About 1987 a group of amateur artists got together to form a club under the guidance of a well known local artist, Harry Powrie. Advertisements were placed in the local press and a good response followed. Subsequently, North Shields Art Society was founded in 1991. A committee was elected, without any real experience, which set about creating the kind of club the members wanted. A venue was established at Linskill Centre, then a community meeting centre, in the room now recognised as the Art Room.
We still meet at Linskill Community Centre, on Tuesday evenings between 7pm and 9pm, and are now a well established part of North Shield’s community groups. In 2004, when Linskill was threatened with closure and demolition, we moved to St Cuthbert’s Church Hall. By 2006 the centre was reopened and we returned to our old room, by invitation, and have happily stayed their ever since.
We held a successful exhibition in November 1995, at St John’s Church Hall on Ilfracombe Gardens in Whitley Bay, and have continued this annually – this year it will be held on the 17th November. The event has become our mainstay exhibition and is always well supported, with refreshments and a picture painted at by a local professional artist is donated and raffled, with the proceeds going to Newcastle Freeman Hospital.
We remain a welcoming and friendly group with young and older members of all abilities. We benefit from regular demonstrations by well known professional artists. Members enjoy a low membership fee, supported by funds raised at the annual exhibition. The Society welcomes new members; for further information contact Ray on 0191 252 4693.
by Ray Nugent