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WARSASH & DISTRICT ART GROUP was founded in 1958 with the aim of furthering members' interest in the visual arts. The Group logo pictured illustrates the area's association with the lobster trade in years past.
Members number around 170 and come from a wide area of south Hampshire - they include some professional artists, but most are enthusiastic amateurs and art lovers.
Evening meetings are held in St. Mary's Church Hall, Church Road, Warsash on the first Thursday of each month, except January and August. These include talks, slide shows and demonstrations by practising artists and professionals in art and related fields. The Annual General Meeting in March and the December meeting are social events and all meetings are well attended.
The annual exhibition of members' work is held in August in the Victory Hall, Warsash Road, Warsash. The work is of a high standard, well presented and includes a craft table with displays of pottery, wood carving and sculpture.
Newsletters and an annual programme card keep members up-to-date on events.
At the present time the annual fee is £10 - £5 for under 18s. Visitors and guests are welcome at the evening meetings for a small donation.
Click this link for information on other art groups and societies in Hampshire.
http://www.hants.gov.uk/arts
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WARSASH & DISTRICT ART GROUP HISTORY
Courtesy of Peter and Jo Ball
The Beginning
The Group owes it’s beginning to a much older organisation, the Women’s Institute (W.I.)
In 1957 the local Further Education authority asked Mr Phillip Lambert if he was interested in giving tuition to a local W.I. Group at Warsash. He was Chairman of the Southampton Art Club and a newly qualified artist teaching evening classes at Andover. Hampshire County council agreed to pay his tutoring fees if the group had at least 12 students. As a result, Mrs Rosier contacted him and a group was formed, meeting at Miss Drummond’s house. Classes were held for a full day, three sessions, each week, average attendance 20 persons. The classes were later moved to Lady Chamier’s house in Shore Road.
Mr Lambert suggested the Warsash and District Art Group should be formed. He took no part in the organisation of the Group but continued the W.I. painting classes.
The Formation
At an open meeting on November 28 1958 at “Fairlight”, Brook Avenue, Warsash, by kind permission of Mr Delmar-Morgan, it was decided to form an Art Group for the purpose of furthering the interest of its members in the visual arts. A committee was elected; Chairman Mr Delmar-Morgan, Vice-Chairman Mrs D.Taylor, Secretary Mrs H.A.Rosier and Treasurer Mrs R.Spencer Mrs L.Smith, Mrs M.Bradby, Mrs C.Bond and Master Peter Jenks. The annual subscription was set at 15 shillings (75 pence), junior members 18 and under, half price. At the first committee meeting the Chairman submitted draft rules, which were approved for presentation for their adoption at the first Group meeting.
The second AGM was held at the Silver Fern Restaurant on 18 January 1961. Those elected were Chairman Sir Adrian Charmier, Mrs Rosier Vice-Chairman, Mr J.E.Ormond Honorary Secretary and Mrs Spencer Honorary Treasurer. Ordinary Committee Members were Mrs Ormond, Mr Delmar Morgan, Mrs Ellen Peters, Mrs Smith and Mrs Bond.
Committee meetings were being held mainly at Farthings House, the home of Sir Adrian and Lady Charmier
Evening Meetings
Meetings took place on the fourth Tuesday of alternate months. It was agreed that lecturers should receive a fee of not more than 2 Guineas (£2.10) and that a member of the Group giving a lecture should be excused their subscription for the year. Lectures took place at the Silver Fern café in Warsash.
Typical talks were on sculpture (from cave drawings to contemporary works), ‘Drawing from memory’, pottery, ’Goya’, porcelain of the Eighteenth Century, architecture, Southampton Art Gallery and its Collections, lithography, printing, lettering and illustration, fabric printing, Byzantine mosaics and Gothic stained glass, psychology of painting, the work done by the Southampton College of Art
In 1962 included Mural painting, Colour and tonal value, by Peter Folkes and heraldry, by Captain Taylor. Fees to lecturers had risen to 3 or 4 Guineas, especially when they had to travel from London.
In 1963 the minutes showed that the room at Horseshoe Lodge was becoming too small for evening lectures and Members complained that it smelt of cats. The Secretary was asked to try to get the cats excluded from the room.
In December 1988 a critique of members work was given by Mollie Dicker.
May 1991 we were entertained by a lecture on J.F.Lewis, ‘Original Victorian Panto’
A change of venue in October 1991 when Tom Coates, PRBA, gave a portrait demonstration in oils at the Warsash Maritime College.
Peter Toms travelled from Weymouth in October 1992 to give a watercolour demonstration.
Later that year Danny Byrne demonstrated cartoons in art.
In 2004 with a good bank balance, it was decided to purchase an audio amplifier with radio microphone, a flip chart and projector screen.
A lectern was constructed by Member John Tudor and presented to the group in memory of his wife Joan.
In 2005 at a typical evening meeting at St Mary’s Church hall on 3 February, 54 Members and 4 visitors enjoyed a pastel demonstration by Graham Oliver, an artist who had a studio in Salisbury. An interesting talk on materials and technique, followed by a semi-abstract landscape. All this in two hours!
To meet current regulations, in January all portable electrical appliances the Group held and used at the Hall were safety tested and certificated.
Painting classes
The painting classes continued until December 1960 when the W.I. agreed to hand over the classes to Warsash Art Group. In October that year there were three classes, fees per term being 10/6d (52p) for members and 12/6d (62p) for non-members of the Art Group. There is no record of numbers attending the classes. In 1961, for the painting classes Mrs Drummond had offered the use of one of her rooms at Warsash Court, for the cost of electricity used, but that the group would have to supply a floor covering to protect the floor. Mr Delmar Morgan offered the loan of a carpet.
In 1961 Painting classes had 43 members paid up and consisted of a portrait class and still life class running simultaneously with Mr Lambert, on Tuesday afternoons at Victory Hall, a still life class on Friday afternoons at Warsash Court with Mr Lambert and a Friday evening class of still life.
In 1962 there was deemed to be insufficient demand for an evening painting class in the summer. It was also felt that some of the older members were getting bored with the classes! Numbers had dropped from 48 spread over three classes to 25 and two classes.
In 1963 painting classes were being held at the Victory Hall as was the annual Exhibition.
In 1973 Hugh Knollys recalls that he was asked to be the Group’s tutor after an interview with the Chairman Antony Butler, Secretary John Ormond and Sheila Perkins. He stayed as tutor until 1979.
Classes were held then at St Mary’s Church hall. Whenever the weather allowed, the classes were encouraged to paint ‘en plein air’.
Hugh recalls that one day an elderly lady had been blown off her stool into the ditch by ‘a gentle zephyr’. He helped her up and she showed her painting. “It’s not very good” she said, “But I didn’t start painting until I was 70” He thought it was pretty good for a 72 year-old. Then he found out she was 82. He congratulated her on going out to paint, leading the Group and never holding back.
Among the Members in the classes this year were Ellen Peters, Gwynne Clare, Josie Cutcliffe, Ros Butler and Doreen Pullen.
2004 Three terms of painting classes were held this year, each of ten weeks. The Spring and Autumn terms had three classes per week, each two hours long. Monday classes were held at the Sarisbury Parish hall, in the afternoon and Tuesday classes were at St Mary’s Church hall, 10.15 to 12.15 and 1 to 3pm.
The fee was £30 per class. 42 members took part in the Spring term but there was reduced demand for the Autumn classes. The Tutor was Kay LePoidevin B.A.
Three terms of Wednesday workshops were held at Sarisbury Parish hall, £10 for a 12 week term, 2 - 4pm. Around 12 persons took part in this untutored event
Outings
In 1960 the cost of a coach to the Tate Gallery Picasso exhibition was £14, the number of seats was not stated.
Membership of the Art Group stood at 36.
In 1962, at the AGM, suggestions for outings were put forward, Longleat, Arundel, RA Summer exhibition, Stonehenge and Wisley.
The proposed visit to the RA was cancelled due to lack of support.
In 1988 the Group took a coach trip to Paris.
Marjory Wanklin described the visit: “The coach company apparently were instructed by the management (of our Group) to provide a more superior hotel than for their usual tours, to cater for a select group from Warsash (according to the driver) When he eventually found the hotel, it was sandwiched between cinemas showing rather saucy films, going by their display posters.
My room on the 2nd or 3rd floors (it was an absolute maze) was attained by a lift, a series of stairs, corridors etc, and was covered completely in green velvet apart from a mirror in the ceiling. Not the sort of hotel for a staid group from Warsash.
We all thought it a huge joke but it was so convenient for the centre of Paris.
Betty Hendrikz and I covered the main attractions on foot, including galleries, culminating in a hurried rush through the Louvre. On this trip we also went to Versailles and Monet’s garden.”
In 1989 a trip to the Royal Academy summer exhibition was popular, at a cost of £5 for the coach only!
In 1994 another visit to Paris was taken. “We were placed in a large touring hotel on the outskirts of Paris. The driver was most helpful, taking us into the centre each day, a trip round Paris, Montmartre etc. His speaking French was useful.
On this trip we took a floodlit boat trip and also went to Monet’s garden.”
In 2004 there were coach outings to the R.I. Watercolour exhibition at the Mall and RWS watercolour exhibition and Tate Modern Gallery at Bankside, London. Both were well supported.
Membership stood at 180.
Exhibitions
The Victory Hall or the Silver Fern were suggested as a venue for the first annual exhibition.
At the first exhibition in Victory Hall, in September 1959 a loss of £1-6-2 was incurred. (£1.30) The fee for the use of the hall was £5 for four days. The hire charge was generously paid by Mr E.V.Edwards, who was appointed an Honorary Member. The price of the exhibition catalogue was 6d (2.5p)
Membership stood at 28.
It was decided that sending in day for pictures to be at least four days prior to the exhibition. The screens for the exhibition were to be loaned by Fareham art group. 125 exhibits were received for the exhibition. The Secretary was asked to investigate the cost of making screens for Warsash art group. Material was subsequently purchased at a guinea (£1.05) per board. Two were made.
In 1961 For the exhibition that year the Secretary reported he had ordered two dozen bottles of Sherry for the Private View. It was suggested this might be insufficient and he was asked to order another dozen! Sales at the exhibition were slightly down!
However the minutes of the Committee meeting in September gave these figures: 17 pictures sold against 20 in 1960 and not much less in value. Total exhibits were 127 against 125. The attendance was higher, being 100 per day and 275 out of 300 catalogues printed were sold, 50 more. Coffees served in the mornings and teas in the afternoon were much appreciated and up on the previous year. Membership had risen to 65 with further applications after the exhibition.
In 1962 There was an improvement in sales at the exhibition with around 550 visiting during the four days.
This was the year in which Members were asked to design a logo for the Group, in the form of a competition, to be judged by Peter Folkes, a well-known local artist and lecturer at Southampton Art College.
Crab & lobster teas were served in the ‘Gypsy Queen’, a converted wooden ship, various local rooms and the ‘Crab & Lobster’ restaurant, which was situated by the Rising Sun, where the car park is now. Many people visited from a wide area to enjoy the delicacies.
There were seven entries, the winner being Mrs Francis Smith. The logo, inspired by this trade, a lobster on a palette floating on a choppy sea, continues in modified form to this day.
Membership had risen to 88.
In 1963 the exhibition was being held at Victory Hall.
In 1982 St. Mary’s Church Hall housed the exhibition.
Records show that the exhibition was staged at Victory Hall in 1989.
Painting days
The first tutored painting weekend, funded by the Carnegie Trust, took place on 13 June 1959 at Titchfield Drill Hall. This was tutored by Mr Anthony Atkinson and arranged in conjunction with Fareham and Gosport art groups. Lunch and tea were included and also an illustrated lecture in the evening. The venues for the Carnegie Trust supported painting days were chosen as Botley shipyard (?), Roche Court and Camper & Nicholson, Gosport. Fareham & Gosport Group members would be joining us for these events.
More recently, painting days, both tutored and untutored, have included Hillhead harbour, Netley Abbey, Portchester Castle, Fareham creek, Wickham square, Warsash strawberry fields, Moody’s boatyard, Hamble foreshore and green, Sarisbury green, Titchfield Abbey, St. Margaret’s Titchfield, Titchfield church,
Chairman:
1958/1960 Mr Curtis ‘Ben’ Delmar-Morgan
1961/1962 Sir Adrian Chamier
1963/1967 Mr D.M.Mackinley
1968/1973 Mr A.B.Butler (Anthony)
/1984 Mrs K.M.Woodsford (Kathleen)
1985/1986 Mrs H.G.Clare (Gwynne)
1987/1990 Mr E.Battersby (Eric)
1991/1994 Mrs D.Scotts (Doris)
1995/1997 Dr. E.Hendrikz (Betty)
1998/1999 Cdr.P.F.Martin (Peter)
2000/2003 Dr.T.Wade-West (Tom)
2004/ 2008 Mrs B.A. Maybury (Beverley)
2008/ Dr.T.Wade-West (Tom)
Honorary Secretary
1958/1959 Mrs H.A.Rosier
1960/1975 Mr J.E.Ormond (John)
1977/1979 Mrs K.M.Woodsford (Kathleen)
1980/ 1983 Mrs A.Coombs (Ann)
1984/1986 Mrs J.L.Cutcliffe (Josie)
1987/1994 Dr.E.Hendrikz (Betty)
1995/1999 Mrs D.Gregson (Doreen)
2000/2005 Mr P.J.Ball (Peter)
2006/ Prof. J.W.Murray (John)
Acknowledgements are due to Ellen Peters, Josie Cutcliffe, Elizabeth Orton, George & Joan King, Pat Newman, Elizabeth Hendrikz, Kathleen Woodsford, Hugh Knollys
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