Anniversary exhibition

Press, 27 April 1983, Page 17

Anniversary exhibition

Twenty-one years ago the Town and Country Art Club was formed as a social forum for keen artists. Now, celebrating that anniversary, the club is still providing its members with the opportunity to get together and paint. Each month the 150 club members meet in 14 groups stretching up the province from Ashburton to Cheviot. Each group takes a turn to host another. “If the weather is clement we go outside and paint landscapes,” explained the club secretary, Mrs Margaret Bruce, of Christchurch. Members could also choose to remain indoors where they could paint portraits from life models, or work on still-lifes. The mediums used are oils, watercolour, and acrylics. Tea, coffee and time to chat are also important features of the monthly outings. For the members, mostly mature women, their enjoyable work is highlighted by occasional exhibitions.

To mark the club’s anniversary one will be held in the Christchurch Town Hall foyer starting on Sunday, May 8 and running until Friday, May 13. About 200 works will be on show.

A Blenheim painter Michael Ponder will be the guest artist. Other works will be of high standard. Not all the group’s members are accepted into the club. Those that are, said Mrs Bruce, paint in a standard ranging from amateur to very professional.

This year will be one of the busiest in the club’s history. Instead of the nor-

mal two annual exhibitions, five will be held. Already club members have shown at the Hanmer Springs centennial celebrations and next month they have been invited to mount a display at the Asian and Pacific Exhibition run by the Jaycees at the Arts Centre.

Individual groups within the club also hold local exhibitions. The Ellesmere group put its work on show beside local potters and weavers. One of the largest groups is based at Sumner. Each year it holds its own display. Some club members also hold their own exhibitions, as did its founding member, Frank Gross.

Gross, born in Vienna, studied in London and Paris, before coming to New Zealand. His work with local amateur groups culminated in the club’s formation. Mrs Bruce said: “He was just a very very good artist and very interested in people. He felt that a lot of joy could be had out of painting.” Gross also believed in encouraging strong links and mutual awareness between persons living in the town and those in the country. The club’s ideal of forging friendships between keen artists working in different areas, are still central to its functioning. Earlier this year many members went to the Banks Peninsula inlet at Purau to paint in good company. The activities obviously fill a need.

“We have always got more people coming in than we are supposed to have,” said Mrs Bruce.