Hertford Art Society 73rd Open Exhibition 2026

Saturday 2nd to Saturday 9th May

“What a fantastic, varied and full exhibition. Beautiful work. Many thanks.”

“Wonderful!!!” “Very inspirational” “Impressive”

“Absolutely loved all of it. Such fantastic variety and skill. Very inspiring”

“Excellent exhibition. Such a high standard this year. Thank you”

“This Exhibition is a credit to Hertford”

“Really enjoyed the variety of work. Thank you”

This year’s Exhibition attracted many visitors and these are just a few of the comments made during the course of the show.

308 items were selected from total submissions of 518 works. The Exhibition displayed artworks from 106 artists and included 50 3D items. Members of Hertford Art Society were well represented with 43 included in the show. The judges this year were Suzy Drake, Paul Fennell and Chris Seaber and they are warmly thanked for making their selection from so many fine entries. We are also very appreciative of our sponsors who so kindly contribute to the Society each year. It is a great honour and incentive to receive one of their donated awards.

Review of 2026 Exhibition by Anastasia Olarou

“May started with a bloom of vibrant artworks at Cowbridge halls in Hertford. This 73rd Open exhibition of the Society gave the judges a lot to think about with over 500 submissions that had to be narrowed down to about half that number. Visitors would find the halls transformed with artworks of all mediums, carefully arranged on display by our volunteer curators, no small task there either. Therefore it is most appropriate to start with a huge thanks to the judges, curators, sponsors, stewards, volunteers and committee members who continue to make Hertford a hub for contemporary art display every year.

As a visitor you may have found yourself greeted with a catalogue to help you spot who was responsible for each work. The wall of prize winners was a taste of the range of media and approaches within this show. From the illusions of collage, to the intricacies of graphite, the puzzles of mixed media, subtle, gestural, bold or considered marks of oils and acrylics, carefully constructed or flowing watercolours, 3D works of wood, concrete, glass, ceramic, plaster, stone, resins and metal, all could be found at this show.

In the second room one may have come across an artwork by Geoff Bennet featuring a bold landscape with receding lines of perspective leading to a lone tree. This featured in the Society’s 3rd February AI critique (see all the artworks in the feature below with links to spoken word critiques) and Geoff had printed his critique feedback alongside the artwork for all to view. This was a first for such an exhibition but eye opening to the times we now live in.

Art has the opportunity to offer our community experience outside of the humdrum of daily life, be it through consideration of contemporary developments or beauty and connection that gentles the soul. Whether viewers were looking for animal subjects caught in a moment of connection, the mysterious gaze in a portrait, a peek into the artist’s mind, the view of the distant horizon, the beauty of pattern and abstraction, a reflection of our community or a piece of decoration to warm their home, it is with many thanks that the Hertford Arts Society welcomed all visitors.”

Thanks to Anastasia for this personal response to this year’s Exhibition

Award Winners

• The John Goss Prize for Best in Show - 91 Fulham Road by Robert Harris
• The Lady Laming Award for best abstract - Portrait of the artist by Michaelle St Vincent
• The Bill Dale Award for best Member's work - Havana Old Town by Anne McCormack
• The Arts Society East Herts Award for best 3D work - Large Vessel by David Price Cousins
• Best Watercolour sponsored by A S Handover Ltd Brush Manufacturers - Gateway to Datchworth Spire by Peter Buck
• Highly Commended:
  • Fluidity by Ali Frewin
  • Free Running by Kathy Burman
• Visitors' Choice:
  • Winner - Coal Delivery by Michael Lawrence
  • Runner-up - Unknown by Mitiko Murata

Open for 8 days the Exhibition attracted many visitors from a wide area. 585 visitors cast their votes for their favourite exhibit. This year The Visitors’ Choice Award was won by Mike Lawrence with Coal Delivery. Runner up – Mitiko Murata with Unknown.

The John Goss Prize for Best in Show
91 Fulham Road by Robert Harris

The Lady Laming Award for best abstract
Portrait of the artist by Michaelle St Vincent

The Bill Dale Award for best Member's work
Havana Old Town by Anne McCormack

The Arts Society East Herts Award for best 3D work
Large Vessel by David Price Cousins

Best Watercolour sponsored by A S Handover Ltd Brush Manufacturers
Gateway to Datchworth Spire by Peter Buck

Highly Commended: Fluidity by Ali Frewin

Highly Commended: Free Running by Kathy Burman

Visitors' Choice Winner - Coal Delivery by Michael Lawrence

Visitors' Choice Runner-up - Unknown by Mitiko Murata

Peter Buck with Craig Morton from A.S.Handover Ltd. Brush manufacturer Best watercolour Award for Gateway to Datchworth Spire

David Price Cousins with Beverly Maunder-Taylor from The Arts Society East Herts. Best 3D Award for Large Vessel 1

Anne McCormack with Diana Dale for Bill Dale Award. Best Members Artwork for Havana Old Town III.

Michaelle St Vincent(Lady M ) with Peter Ruffles MBE presenting the Lady Laming Award for Best Abstract Portrait of Artist-Orange

Robert Harris with Councillor Steven Watson The Mayor presenting John Goss Award for Best artwork In Exhibition 91 Fulham High Street

73rd Annual Open Exhibition May 2026 - 45 images, click here to view.

For full report, click here for more details.

Hertford Art Society 27th Members’ Show

Cowbridge Hall, Cowbridge, Hertford SG14 1PG
Friday 31st October - Sunday 2nd November 2025

The annual Members’ Show is always well attended and this year was no exception. Cowbridge Hall provides a light and airy venue which shows work at its best. All Members were invited to contribute to this show and this year 50 artists exhibited 200 works. The work included atmospheric landscapes, townscapes and seascapes, still life images, flower paintings, abstracts, engaging portraits and figures, and a lovely variety of animals including a small herd of horses.

White horses (Light, Dark and Sky) by Alona Kushnirenko; Chariot of Fire by Diane Warburton; White Knight and Royal White, portraits by Isabella Taylor.

There was work in a vast range of mediums - paintings in oils, acrylics and watercolours, delicate pencil images, prints, collages and artworks in other mediums including digital and mirrored images. A small piece of woodland with colourful fungi was represented in wood and clay.

Portraits were very much in evidence this year. They were so impressive that they merit a special place in this review:

   
Left: Kate by Chris Baker; Centre: Alice by Amanda House; Right: Stars in her by Anastasia Olarou

   
Left: Stare down by Bernadette Dunthorne; Centre: Man with Turban by Brian Skyes; Right: Chinese Lady by David Stowe

   
Left: Anonymous is a Woman by Bernadette Dunthorne; Centre: It's all in the eves by Kayla Wood; Right: Giulia Latino by David Stowe

   
Left: Narcissus by Anastasia Olarou; Centre: Lady with Turban by Brian Skyes; Right: A heady mixture by Jill Rolfe

   
Left: Finer than Wine by Bernadette Dunthorne; Centre: Oriental Lady by David Stowe; Right: Sir Mark Rylance as Oliver Cromwell by Chris Baker

The Violinist by Jill Elliot

   
Left: Movement of Jah People by Carolyn Cordery; Centre: Girl with lace collar by David Stowe; Right: Back to Black by Carolyn Cordery

   
Left: Bailaora by Jill Elliot; Centre: All the Jazz by Jill Elliot; Right: Autumnal breeze by Juni Hounslow

Visitors and Members were asked to vote for their favourite item. There was also a Raffle with an oil painting set included in the wide range of prizes. A quiz kept children (and their parents) engaged as they explored the hall for solutions. A wide range of colourful greetings cards produced by Members were also for sale.

Grateful thanks go to all the Members who worked hard to set up this 3 day show. It was a great success – 220 votes were cast for the Visitors’ Choice prize which this year is shared by joint winners, Mike Lawrence and Neringa Susinskienne. Congratulations to Neringa who also won the prize for the Most Intriguing Work with the same painting, Friendship.

There was something for everyone and the opportunity to chat with the artists and to relax with coffee, tea and homemade cake while admiring the artwork was appreciated by many.

Prizewinners

Marie Goldsmith Award for a Member with a high standard of work who has served the Art Society well without formal recognition.

• A Walk in the Woods by Peter Buck – Watercolour

Stephen Lowe Award for most intriguing work

• Friendship by Neringa Susinskienne – Acrylic

Visitors’ Choice Award – Joint Winners

• The Veteran by Mike Lawrence
• Friendship by Neringa Susinskienne – Acrylic

Members’ Choice Award

• Jazz Man by Jill Elliot – Oils

The Best Title

• Mislaid by Chris Jermain - Oils

A Walk in the Woods by Peter Buck – Watercolour

Friendship by Neringa Susinskienne – Acrylic

The Veteran by Mike Lawrence

Jazz Man by Jill Elliot – Oils

Mislaid by Chris Jermain - Oils

Click here for more images. - 27th Members Show October 2025 - 41 images