Lilley and Stone School. During the
Annual General Meeting of 1987 it was decided to change the name of
the Society of Artists to the Newark Art Club as this was less
likely to put off potential members and the need to attract new
members was urgent.
1989
-
The Club moved to the art room at the Lilley and Stone School in
1989 and thrived with older and younger generation members. A
mentor system (still in existence today) operated to help and
encourage beginners. The Club has been represented at exhibitions
in Millgate Folk Museum, the Gilstrap Centre, Cromwell Village
Hall, North Muskham Church and Caunton Hall.
Present
Day-
Membership is now around 50, including both beginners and
experienced artists. Meetings are held every Wednesday between
7.00pm and 9.00pm in the Art Rooms at Newark High School. Included
in the programmes of activity are visits by professional artists to
give demonstrations in different media, free tutorial help for
beginners, local exhibitions, visits to places of artistic
interest, specialist painting days, outdoor sketching and social
events. The annual membership fee is £15.00 and it costs £2.00 for
each meeting, including refreshments.
For
a detailed look at the history of Newark please click
here | 