BROADSTONE CLUB ART SOCIETY

You have only to scratch the surface to find that, in terms of art Broadstone is not the cultural desert that it might appear to some.

The most obvious focus for this is the Broadstone Club’s Art Society. This is based at the Broadstone Community Centre in Dunyeats Road. Here the Society is able to enjoy facilities which are the envy of other art groups in East Dorset, with the use of two large, warm rooms and excellent lighting, very useful for our exhibitions. It is not just my opinion but also that of many who view our work, that the quality of pictures produced is high when one considers that almost every one of our eighty-five members are amateur artists. Not surprisingly there has been a lengthy waiting list to join the Society for many years now, pointing to a strong local interest in the arts. When vacancies do occur applicants are interviewed by a friendly membership sub-committee, who are looking for some experience and expertise along with a willingness to participate in the life and running of the Society.

The variety of work produced is wide ranging and is not, as someone once put to me, “old ladies painting pots of flowers in watercolour”. Obviously the Dorset landscape and coastline are popular themes and some members specialise in boats and sailing pictures. However a typical club day would find someone painting their trip to Australia in oils, collage work, acrylic abstracts being produced, silk painting and even imaginative and very attractive flora paintings. The quality of one’s work certainly improves by painting alongside others and by making use of the Society’s book and video libraries. The varied winter and summer programmes, with meetings taking place every Tuesday and Saturday throughout the year also enrich our experiences. A portrait class takes place every Tuesday in the winter sessions and tutored life classes occur monthly as do other tutored sessions. These may be taken by regular visitors such as the well known local artist John Bowen. They can take the form of demonstrations in various media - oil, pastel, acrylic, encaustic or silk painting - or workshops where the work may be 3 dimensional such as working in clay or paper sculpture. Finances allow the Society to book well-known artists occasionally from farther afield. One of these, Mike Barnard, has had major one-man exhibitions throughout the country. With a large membership including artists who have exhibited widely both locally and nationally, a number have the skill and expertise to run workshops or give demonstrations in-house. Our President Dennis Hill is such an artist. He has exhibited at the Royal Watercolour Society in London and continues to display his lovely work in various venues in the South. Felicity House is now a member of the Pastel Society and she exhibits in London’s Mall Gallery and with Joan Scott has exhibited at the Royal West of England Academy. Felicity’s workshops are always well organised and well attended. Our present Chairman Margaret Hasted and also Lesley Fuller have recently exhibited at the Palace of Westminster. One approach to participating in this very exciting activity is to do as I did and join a local evening class such as at Corfe Hills School. Gain some expertise and if you find that you have artistic ability and enjoy the work, apply for membership to a society like Broadstone’s. Art is alive and thriving in Broadstone. See for yourself at our Spring & Autumn exhibitions in Dunyeats Road.

John Britton, Former Chairman BCAS

Archive Summer 2004 | next

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