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I was invited to join the local Art Society based on the work in my current (until tomorrow) exhibition and went to their monthly meeting last night to see what it was like. I expected there would be quite a few older and retired people but I am 53 and was probably 20 years younger than the average member and of the 20-25 people there I was one of only 3 men. Not a problem but surprise in terms of age and gender.
I was chatting to the deputy chairman about upcoming exhibitions and there is one in about a month and then another planned near Christmas. Most, actually all but one, of the planned events are during working hours in the week as that suits most members. I asked what other stuff the society did and it seems to be just a monthly meeting in the local "Over 60's social hall' where they might have someone do a demonstration of painting, as they did last night and then every couple of weeks they will meet in a hall somewhere local and have a paint and a chat.
This is actually better that the first local art society I looked at a few years back where the one exhibition they had held in the previous year was held in a room above a pub and they didn't put signs up in case people from the pub wandered in! Amazingly they didn't sell a thing.
Are all art societies this slow, cautious and tired?
My wife joined our local arts society. They are possibly the most cliquey, petty, rule bound, snobby and borderline rude group of people we've (I've had a few interactions with them) encountered in quite some time . She went to an organised social as a new member where she was completely ignored all night. She exhibited with them and the organisation was chaotic. I dropped her work off as she was at work and had apparently transgressed some minor rule so was dressed down in public by having 'the rules' read out at me (I just about kept a lid on my anger). She was over charged for her entry with no refund. People have been snobby and stand offish because she sometimes sells her work on a local market stall. I could go on. She won't be renewing her membership!
Okay, as you started it, I will describe the first one I went to. I was instructed that I needed to bring a painting to be judged and this months theme was flowers. I normally do abstracxts so took Jazz Flowers along as it was the closest I had.
I was called over by two ladies, fighting over who held the clip board, who asked what type of flowers they were.
ME : I explained that they were semi-abstract.
THEM : What variety of flower.
ME : Just from my imagination.
THEM : What type of flower from your imagination.
ME : Um, some kind of lilly?
THEM : If you cannot tell us what flower they are then how can we tell if they are any good?
ME : Oh, I was just inspired to paint a free idea of flowers
THEM : What inspired you?
ME : A night with two hookers and class A drugs.
I picked up the painting and left.
This new society seems much more friendly but oh so slow.
They look more like mushrooms to me 🙂
😂 I can picture that perfectly! Small societies, parish councils, neighbourhood watch - similar characters, best avoided in my experience. Jazz flowers is ace btw!
In about 2008, I went to an evening class in the local tech, to learn welding. Out of the 12 folk in the class, 10 were male and there to learn to weld cars. The other two were in their 60's and from the local art club. There to learn to weld for sculpture. I was immediately interested in this, as it was not at all in my line of thought. Turns out they were some of the most arrogant, self important, condescending and unpleasant people I've ever come across. I can see a pattern developing here...
[i]Turns out they were some of the most arrogant, self important, condescending and unpleasant people I’ve ever come across.[/i]
Are you suggesting I will fit in after all 🙂
That's the thing about art, I suppose - It's different things to different people. I mean, I do art for my own pleasure and satisfaction - not to sell (unless someone specifically asks me for something), or to share with an art society. Friends and family might get to see it. But I've certainly never considered an Art Society and whatever that may entail. From your description, I'm not missing much.
My dad took up painting landscapes when he retired and joined the local art club. He found them very friendly and gave him loads of tips. He went every week.
Sadly the only advice they couldn't give him was how to pass on his talent to his useless sons.
"Are all art societies this slow, cautious and tired?"
Yes. Just look at the RA.
But who would turn down an RA. Garbage crowd, not unlike some galleries.
Hmm, I will persevere and see if I can get a little more of what I want from an Arts Society than appears there at the moment.
1) Demonstrations and talks from outside people - sometimes useful if not too many the same
2) Structured debate on different techniques - Abstract vs Literal, Paint vs Sculpture etc to try and push people to think beyond the immediate
3) Trips, Vlogs, Blogs from members so people can see what others are doing and join them sometimes
4) Exhibitions - Big ones for all the group, small ones for specific niches or localities etc
5) Presentations, interviews, biographies of the various members old and new.
6) Workshops to try specific techniques - chance for members to improve or try something new
What else would you lot suggest I could ask for / make happen?
This is somewhat different but I'm a member of a local Am Dram group - almost universally lovely people, but the inertia to new ideas is almost impossible to overcome. It's to be fought against in a gentle and concilliatory manner, but it should never be forgotten that people expect things to be done in a certain way because that's how it's always been done, and not because that's the best way of doing it.
"What else would you lot suggest I could ask for / make happen?"
Tea rota.
PS are you talking about the "The Art Society" or a group calling themselves an Art Society or Art Club.
I found the clubs usually OK and fun.
https://www.theartsclub.co.uk/membership/
I’ll put your name forward.[/i] Thanks - I assume you will waive the first years membership fee, right?
Totton Arts Society - a local bunch of friendly artists, not like the last lot I met, but I think they have all just settled into what was there and nothing changes, like Pondo says.
I spoke with one 83 year old member who said he had been a member for four years and the talks and demonstrations were ever so boring and repetitive but it was better than watching TV and he was going to leave early to catch the last bus anyway. This was said in the slightly loud voice of a partially deaf person so everyone else in the room could hear. The chair and deputy char winced, the lady preparing for her demonstration blushed a bit and tutted and many of the audience just nodded along in agreement before sitting down to watch the demo.
I would like to do something revolutionary like make the meetings and demos interesting rather than simply something different to watching TV one evening
https://www.theartsclub.co.uk
What a bunch of ponces 😆
"Join a community of discerning thinkers and thought leaders with an exclusive membership at The Arts Club. Read more..."
*clicks link*
"Join a community of discerning thinkers and thought leaders with an exclusive membership at The Arts Club."
"Thought Leaders"
Made me laugh as well. Truly lame.