61st Annual Open Exhibition 5th May to 18th May 2013

DATE FOR DIARY - The 61st Annual Open Exhibition will take place at the same venue as last year (Cowbridge Halls, Cowbridge, Hertford, SG14 1PG) and handing-in will be on Saturday 27th April from 08.30 – 10.00am. Entry forms for Associate Members can be downloaded (see below) or are available on the day.

Running for two weeks each year, the Annual Open Exhibition is a highlight of Hertford’s artistic life and attracts hundreds of visitors. Over 300 artworks are exhibited having been selected by a panel of judges from the work submitted. The 2012 Exhibition featured paintings, collage, digital images, prints, sculpture and fused glass and visitors praised the high quality and great variety of exhibits.

Please note that there is an additional form (see below) which needs to be completed if limited edition prints are being submitted and the artist would like to have further copies available from the browser during the Exhibition (should the work be selected by the judges).

Download: Associate member submission form 2013

Download: Browser prints form 2013

The 15th Members Exhibition 26-28th October at the Millbridge Rooms, Millbridge, Hertford

VISITORS' CHOICE AWARD
won by Terry Woods for 'Woodland Scene No. 2'.

The 15th Hertford Art Society Members' Show opened on 26th October 2012 for three days in the Millbridge Rooms in Hertford. Sixty artists took part with over 100 framed artworks and pieces of 3D work and also unframed work and artists' greeting cards.

The primary purpose of this show, started 15 years ago by Enid Fairhead, is to offer Members of the Art Society an opportunity to exhibit their work without the constraints of its big brother Open Exhibition held in May each year. In this it was a great success, with a broad variety and high standard of work which would be the envy of many art societies and a most enjoyable Members' party on the Friday evening where Members could meet socially.

JOHN GODDEN AWARD - for Members' Choice
won by Sharon Wright for 'Sixteen'.

The awards this year went to:

• John Godden Annual Award - Members’ choice: Sharon Wright - Sixteen - Portrait in oils.
• May Bennett Annual Award for the Best Still Life - Janet Benge - Dishy
• Visitors’ Choice Award - Terry Wood - Woodland Scene No. 2
• Mark Ely Award (most innovative/intriguing artwork) - Broken Glass - a digital image printed on metal by Caryl Beach who receives website design time and support from Mark Ely, of SG7.biz, designer of the Hertford Art Society website.

MAY BENNETT AWARD - for the Best Still Life
won by Janet Benge for ‘Dishy’.

The number of votes cast for the Visitors’ Choice Award indicated that the Show attracted hundreds of visitors. Sadly, sales of framed works were very disappointing this year although the cold dull weather and current economic climate could have played a part in this. This was offset however by sales of unframed works and greetings cards comparable with previous years. Members will consider how to better publicise this event in future to improve footfall, possibly by altering the date to coincide with another Hertford event such as the Farmers' Market or to September when the Hertfordshire Open Studios event takes place.

MARK ELY AWARD - for the most innovative/intriguing work.
won by Caryl Beach for 'Broken Glass'.

Thanks go to the Members of the society who put in all the hard work before, during and after the exhibition. It is very pleasing to see how many Members are willing to play a part in their exhibition which has become a colourful feature in Hertford’s calendar.

Hertford Art Society Olympics Exhibition

Hertford Art Society mounted a special Exhibition at the Hertford Theatre Gallery, themed on the Olympic sports. This ran over the course of the Olympics –- 24th July - 11th August 2012.

In 2012 the Society also marks its 60th Anniversary - from its modest start in 1952 it now has over 100 members and its annual Open Exhibition is a popular fixture on the Hertford calendar.

Casting about for a way to celebrate, the Chairman, Geoff Bennett, had the idea of a special show to mark the Anniversary and the London Olympics at the same time. The Show was entirely devoted to the theme of sport, which was quite a challenge for the artists, many of whom are much more comfortable with landscapes, portraits and still life. They certainly rose to the occasion - 50 lively and colourful paintings and drawings were on show at the Hertford Theatre Gallery in a wide range of media including oil, watercolour, mixed media and artists' prints. Fencing, boxing, watersports, equestrian and running were among the sports depicted and a splendid canoeing mobile, almost life-size, circled gently in the air, high above your head.

60th Annual Open Exhibition – 6th to 19th May 2012

From left to right: Karen Murray: Award winner, best Watercolour; Craig Morton: Manager of Edward Mason Ltd, sponsor/donor of award for best Watercolour; Barbara Groves: Award winner, Bill Dale Award; Lord Laming, sponsor of Lady Laming Award; Diana Dale: Sponsor/donor of the Bill Dale Award;
Christine Spence: Award winner, John Goss award for Best in Exhibition; Richard Harrison of our sponsons, Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers; Councillor Sally Newton, Mayor of Hertford; Kathy Burman: Award winner, Mayor of Hertford Award for best 3D work; Geoff Bennett: Chairman of HAS; Lynne Kirk: Award winner, Lady Laming Award for Abstract Art.

The number of entries for the 60th Annual Open Exhibition of the Hertford Art Society was again very high. As always selection of pictures was entirely in the hands of the 3 external judges, chosen to represent a wide spread of artistic experience. This year they comprised Geoff Hunt, a Past President of the Royal Society of Marine Artists and a leading figure in marine art; Jean Noble RI SWA, whose work explores the boundary between representation and abstraction; Martin Smith, an accomplished artist who runs art classes, gives a wide variety of art lectures and critiques; and Paul Bainbridge a freelance sculptor and member of the Royal Society of British Sculptors. From an entry of over 600 works they selected 253 pictures and 43 sculptures.

For full report, click here for more details.