The Annual Exhibition Summer Social was held on Saturday 25th June in Trinity Chapel at St Mary’s Church. At this well attended event, members and friends were able to view the work on display, enjoy drinks and meet some of the artists. They were welcomed by the Chairman, Wilf Langford who thanked John Willetts for all his work as Exhibition Organiser and his team of hangers and exhibition stewards, before introducing Alan Townsend who was to there to present the annual Judy Townsend Memorial Prize, donated jointly by the Townsend family and the Society itself.
SAS Summer Exhibition 2017 (Photos, with thanks to Anne Linton)
Alan commented on the generally high quality of the Exhibition again this year, mentioning in particular those pictures meeting the the criteria for the award, before commenting on the Runners up and announcing the 2017 Award Winner, which this year was a fine collage called “Berlin Tulips” created by Frank Hilton.
Berlin Tulips by Frank Hilton winner Judy Townsend Memorial Prize 2017
The Exhibition runs until 4pm on Thursday 13th July.
This is a ‘closed’ group, with its contents only visible on Facebook to members of the Shropshire Art Society. This Group is intended to be a Facebook forum for members; by ‘posting’ in this Group we can instantly share information with fellow members. We can advise each other of forthcoming events, exhibitions and meetings. We can perhaps share our art ‘works in progress’ for constructive comment and encouragement by other members, or share our successes or other experiences as artists. And of course, we can review and report on recent Society activities.
Frank Hilton and Phil Hadley are the administrators of this Group and anyone applying to join has to be approved by them. This ensures that this group is only available to paid-up members of the Society. We would love all SAS members who have Facebook accounts to join in.
This is our public Group. It can be viewed at any time by any Facebook user throughout the world. Its purpose is to promote our exhibitions and report on other Society activities worthy of public note. It can also be used to encourage membership of the Society. Please share this Group with your Facebook friends and help spread word of our very special Art Society far and wide.
Our Public Group on Facebook
The success of both Facebook Groups will depend on YOU the members who join them and your level of contribution – so join up and when you do, please start ‘posting’, ‘sharing’ and ‘liking’ as appropriate!
This post with thanks to Phil Hadley. Members who would like more information or a little help getting started with these new Facebook Groups, Phil and Frank have kindly given their contact details in the May/June 2017 edition of Focal Points.
This year’s Annual Paintaway saw members returning to the popular Skelwith Bridge Hotel, scene of several previous Art Society visits. Arriving by car for a 4 night stay, some 20 members were soon installed in this comfortable and welcoming small hotel, situated at the foot of the dramatic Langdale Valley. The area within easy reach of the hotel is rich in attractive and challenging subjects for landscape painters who made the most of their stay, filling sketchbooks and gathering material for future studio paintings.
The glorious weather throughout the whole of our visit encouraged members to spend long days exploring near and far, honing their driving skills on some hairy mountain roads, and recording the splendid landscape, in work subsequently to be displayed at our usual last-night get- together. A highlight of our stay occurred on Thursday morning when our Chairman, Wilf Langford, provided a much appreciated demonstration of pastel painting at the ancient bridge on the river adjacent to the hotel.
On the final evening when we met, according to tradition to enjoy each other’s work, Wilf was thanked for his earlier demonstration, as was Alan for his organisation of the visit. It was unanimously agreed that it had been a very successful occasion, made memorable by the excellent weather. We all look forward to next year’s equivalent event. Location to be announced.
Our thanks go to the hotel staff for the very warm welcome and excellent food we enjoyed and of course to Anne Linton who has provided such a splendid photographic record of our stay.
On the evening of 5th May 2017, over fifty members and friends gathered at the attractive Trinity Centre in Meole Brace to enjoy the first of the Judith Moy Annual Lectures. This event has been established to commemorate the very significant contribution made by Judith over many years to the life and development of the Shropshire Art Society.
The 2017 Judith Moy Annual Lecture with Euryl Stevens (photos by Anne Linton)
We were fortunate to welcome Euryl Stevens to give this inaugural lecture. In her inimitable way, she amused and entertained, whilst reviewing her own life as an artist; she illustrated the talk with stunning examples of her varied and very original work.
The interval for drinks and nibbles provided an opportunity for reminiscing about Judith and for examining a delightful selection of her paintings, kindly brought in for display on the evening by members attending the event.
The evening concluded with Liz Carr, Judith’s close friend, reflecting on her personal memories of Judith and the many sketching trips they had shared. Others present contributed their memories of Judith. And, her son, John, recalled his mother’s delight in the creative process and her energy and enthusiasm for her calling as an artist, which continued to the very end of her life. He also thanked the Society for its help in organising the recent very successful sale of Judith’s paintings, with the proceeds gifted to Severn Hospice funds.
The evening concluded with our Chairman Wilf Langford’s tribute to Judith. He recalled how coming from her background with the prestigious Goldmark Gallery, she had brought a new level of expertise and professionalism to the Society’s annual exhibitions. He thanked Euryl warmly for giving us such a splendid evening, her husband, Anthony for his technical support, Alan and his team for organising the event, and of course our members for their support. We look forward to next year!
Thanks go to the very helpful staff at the Centre and to Anne Linton for her photographs of the evening.
“A Lifetime’s Work” was a sale of paintings and art materials gifted by the late Judith Moy, held on Saturday 1st April 2017.
A lifetime’s work from the very special Judith Moy
At noon on Saturday 1st April the doors of the spacious Allington Hall at Shrewsbury Schools opened to welcome the many friends and admirers of the artist, Judith Moy. They were there to support a unique fund raising event for Severn Hospice made possible by the great generosity of Judith with her donation of a significant body of her work for sale. Judith’s children, John, Kate and Lucy, helped by a team from Shropshire Art Society, staff of Shrewsbury School and the Severn Hospice fund raising team, hosted the event which has raised to date an impressive total of over £18,000.
The event was opened with a moving tribute from Wilf Langford, Chairman of the Art Society, supported by Kate, Judith’s eldest daughter and Lucy Ruff, fund raising officer from Severn Hospice.
Special thanks go to Liz Carr (close friend of Judith) for her tireless efforts to coordinate the organisation of the event, Lucy Ruff, John Willetts Shropshire Art Society’s Exhibitions Organiser and of course to Judith’s many admirers for supporting the event by their presence in some number and by their generous purchases.
Some 100 framed paintings, very professionally displayed, as well as many unframed paintings and artist’s prints were complemented by a huge variety of Judith’s Sketchbooks and personal art equipment. A rich feast for the artist and collector alike.
This splendid occasion was certainly an excellent way to mark Judith’s achievement as an artist and contribution over many years to the life and development of the Society and her significance as a painter of some note in Shropshire and well beyond.
The Society is holding the inaugural Judith Moy Annual lecture on Friday 5th May. Euryl Stevens will give the lecture.
