16 January
The Century of Deception; The Birth of the Hoax in the C18th
The 1700’s were a period when the people were especially gullible. They believed a woman could give birth to rabbits; a man could climb inside a two pint bottle. These hoaxes were written about in newspapers and amusingly depicted by satirical artists such as Hogarth. Come and enjoy this entertaining talk.
Ian Keable
AND – Tickets on sale for;
* Visit to Chichester Festival Theatre – behind the scenes tour on Friday 23rd February
20 February
The Art of the Cartoonist
As a professional cartoonist Harry will trace the history of his profession, bringing events right up to date with cartoons produced fresh on the page that day! Harry will be drawing live and share some of the tricks of the trade
Harry Venning
Followed by GET TOGETHER FOR RECENT MEMBERS
AND – Tickets on sale for;
* Visit to Chichester Festival Theatre – behind the scenes tour on Friday 23rd February
* Visit to Champs Hill on Monday 18 April
* Day of Special Interest – British Musical Theatre in the 20th Century – Wednesday 8th May
19 March
Grace Darling and the Fine Art of Saving Lives at Sea
Darling’s daring rescue of steamship passengers off the Northumberland coast in 1838 brought her international fame. Grace became the ‘poster girl’ of the RNLI which is celebrating it’s 200th anniversary in 2004. Discover more about Grace’s bravery and the artistic contribution that kept her in the public eye
James Taylor
AND – Tickets on sale for;
* Visit to Champs Hill on Thursday 18 April
* Day of Special Interest on Wednesday 8 May
16 April
The Artist’s Village; the Legacy of GF Watts and Mary Seton Watts at Compton
Leaving the London smog behind for the Surrey hills Watts settled at Limnerslease, a studio house built by Arts and Crafts architect George Henry in 1891. Watts was a painter and sculptor, Mary transformed their house into a work of art. Compton Chapel, also a work of art decorated with elaborate pictorial plasterwork, Watts gallery and the Compton Memorial Chapel are regarded as the finest expression of Art Nouveau in England
Anne Anderson
AND – Tickets on sale for;
* Visit to Champs Hill on Thursday 18 April
* Day of Special Interest on Wednesday 8 May
* Coach Trip to Watts Gallery & Artists Village on Tuesday 4 June
8 May
DAY OF SPECIAL INTEREST
BRITISH MUSICAL THEATRE IN THE 20TH CENTURY
A very enjoyable social occasion. Three lectures and a lunch with wine.
See Events page for details.
Ian Gledhill
21 May
A History of Arts Criticism – from Aristotle to Facebook
In this lively lecture Mark will introduce the principles of arts criticism and show how to put them into practice. From past to present, asking about the place of the artist and the role of the critic, he will explore ways for us to discuss art that we enjoy
Mark Fisher
AND – Tickets on sale for;
* Coach Trip to Watts Gallery & Artists Village on Tuesday 4 June
* Visit Phillip Jackson’s Studio on Monday 24 June
* Coach Trip to Stratfield-Saye House on Wednesday 24 July
18 June
Medieval Animals – Loved and Feared
Dogs and horses gambol through manuscripts and tapestries, but a far wider range of animals inhabit thought and art. In stone, paint and wood, apparently with no distinction between animals we know and those like Unicorns, we read moral lessons, presented with wit and mischief to mock man and his pretensions
Nicole Mezey
AND – Tickets on sale for;
* Visit Phillip Jackson’s Studio on Monday 24 June
* Coach Trip to Stratfield-Saye House on Wednesday 24 July
16 July
Castles: The Unquenchable Thirst of William Randolph Hearst
Hearst had an obsession for collecting a quantity of ‘’Objets d’art’’. When he died the New York Times stated that during the 1920’s and 30’s he alone accounted for 25% of the world’s art market activity. Mark will tell us where these art works were hidden and about the many castles he owned. He lived an extraordinary life who Orson Welles satirized as Citizen Kane
Mark Meredith
AND – Tickets on sale for;
* Coach Trip to Stratfield-Saye House on Wednesday 24 July
* Visit to Hammerwood Park on Wednesday 25 September
17 September
The Royal Art Collection in the court of King Henry V111
Henry V111 can be considered the founder of the Royal Collection. Sparked by his rivalry with Francois 1st of France, all his palaces were furnished lavishly with paintings and tapestries. He used the splendour of the arts to enhance his own image. How were they produced and how was the King viewed in his own time?
Linda Collins
AND – Tickets on sale for;
* Ann of Cleves House – Thursday 24 October
* Visit to Hammerwood Park on Wednesday 25 September
15 October
AGM at 10am (doors open 09:30); followed by
The Brilliance of Brunel – The Man who Built the Modern World
We are still living amongst the infrastructure created by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in the C19th. He changed the face of the English landscape with his ground-breaking projects including railways, bridges, tunnels, ships and grand buildings such as Paddington station. He merged art with engineering and science and was a pioneer and a revolutionary. He was brilliant. We’ll look at the man, his background, his work and his legacy
Ian Swankie
AND – Tickets on sale for;
* Ann of Cleves House – Thursday 24 October
* Festive Drinks & Mince Pies on Tuesday 19 November
19 November
The Twelve Plants of Christmas. The Natural History, Botany and Folklore of the Plants that Surround us at Christmas.
Apart from the pear tree in which sat the partridge, there are no plants in the 12 days of Christmas according to the folk song. And yet at Christmas we are surrounded by plants. This talk puts the record straight and rewrites the zoocentric song replacing partridges with poinsettias and maids with mistletoe
Timothy Walker
Followed by; FESTIVE DRINKS AND MINCE PIES