After 110 years a local arts group is as thriving as one of the oldest in the country.
The Spalding Arts and Crafts Society is celebrating its latest milestone and its members are as busy as ever.
Members have been curating its next exhibition which will take place at Spalding Library on Victoria Street from September 4 to October 3.
The society is believed to have been established in 1916 as therapy for servicemen injured during the First World War.
Its first meetings were initially held at the old Johnson Hospital on Priory Road.
By 1918 the membership included the local townspeople and the first exhibition was held in the Corn Exchange, the precursor to the South Holland Centre.
Sponsored by the then Spalding Town Council, a wide and diverse range of art and crafts were on display.
Apart from paintings, the initial categories included photography, Meccano, needlework, and singing.
One or two exhibitions have been held every year since then, along with other displays at a variety of venues.
The society puts on monthly meetings at Pinchbeck Village Hall where an artist is invited to carry out a demonstration (see below).
The club’s current chair Maggie Goodsell has been involved in the society for 30 years having previously attended another club veteran Mo Teeuw’s evening class at the former Gleed Schools.
“I enjoy going to the meetings as I learn a lot about painting from the visiting demonstrators and it is a welcome change to go out and talk to like minded people,” Maggie said. “We currently have about 40 members, most of whom attend several meetings a year.
“We also get around 15 visitors each month.
“It would be great to have more members, especially if they would like to get more involved in the running of the society.”
Maggie is not the longest serving member however.
The club’s president Veronica Pryke has been involved since the mid 1970s.
Anyone looking for more information can visit the society’s website www.saacs.org.uk or its Facebook page ‘Spalding Arts and Crafts Society’.
For more on membership you can ring Ann Dring on 07946 751909.
Brush up on acrylics at club’s next demo
The Spalding Arts and Crafts Society’s most recent meeting saw a demonstration on watercolour impressionism from Derbyshire artist Stephen Coates.
The club’s Maggie Goodsell said: “Stephen talked about how impressionism came about, demonstrated the effects different brushes and strokes made and showed how it was possible to do a small quick painting using a few brush stokes.
“He said he uses what he called the three Ps – planning, preparation and painting.
“His second larger painting was completed in 20 minutes.
“Stephen kindly donated them to the society for a future raffle.”
The next demonstration is on Tuesday, September 1, and will see local artist Nicholas Palmer showing different ways of using acrylics.
Meetings are the first Tuesday of every month at Pinchbeck Village Hall on Knight Street from 7.30pm to 9.30pm.
Entry is £3 for members and £5 for visitors which includes tea and coffee. Doors open at 7pm.
