Cotswold DFAS Newsletter
• April 2013
• March 2013
• Febuary 2013
• January 2013
• December 2012
• November 2012
• October 2012
• September 2012
•June 2012
• May 2012
• April 2012
• March 2012
• February 2012
• January 2012
•December 2011
• November2011
• October
• September 2011
• June 2011
• May 2011
• April 2011
• March 2011
• February 2011
• January 2011
• December 2010
• October 2010
• September 2010
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Dear Cotswold DFAS Member The lecture followed our Annual General Meeting at which John White, currently Mayor of Burford, was elected President. We also elected two new trustees, former chairmen Fiona Rossington and Judy Wigfield. The Treasurer reported that the finances of the Society are healthy. In her farewell speech Anne Matthews praised the Society for the successful changes which have taken place in the past 3 years and how we have successfully increased the involvement of members in so many ways. David Shepherd thanked Anne most heartily for the many years of her valuable support and presented her with a lovely bouquet of flowers. David also paid tribute to our founder, Anne Stevens, suggesting she was a remarkable woman and we are fortunate to be her heirs. He thanked the many people involved in keeping our Society active and looked forward to members’ continuing support. The Annual Report for the financial year ending November 30, 2012, was distributed at the meeting. Copies will be available at future meetings on the noticeboard. Should any member wish to receive their own copy, please contact Robin McCulloch at info@cotswolddfas.org.
We are delighted to announce that The Burford Garden Centre has generously agreed to sponsor this project, which will ensure that it is completed and published. We will also have the support of the Tolsey Museum. The project is the brainchild of Sandie Gowland, our Heritage Representative, who would like to hear from you if you might be interested in taking part. It promises to be fun as well as educational. Absolutely no specialist skills are required as most of the information is already available, nor do you need access to a computer. Mainly we need you to do some extra research and to write it up. Let’s not waste this marvellous opportunity. Contact Sandie at info@cotswolddfas.org.
Our next study day, “Pulling Pictures Apart” by Alexandra Drysdale:
Please note that the date of this visit has been changed from that announced in the programme. This is to enable us to have our private visit to the chapel. For further information please contact David Shepherd at info@cotswolddfas.org.
Cotswold DFAS News Hearing loop installed at Bradwell Village: Do we advertise our lectures in your local newsletter? The next lecture is “Venice and her Music”
David Shepherd ________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Cotswold DFAS Member On February 27th Marie Therese Barrett gave us a fascinating and wide-ranging Study Day on the Arts of Japan and Europe, from 12,000 BC to the end of the 19th C. It was a classic ‘compare and contrast’ exercise, covering pottery, ceramics, stone circles, statuary, printing, calligraphy, fine arts. At the same time she introduced us to many aspects of Japanese history covering Buddhism, Chinese influences, the period of peace, language, the shogun, the arrival of the Portuguese and subsequently other Europeans. All these ideas were illustrated with a rich variety of pictures. To make the day even more personal and tactile she brought with her a rich variety of Japanese objects, including some Japanese tea with which to round off lunch, and she ended the day with comments on the items of Japanese provenance which some of the members shared from their own personal collections. It was another excellent study day to add to those we have so enjoyed during recent years. March 13th AGM and lecture: After serving her agreed 3 years of office Anne Matthews has asked to step down as President and we will take the opportunity at the AGM to thank her for her contribution. John White has been nominated to become our next President. He will attend the AGM and give a brief address. John is Mayor of Burford, a governor of Burford School and Burford Primary School and involved in several other Burford institutions. He retired in 2003, enrolled at Oxford University and read Philosophy, Politics and Economics and achieved his BA in 2006. Before retiring he was a partner in a City of London firm of solicitors, specialising in Banking and Finance law and then Corporate Insolvency. He has 8 grandchildren and lives in Burford with his wife, Carolyn. Two nominations were received from the membership for the committee. Liz Welch has agreed to come back on the committee to take over her old job of looking after the catering for our events. Liz has organised the New Year Lunch for several years and has hosted us in her lovely garden for the new members’ garden party. Brian Swales has agreed to join the committee to take on the role Mary Beck has performed over the past few years. He looks after all our desk-top publishing needs – from lecture flyers to the annual report – and he has already changed the look of the newsletter and powerpoint presentations. Following the AGM we will hear a lecture by Steven Desmond and entitled:
Our next study day, “Pulling Pictures Apart” by Alexandra Drysdale:
The next visit, A Stanley Spencer Day, Tuesday June 4th: Please note that the date of this visit has been changed from that announced in the programme. This is to enable us to have our private visit to the chapel. For further information please contact David Shepherd on info@cotswolddfas.org. Cotswold DFAS News Coffee and tea at lectures: Please sign in before lectures: Do join us for lunch after lectures: I look forward to seeing you at the AGM and March lecture, David Shepherd __________________________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member 100 members and guests, including visitors from as far away as Enfield, enjoyed a lecture on January 9th by Dr Gillian White on “The Elizabethan Country House – A uniquely English architectural style”. 'Best I've ever heard,' said one visitor. Perhaps a slight exaggeration but her comment reflected the genuine pleasure that the lecture gave. And it was good for the Chairman to be rebuked by the speaker for seeming to suggest that Hampton Court is Elizabethan rather than Tudor. Our February lecture: On February 13th we welcome back Paula Nuttall who will lecture on “The Bruges of van Eyck and Memling”. Dr Nuttall has spent many years researching and teaching on Bruges and its artists. In this lecture she evokes the city during its late-medieval heyday, when it was the richest and most vibrant city in northern Europe. It attracted an international merchant clientele, as well as the Burgundian rulers of the Netherlands and great painters such as Jan van Eyck and Hans Memling. A discussion of their masterpieces, interwoven with sculptures, illuminated manuscripts and the buildings of Bruges itself, conjure up life in this medieval metropolis. February 27th, Japanese Art: Marie-Therese has asked participants to bring in their Japanese treasures to discuss and place in context. Marie-Therese Barrett has a degree in Oriental Art from Sophia University, Japan, and has taught in many different institutions and countries, including the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. There are spaces available. For further information please contact Verity Brown at info@cotswolddfas.org.
Edouard Manet at the Royal Academy:  On March 12, 2013, we are visiting the Royal Academy to view the exhibition of Edouard Manet’s portraiture. The exhibition examines the relationship between Manet’s portrait painting and his scenes of modern life and his world. It includes over 50 paintings spanning his career, together with a selection of pastels and contemporary photographs. Highlights include The Luncheon, Mme Manet in the Conservatory, Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets, Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe and
many others. In our October lecture we learned of art collector Paul Mellon and one of the paintings featured in the exhibition, George Moore in the Artist’s Garden hung in the dining room of the Mellons’ New York home for many years. At the time of writing there is only one ticket for the exhibition not taken but there is room in the coach if anyone wants to take advantage of an opportunity for a visit to London. Two of our members who are Friends of the RA are using this facility because of course they get exhibition tickets by virtue of their membership For further information please contact David at info@cotswolddfas.org.
Cotswold DFAS News:
March 13th AGM and Lecture: The March lecture is by Steven Desmond and entitled “The Odd Couple: The Gardens of Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll”. In the spring of 1889 the young architect Edwin Lutyens, later to become the most famous British architect of the 20th century, met the artist-gardener-craftswoman Gertrude Jekyll for the first time. Though Lutyens always found women difficult, he found in the daunting Miss Jekyll someone who empathised with his big ideas regarding design, detailing and distinctiveness. Their partnership set a standard of excellence which has been admired ever since. Make the most of your membership: Do join us for lunch after lectures:
I look forward to seeing you in February,
David Shepherd __________________________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member Christmas is over and we are looking to welcoming in a new year. I hope this holiday season has been a good one for you. Our next lecture: On January 9th we welcome back Dr Gillian White who gave us such an interesting insight into the portraits of Elizabeth I during 2011. As you may recall, Dr White was an excellent lecturer, extremely engaging in her delivery - with no problem hearing her at the back! This lecture is on “The Elizabethan Country House – A uniquely English architectural style”. Gillian White will examine one of the lively and creative periods of English country house building and include examples such as Hardwick Hall, Kirby Hall and the Earl of Leicester’s theatrical alterations to Kenilworth Castle. The New Year Lunch: There is only one place remaining for the New Year Lunch, on Wednesday, January 16th, 2013, 12.15 for 12.45. If you are attending, it’s very important that you bring your ticket with you – this shows your meal selection on the back. Edouard Manet at the Royal Academy: On March 12, 2013, we are visiting the Royal Academy to view the exhibition of Edouard Manet’s portraiture. The exhibition examines the relationship between Manet’s portrait painting and his scenes of modern life and his world. It includes over 50 paintings spanning his career, together with a selection of pastels and contemporary photographs. Highlights include The Luncheon, Mme Manet in the Conservatory, Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets, Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe and many others. In our October lecture we learned of art collector Paul Mellon and one of the paintings featured in the exhibition, George Moore in the Artist’s Garden hung in the dining room of the Mellons’ New York home for many years. A booking form to join this visit is attached. For further information please contact David at davidshep@talktalk.net. Study Day, February 27th: Marie-Therese Barrett will present three lectures on “The Arts of Japan and Europe: Fascinating Parallels and Contacts throughout History”. A survey of Japanese art throughout history reveals surprising similarities and fascinating contrasts with Western art of the same period. This study day explores Japanese approaches to painting, architecture and crafts in comparison with Europe and addresses the influence of society, environment and materials on the artistic responses in different cultures. Marie-Therese Barrett has a degree in Oriental Art from Sophia University, Japan, and has taught in many different institutions and countries, including the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. A booking form is attached. For further information please contact Verity Brown at verity.brown@virgin.net. Cotswold DFAS News: Make the most of your membership: Do remember to take advantage of concessionary rates on exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts and the Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. For full details visit the websites for the galleries. I look forward to seeing you on January 9th, David Shepherd _____________________________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member Anne Stevens: It is with sadness that we report the death of Anne Stevens on Wednesday November 7th after a long illness. She had been living at The Old Prebendal House in Shipton-under-Wychwood. Anne was the founder chairman of our Society which was until recently known as the Cotswold Antiques Study Group. Anne had a great interest and love of antiques and went to the Chilterns Group soon after Patricia Fay founded the National Decorative and Fine Arts Group. Anne decided that she wanted to form a group in Bampton and soon had an enthusiastic team on her committee. The first meeting was held in January 1967 at Weald Manor, the home of Robert Colville and his mother in Bampton. The late Ian Lowe from the Ashmolean gave the inaugural lecture and it was very well attended. Anne continued as chairman for 11 years, until we out-grew the ballroom in Weald Manor, then home of Robert Colville, his wife Rosemary and their young family. Anne was always full of enthusiasm and arranged many private visits, social evenings, lovely outings and interesting lectures. After being Chairman, Anne remained our President until 2011 when she was too ill to carry on. While President she was always determined to give her report at the AGM. In 2009 Anne came to the 40th Anniversary lunch which was held at Ditchley Park and gave a short speech. She continued to attend lectures until she retired in 2011. A Thanksgiving Service for Anne was held on Friday, November 23rd in St Mary’s Church, Bampton. If anyone would like to write to her eldest son, Julian Stevens, his address is: Cavaridge House, Clanfield, Oxon OX18 2PB. November lecture: Sandra Pollard gave an excellent lecture on Lady Ottoline Morrell, putting forward a most compelling view of someone who was quite eccentric but very generous in supporting and promoting artists. The hall was packed with 113 people, including a record 30 visitors. Included among the visitors was Lady Ottoline Morrell’s grandson who was heard remarking that the lecturer had given an accurate description of his grandmother. Another guest had been invited through our voucher scheme. We would also like to say a hearty thank you to Caroline de Jode who kindly put up Sandra Pollard overnight. After the lecture you are invited to stay for a glass of wine and mince pies. As usual, coffee and tea will be available from 10.15 – 10.45. The New Year Lunch: Don’t miss our lovely New Year Lunch, on Wednesday, January 16th, 2013, 12.15 for 12.45. Once again at The Lamb at Buckland has put together a delicious menu: slow cooked daube of beef on an onion and thyme potato rosti; grilled fillet of haddock with a mussel, cider and leek cream; oven roasted breast of pheasant with fondant potato, cabbage, bacon and mushrooms; roasted butternut squash galette with goats cheese, winter greens and mushroom cream sauce. Choices for dessert are treacle tart with crème Anglaise, iced mint parfait with port syrup, vanilla cheesecake with mango salsa and English cheddar with homemade chutney. All this for £20. Bookings will be taken at the December and January lectures, but don’t delay as we are limited to 45 spaces. The Pre-Raphaelite Exhibition: A party from the society had an excellent day in London on November 27th. We renewed acquaintance at Tate Britain with old PRB Friends from the Ashmolean and the Birmingham Art Gallery but also enjoyed seeing less familiar works from private collections and indeed from some overseas galleries. About half the people in the party took the chance of a brief visit to the Whitehall Banqueting Chamber and greatly enjoyed the magnificent Rubens ceiling panels and a very informative video covering the history of the Chamber. The Chamber is of course highly evocative through its close association with the execution of Charles 1. Our next visit: On March 12, 2013, we are visiting the Royal Academy to view the exhibition of Edouard Manet’s portraiture. The exhibition examines the relationship between Manet’s portrait painting and his scenes of modern life and his world. It includes over 50 paintings spanning his career, together with a selection of pastels and contemporary photographs. Highlights include The Luncheon, Mme Manet in the Conservatory, Berthe Morisot with a Bouquet of Violets, Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe and many others. In our October lecture we learned of art collector Paul Mellon and one of the paintings featured in the exhibition, George Moore in the Artist’s Garden hung in the dining room of the Mellons’ New York home for many years. An application form to join this visit is attached. For further information please contact David at info@cotswolddfas.org. Following the October study day on Hampton Court Palace several members have asked if we could have a visit to the palace. We asked for a show of hands at the lecture and there is clearly enough interest to arrange a visit as part of our programme for 2013. Study Day, February 27th: Marie-Therese Barrett will present three lectures on “The Arts of Japan and Europe: Fascinating Parallels and Contacts throughout History”. A survey of Japanese art throughout history reveals surprising similarities and fascinating contrasts with Western art of the same period. This study day explores Japanese approaches to painting, architecture and crafts in comparison with Europe and addresses the influence of society, environment and materials on the artistic responses in different cultures. Marie-Therese Barrett has a degree in Oriental Art from Sophia University, Japan, and has taught in many different institutions and countries, including the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. A booking form is attached. For further information please contact Verity Brown at info@cotswolddfas.org. Cotswold DFAS News: Membership: Please remember that if you have not yet renewed your membership, you will have to attend the Christmas lecture as a guest. If you have recently sent in your membership renewal form, your Programme and NDFAS Membership card will be ready for you to collect at the lecture on 12th December. Can you help with designing posters on the computer? The committee is actively seeking someone who might be able to help with the computer work we do as part of publicising our lectures and events. You don’t have to become a member of the committee and the work can be done in your own time. If you can help, please get in touch with Mary at info@cotswolddfas.org. Make the most of your membership: Do remember to take advantage of concessionary rates on exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts and the Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. For full details visit the websites for the galleries. Wishing you a very merry Christmas, David Shepherd _____________________________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member Our October lecture on The Paul Mellon Foundation received mixed reviews. On one hand the speaker showed some fantastic paintings from the collection and provided an interesting, detailed analysis of each. But she did not explain why the particular paintings were chosen for the collection or the significance of having such a comprehensive collection of English art. We also had several complaints that it was difficult to hear her, a perennial problem in our hall and one which some lecturers handle better than others. The study day in late October on Hampton Court Palace was absolutely brilliant. Linda Collins worked at the Palace for over 20 years and had a stream of anecdotes about its history, the buildings and how they were used, the fixtures, the decorative arts, the paintings and some of the grace and favour residents today. As it was nearing Halloween Linda spoke of some of the Palace’s ghosts, she told of her own experience with one ghost and ended the lecture by showing a ghostly apparition which was captured on their CCTV. Several members have asked if we could have a Visit to Hampton Court. There is no problem in arranging one; it depends on the interest and demand. If in principle you would be interested, sometime next year of course, then I will try to arrange one. Linda Collins said she would be happy to act as guide for our visit. Drop me, David Shepherd, an e-mail on info@cotswolddfas.org or speak to me at the next meeting. The next lecture: On November 14th Sandra Pollard will speak on “Lady Ottoline Morrell: A Passionate and Eccentric Patroness of the Arts. A remarkable woman, Lady Ottoline Morrell entertained lavishly in London and at the beautiful Jacobean house, Garsington. She befriended – and was often mistress of – many artists including Augustus John, Henry Lamb, Roger Fry and Stanley Spencer. She had a longstanding affair with Bertrand Russell. Over her lifetime she nurtured and promoted much new talent, but many abused her generosity and she was much maligned. Wren Churches Walking Tour: Early October saw another very successful visit, this was to see the Wren churches in the City of London. 47 attended divided into 2 groups. One group was guided by Tony Tucker, who gave us such a fascinating lecture in September, so the other group was slightly concerned to have another guide. But Tony chose well and she too proved to be both extremely knowledgeable and entertaining. Our next visits: On November 27th we will visit The Pre-Raphaelite Exhibition at the Tate Britain. Combining rebellion, beauty, scientific precision and imaginative grandeur, the Pre-Raphaelites constitute Britain’s first modern art movement. The exhibition brings together over 150 works, revealing them to be advanced in their approach to every genre and establishes the group as an early example of avant-garde painters. It includes many famous Pre-Raphaelite works and will also re-introduce some rarely seen masterpieces. There will also be the opportunity of a brief visit to the Whitehall Banqueting House, a wonderful Inigo Jones building with the original Rubens ceiling still in place. We have two places still available for this visit, so if you are interested, do please speak to David Shepherd at info@cotswolddfas.org.
Visit to Kent – May 13th - 15th 2013: Although we had enough interest expressed in a visit to Kent we have received only a very few bookings so far and may well have to cancel. If you have been thinking of going on this visit, please contact David Shepherd very soon. The visit includes coach travel from Burford, two nights bed, breakfast and evening meal at a hotel in Canterbury, and visits to the Turner Contemporary in Margate, a guided tour of Canterbury Cathedral, visits to Chartwell and Sissinghurst and a guided tour of Penshurst Place. The cost is £250.00 with a single supplement of £54.00. Young Arts Programme: Jenny Bywater, our Young Arts Representative, is now in collaboration with the Witney DFAS Young Arts representative to support a lecture they are arranging for students. Witney has arranged for Leslie Primo, the delightful young lecturer we heard in January this year, to give a special lecture in May 2013. We will help with the funding and publicity and will encourage attendance from schools in Chipping Norton and Burford. Jenny is still waiting to hear from any member with a link with a local school, perhaps as a governor. She is interested in exploring making a grant for art equipment or materials, or to bring in artists, arrange visits to museums, art galleries, etc. Jenny can be reached at info@cotswolddfas.org. Cotswold DFAS News: Membership: Now is the time to renew your membership of CDFAS. Last year we had 162 members, and if you are one of the 75 members who have already sent in renewal forms and cheques, thank you so much for acting so promptly. If you have not, please do send in as soon as possible so that your Programme and NDFAS Membership card will be ready for you to collect at the lecture on 14th November. New Members Reception following the October lecture: Following our lecture last month 16 new members stayed behind for drinks and snacks with Anne Matthews, our President, Jill Stedeford, Trustee, and the Committee. This was in place of the traditional garden party, which was cancelled in June due to the weather. The format, however, proved very successful and I was very pleased to have had the opportunity to get to know a number of new faces. Thank you to all those who attended. Can you help with designing posters on the computer? If you have computer skills and would be able to help in your own time, please do get in touch. For the past two years Mary Beck has been producing our posters as well as our annual report. But from March Mary would like to hand over the work. She is very willing to show you what she does and has already put together a disc showing examples of all the different work she has done so that it can be followed easily. If you can help, please get in touch with Mary at info@cotswolddfas.org. Make the most of your membership: Do remember to take advantage of concessionary rates on exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts and the Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. For full details visit the websites for the galleries. David Shepherd _
____________________________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member It is always wonderful when we have a lecturer who is so interesting that everyone agrees the lecture was outstanding. Such was our experience in September which over 100 people attended. Tony Tucker’s lecture on Christopher Wren highlighted his genius in many different fields, from astronomy to scientific experimentation to classical architecture. With the Great Fire creating the opportunity to rebuild so many of London’s churches and St Paul’s Cathedral a focal point of the London skyline, Wren’s legacy is there for all to see. The next lecture: A number of members have asked what our lecture on October 10th is about, as its title is not completely clear. The lecture is “The Paul Mellon Foundation: A Passion for British Art” by Hilary Hope Guise. The Paul Mellon Foundation at the Yale Centre for British Art is one of the world’s most comprehensive and representative collections of the art of a single culture ever assembled. It holds roughly 1,900 paintings and 100 sculptures and more than 20,000 drawings, watercolours and 30,000 prints, spanning the period from Elizabethan miniatures to the 21st century. All these images originally sprung from English culture here at home, building up a sense of what it meant to be British. Hilary Hope Guise will argue that this identity is understood more clearly when seen through the eyes of the Americans. Ironically England and Englishness are thus to be found in America. We hope to see you there. Next study day: Hampton Court Palace is the subject of our next study day on October 24th. The day will begin by examining the palace from the standpoint of both Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII and how the architecture of the building was used to promote a powerful image. Tudor paintings will be explained for the meanings and reasoning behind the images. Tapestry making and even Tudor food will be discussed. Next we will look at the rebuilding of the Palace by Christopher Wren for William and Mary. The last session will explore more modern aspects of the Palace’s history, including some of the more colourful grace & favour residents. The lecturer, Linda Collins has been a guide at the Royal Palaces for the past 20 years. A booking form is attached and will also be available at the lecture. For more information please contact Verity Brown at info@cotswolddfas.org.
Our next visits: Our next visit is on October 2nd, when Tony Tucker will guide 47 of us to the Wren Churches in the City of London. It promises to be a very interesting day. On November 27th we will visit The Pre-Raphaelite Exhibition at the Tate Britain. Combining rebellion, beauty, scientific precision and imaginative grandeur, the Pre-Raphaelites constitute Britain’s first modern art movement. The exhibition brings together over 150 works, revealing them to be advanced in their approach to every genre and establishes the group as an early example of avant-garde painters. It includes many famous Pre-Raphaelite works and will also re-introduce some rarely seen masterpieces. We are also trying to include a brief visit to the Whitehall Banqueting House, a wonderful Inigo Jones building with the original Rubens ceiling still in place. They don’t take advance bookings for groups and cannot say definitely until a month before. But if it is available, then we will go. Application forms for this block-buster have been distributed. Space is limited – don’t delay! For more information contact David Shepherd on 01993 813594 or at davidshep@talktalk.net. Visit to Kent – May 13th - 15th 2013: We had enough interest expressed regarding a visit to Kent that we are now finalising arrangements with the travel agent. Booking forms will be sent out very shortly. The visit includes coach travel from Burford, two nights bed, breakfast and evening meal at a hotel in Canterbury, and visits to the Turner Contemporary in Margate, a guided tour of Canterbury Cathedral, visits to Chartwell and Sissinghurst and a guided tour of Penshurst Place. The cost is £250.00 with a single supplement of £54.00. Young Arts Programme: If you have a link with a local school, perhaps as a governor, please contact Jenny Bywater, our Young Arts Representative. She is interested in linking up with a local school to explore making a grant to help them buy equipment or materials, bring in artists, arrange visits to museums, art galleries, etc. Jenny can be reached on 01608 658941 or at jennybywater@hotmail.co.uk. Cotswold DFAS News: New Members Reception following the October lecture: This year our traditional New Members Garden Party was called off because of bad weather. In its place we are holding a reception following the lecture on October 10th. We will not be going to lunch at the Cotswold Gateway. Can you help with designing posters on the computer? For the past two years Mary Beck has been producing all of our posters as well as our annual report. But from March Mary would like to hand over the work to someone who is interested. She is very willing to show you what she does and has already put together a disc showing examples of all the different work she has done so that It can be followed easily. If you can help, please get in touch with Mary at marybeck@beckkm.wanadoo.co.uk. It is time to renew your membership: Renewal notices will be sent to everyone on email a few days before the October lecture and letters will be available at the lecture for those not on email. Make the most of your membership: Do remember to take advantage of concessionary rates on exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts and the Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. For full details visit the websites for the galleries. David Shepherd ________________________________________________________________________
Dear Cotswold DFAS Member September is again upon us and I very much look forward to seeing you at our lectures in the coming months. It seems only yesterday we were listening to an interesting lecture from Clare Ford Wille on the influence of travel on artists and their subjects. And later in June we had a fascinating visit to Northamptonshire to visit Boughton House and 78 Derngate, the ‘Mackintosh House’. Our lecture on September 12th is on Christopher Wren when we will hear of his life and career as a scientist, astronomer and architect. It will feature his buildings in London, Oxford and Cambridge, before focusing on his City of London churches. In addition to photos of most of Wren’s buildings, the lecture will examine the work of architects in Rome and Paris, which influenced Wren and provided much of his inspiration. Tony Tucker is Chairman of the City of London Guide Lecturers Association, and so we have booked him for our next visit on October 2nd, when 42 of us will tour the Wren Churches in the City of London. We can take a few more people, so if you haven’t yet booked and are interested, please let me know as soon as possible. Next study day: Hampton Court Palace is the subject of our next study day on October 24th. The day will begin by examining the palace from the standpoint of both Cardinal Wolsey and Henry VIII and how the architecture of the building was used to promote a powerful image. Tudor paintings will be explained for the meanings and reasoning behind the images. Tapestry making and even Tudor food will be discussed. Next we will look at the rebuilding of the Palace by Christopher Wren for William and Mary. The last session will explore more modern aspects of the Palace’s history, including some of the more colourful grace & favour residents. The lecturer, Linda Collins has been a guide at the Royal Palaces for the past 20 years. A booking form is attached and will also be available at the lecture. For more information please contact Verity Brown at info@cotswolddfas.org.
Our next visits: On November 27th we will visit The Pre-Raphaelite Exhibition at the Tate Britain. Combining rebellion, beauty, scientific precision and imaginative grandeur, the Pre-Raphaelites constitute Britain’s first modern art movement. The exhibition brings together over 150 works, revealing them to be advanced in their approach to every genre and establishes the group as an early example of avant-garde painters. It includes many famous Pre-Raphaelite works and will also re-introduce some rarely seen masterpieces. We are also trying to include a brief visit to the Whitehall Banqueting House, a wonderful Inigo Jones building with the original Rubens ceiling still in place. They don’t take advance bookings for groups and cannot say definitely until a month before. But if it is available, then we will go. Application forms for this block-buster are attached and will be distributed at the September meeting to those not on emails. Space is limited – don’t delay! Visit to Kent – May 13th - 15th 2013: We had enough interest expressed regarding a visit to Kent that we are now finalising arrangements with the travel agent. Booking forms will be sent out very shortly. The visit includes coach travel from Burford, two nights bed, breakfast and evening meal at a hotel in Canterbury, and visits to the Turner Contemporary in Margate, a guided tour of Canterbury Cathedral, visits to Chartwell and Sissinghurst and a guided tour of Penshurst Place. The cost is £250.00 with a single supplement of £54.00. Young Arts Programme: NADFAS Young Arts aims to expand the horizons of young people through involvement in the creative arts, give them an appreciation of our arts heritage and its conservation, and inspire them with a lasting enthusiasm for the arts. One of the ways it endeavours to do this is by making grants to local schools to help them buy equipment and materials, bring in artists, arrange visits to museums, art galleries, etc. Some of you may have strong links with local schools, perhaps as governors, and, if so, Jenny Bywater, our Young Arts Representative, would be interested in hearing from you with an eye to linking up with these schools. Please contact Jenny at info@cotswolddfas.org.
NADFAS helped save the Manet: It was reported in the April newsletter that the South Mercia Area of NADFAS, of which our Society is part, donated £1,000 from Area funds to the Ashmolean Museum campaign to save Manet’s Portrait of Mademoiselle Claus. We are thrilled to report that the Ashmolean succeeded in raising the £7.83m required to acquire this painting and keep it in the United Kingdom. Dr Christopher Brown, Director of the Ashmolean, said, “This is one of the most important pictures of the 19th century which has been in Britain since its sale following the artist’s death in 1884. Its acquisition has transformed the Ashmolean’s collection and has at a stroke made Oxford into a leading centre for the study of impressionist painting.” Cotswold DFAS News: Relish your membership: As a member of the Cotswold DFAS you are part of an organisation that has done more than any other to champion the decorative and fine arts in the UK and abroad for over forty years. Not only do we offer 10 lectures with experienced and expert lecturers, we also offer 3 study days each year when you have the opportunity to delve into a specific topic in some depth. Our visits make it easy for you to visit popular exhibitions and fascinating houses, often gaining entry into places that are not always open to the public. As a small society you are asked to get involved as much as you are able, serving on the committee, taking the register, helping to set up meetings and making coffee – all vital to sustaining the friendly society atmosphere we strive for. In addition, our Heritage Volunteering and Young Arts programmes are being expanded, offering a chance for you to become more deeply involved in art education and heritage preservation if you wish. Membership in CDFAS entitles you to receive The NADFAS Review – the national NADFAS quarterly magazine – which includes information about exhibitions and courses as well as informative articles about various aspects of the decorative arts. Your NADFAS membership card grants access to a number of member offers. These include concessionary rates on most exhibitions at the Royal Academy of Arts, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. For full details visit the websites for the galleries. (Please note that these concessionary rates cannot be used with other concessionary offers, e.g., senior citizen or group discounts.) There will be an information sheet on the noticeboard at lectures giving details of these concessions for those of you who do not have access to the internet. Marjorie Connolley, our Membership Secretary, wants you to make the most of your membership in CDFAS. She is available at info@cotswolddfas.org. Join us for lunch after the lecture: at the Cotswold Gateway Hotel on the Burford roundabout. Our speaker, Tony Tucker, and his wife will be with us after his lecture. Everyone is welcome, members and guests. No need to book, just come. David Shepherd ________________________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member We need to have some idea of the degree of interest. If in principle you would want to go on this trip would you please let David Shepherd know as soon as possible and ideally by June 15th, so that we know whether or not to embark on firm commitments with the Travel Agents. Let me stress that by expressing genuine interest you are not at this stage committing yourself to a booking. ___________________________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member Our April lecture was a real gem – only 68 members turned out to hear Neil Faulkner discuss the Ancient Greek Olympics, but everyone agreed it was much more fascinating than we thought it might be. Using archaeological finds and decorative ceramics, we heard about the many extraordinary things which went on during the ancient Olympics and, in addition, gained an insight into ancient Greek culture. Several people also took the opportunity to purchase his book “A Visitors Guide to the Ancient Greek Olympics.” Next study day: The study day on May 23rd is entitled “The world of Islamic art”, an extremely colourful world which is of increasing significance today. The day will begin with an introduction to Islam, looking at the history, development, variations and traditions. This will be followed by a lecture on the arts and architecture of the medieval Islamic world, from the 7th to the 15th centuries, and geographically from Egypt to Central Asia. The lecturer is Sarah Searight, author of several books, most recently Lapis Lazuli: in pursuit of a celestial stone. A booking form is attached. Please send the form to Verity Brown, 4 Hone Court, Pooles Lane, Charlbury OX7 3TE (including a SAE). For further information please contact Verity on 01608 811728 or at verity.brown@virgin.net. Visits: On April 24th a party of 41 members and guests had a fascinating visit to the Barber Institute and Winterbourne House at Birmingham University. A guided tour giving us a sense of the rich variety of paintings in such a relatively small gallery was followed by a wonderful piano recital of works of Chopin given in the Barber Institute concert hall by a graduate student at the conservatoire. We felt privileged as a small party to be given a private performance by such an outstandingly talented soloist. We lunched at Winterbourne House; the Arts and Crafts house formerly the home of the Nettlefold family of the GKN engineering company. A sunny spring day gave us the chance in the afternoon to wander in the garden and enjoy the wide range of plants and the distinctive garden landscape. Everyone enjoyed such a varied and stimulating programme. The next visit is to Northamptonshire on June 19th to visit Boughton House and 78 Derngate, the ‘Mackintosh House’. Boughton is one of the homes of the Dukes of Buccleuch and contains a wonderful collection of paintings, furniture, tapestries, carpets, porcelain, arms and silver. The house is normally open to the public only in August so we will have a private tour preceded by a soup and sandwich lunch. Charles Rennie Mackintosh was commissioned to do the interior design of 78 Derngate Street and completed the work between 1916 and 1920. It illustrates all his characteristic design principles. To book the Northamptonshire visit, please send the booking form to David Shepherd, 8A Crecy Walk, Woodstock OX20 1US. For further information, please contact David on 01993 813594 or at davidshep@talktalk.net.
Cotswold DFAS News: A raffle to encourage membership: Thanks to a suggestion from Committee Member, Sandie Gowland, who saw this in practice in Australia, we will begin a Membership Raffle at our May meeting. All members will be given a raffle ticket when they arrive for the lecture. After the lecture the raffle will be drawn and the winner will be given a voucher to bring a guest to a future lecture for free. As word of mouth is probably the most potent way of finding new members, we are hoping this will encourage us to show our friends what our society is like and help to boost our numbers in the coming year. Please help to publicise our lectures: Additional publicity is another way to bring new people to our lectures. Last month we placed posters advertising our next lecture on everyone’s seat and asked you to place the poster on your local noticeboard or other visible place. We’ll do the same in May advertising our June lecture. Heritage Volunteers: Tricia Picking is interested in hearing from members who could help the Tolsey Museum, Burford, which is open Tuesday to Sunday 2-5pm during the summer months. They are seeking Volunteer Stewards. They are also looking for volunteers to join a team of guides to show tourists around Burford. For further information please contact Tricia Picking on 01993 822287 or at thepickings@btinternet.com Next lecture, May 8th: Jane Tapley, who gave an excellent lecture on Christmas customs a few years ago, returns to delight us with a lecture entitled “Dickens Revisited: An illustrated talk on the life and times of Charles Dickens”. David Shepherd _____________________________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member In March we had our AGM at which Judy Wigfield stepped down as our Chairman and Treasurer. Our President, Anne Matthews, paid tribute to Judy, describing her as absolutely outstanding and presenting her with a lovely bunch of flowers and book token. David Shepherd was elected Chairman and Joan Oakeshott was elected Treasurer. Angela Chamberlain resigned as Membership Secretary after 6 years and Anne Matthews thanked her for her enormous contribution, which included organising the membership records on computer and enabling the emailed newsletter. Liz Welch, who also resigned from the Committee, was thanked for hosting the New Members’ Garden Party for several years and for her tremendous help with many social events as well as with the catering for lectures and study days. Both women were presented with plants and a gift token. Two new committee members were elected - Jenny Bywater and Sandie Gowland. The audience heard reports of our activities for the year, our financial situation, Heritage Volunteers and Young Arts. All agreed it had been a very successful year and we can look forward to the many activities in the year to come. The sad news was of our founder, Anne Stevens, who remains at The Old Prebendal House where she is well cared for, but is unable to communicate and unable to walk. The lecture which followed was on Matisse and Picasso. Lecturer Nina Levick showed the similarities and differences between these two 20th century giants and helped us to interpret some of their more unusual paintings. Area meeting: March also saw the Committee hosting the South Mercia Area Meeting. Chairmen and committee members from all 22 societies in our Area come together twice a year to network, learn from each other and share experiences of lecturers, visits and other activities. During the day attendees agreed to donate £1,000 from Area funds to the Ashmolean Museum campaign to save Manet’s Portrait of Mademoiselle Claus for the nation. As a rare example of the working methods of one of the greatest artists of the 19th century, this painting is one of the most important impressionist paintings in the country. Next study day: We are now taking bookings for the study day on May 23rd which is entitled “The world of Islamic art”, an extremely colourful world which is of increasing significance today. The day will begin with an introduction to Islam, looking at the history, development, variations and traditions. This will be followed by a lecture on the arts and architecture of the medieval Islamic world, from the 7th to the 15th centuries, and geographically from Egypt to Central Asia. The lecturer, Sarah Searight, has lived, worked and travelled for many years all over the Middle East, Central Aisa and the Indian sub-continent. She is the author of several books, most recently Lapis Lazuli: in pursuit of a celestial stone. To book or for further information please contact Verity at info@gmail.com. Forthcoming visits: The visit on April 24th to the Barber Institute and Winterbourne House is fully booked. After that we go to Northamptonshire on June 19th to visit Boughton House and 78 Derngate, the ‘Mackintosh House’. Boughton is one of the homes of the Dukes of Buccleuch and contains a wonderful collection of paintings, furniture, tapestries, carpets, porcelain, arms and silver. The house is normally open to the public only in August so we will have a private tour preceded by a soup and sandwich lunch. Charles Rennie Mackintosh was commissioned to do the interior design of 78 Derngate Street and completed the work between 1916 and 1920. It illustrates all his characteristic design principles. To book or for further information, please contact David at info@gmail.com. Possible overseas visit: Witney DFAS are considering an overseas visit and would welcome participants from our Society. They are currently investigating a visit after Easter in 2013 with Prague, Western Sicily, Malta and Bavaria all possibilities. If you are interested in any of these locations, please get in touch with Georgie Fox on info@gmail.com. Cotswold DFAS News: Heritage Volunteers: Tricia Picking has been alerted to additional opportunities for Heritage Volunteers: (1) A new project at Angus Library within Regents Park College, Oxford to stabilise, clean and wrap books. This will be on Thursdays, every 2 or 4 weeks, and volunteers will work in teams. Training will be given. (2) The Tolsey Museum, Burford is open Tuesday to Sunday 2-5pm during the summer months. They are seeking Volunteer Stewards. They are also looking for volunteers to join a team of guides who show tourists around Burford. For further information please contact Tricia Picking at info@gmail.com. Please help to publicise our lectures: We are constantly looking for ways to increase our Society’s membership and encouraging additional attendance at lectures is one way to do this. We thought it might help if we spread the word more widely about our lectures. So when you attend the April lecture you will find on your seat a poster advertising our May lecture. Would you please place your poster on your local noticeboard. Would you like to attend the NADFAS AGM? Our Society will pay travel expenses for 2 members to attend the national NADFAS AGM on 9 May 2012 in London. This is a good opportunity to see the wealth of activities the national society promotes. If you would like to attend, please contact Robin McCulloch at info@gmail.com. Next lecture, April 11th: What do you think it was like going to the Olympics 2,400 years ago? Neil Faulkner will be our tourist guide explaining what we know about the Olympics from literature, archaeology and art. I look forward to meeting you there. David Shepherd Acting Chairman__________________________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member From Other Societies: Blockley DFAS is visiting The American and Holburne Museums in Bath on Tuesday, May 8th. The cost is £40 to include coffees and a light lunch with wine. If you are interested in going on this visit, please contact Derrick Allen on 01789 740243 or dandkallen@waitrose.com. __________________________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member Judy Wigfield _____________________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member First, may I wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year! I hope this holiday season was a good one for you. The December lecture “In the Bleak Midwinter: Artists’ Responses to Snow” by Ann Clements was outstanding. Ann Clements delighted us not only with her excellent presentation style, but also with her understanding of the technical details and historical content of the beautiful pictures she described. We hope to have her lecture to us again in the future. The next lecture on January 11th is entitled “Leonardo’s portraits and Madonnas” by Leslie Primo. For many of us this will be a preview to the Leonardo exhibition at the National Gallery, for others a chance to learn more about this fascinating artist. Please remember this lecture begins at 11.00 am, with coffee and tea from 10.15. Perhaps you know of someone who can attend our lectures at this new time? If so, please do invite them to come. Next study day: We are now taking bookings for the study day on February 29, 2012. This is entitled “Rembrandt: Portraitist, Storyteller and Landscape Artist.” The lecturer is Vivien Heffernan. Rembrandt’s work displays an extraordinary depth of human understanding and compassion, which combined with a complete mastery of light and technique, makes a study of his work immensely rewarding and stimulating. Vivien Heffernan is an art history tutor for the continuing education departments of Essex and Cambridge Universities. See Verity Brown at the lecture to reserve your place or contact her at info@cotswolddfas.org. Forthcoming visits: The next visit will be to The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham, and Winterbourne House on Tuesday, 24th April. The Barber Institute is considered one of the finest small art galleries in Europe. Its collection includes Monet, Manet and Magritte; Renoir, Rubens, Rossetti and Rodin; not to mention Botticelli, Poussin, Turner, Gainsborough and many others. Winterbourne House has been restored to its Edwardian Arts and Crafts splendour and is set in seven acres of beautiful botanic gardens. Booking forms for this visit will be emailed or distributed at the January lecture and mailed out to those who do not attend. Come with us to Vienna 16-21 September, 2012. Sometimes called the ‘city of dreams’ thanks to Sigmund Freud, Vienna is a wonderful combination of imperialism and modernism. The visit includes the Staatsoper (opera house), the magnificent St Stephens cathedral and the famous Spanish Riding School. Museums include the Albertina, Leopold, Kunsthistorische and the Liechtenstein. We will also visit the Vienna Woods and Mayerling. The cost will be £785 which represents exceptionally good value. If you have not yet sent your deposit, do contact David Shepherd by mid-January at info@cotswolddfas.org. New Year Lunch – There are only a handful of tickets available for our New Year Lunch on Wednesday, January 18, 2012. With a menu choice of venison, pheasant, kedgeree or risotto, plus a delicious selection of desserts, it would be a lovely occasion. You can purchase tickets at the January lecture or by contacting Liz Welch at info@cotswolddfas.org. From Other Societies: NADFAS is organising a special day at Goldsmith’s Hall on June 18th. The day includes a lecture by Helen Clifford and the chance to view the exhibition on Gold, Power and Allure, plus a meal. The day will cost £40 for the lecture, viewing and either breakfast or tea. It is £50 for the lecture, viewing and lunch. For more information contact Judith Quiney at jquiney@nadfas.org.uk. Share this newsletter: Not all our members have access to a computer. If you know of someone who would like a paper copy of this newsletter, please print out a copy for them. We will also bring extra copies to our lectures. Judy Wigfield _________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member Judy Wigfield _________________________________________________________________________
Dear Cotswold DFAS Member “Luscious” is the word which comes to mind in thinking about Catherine Parry-Wingfield’s delightful lecture in October on French Rococo Paintings. The photographs were simply beautiful. Many of the paintings she mentioned are on view in the Wallace Collection, so they are available for us to see in London. The November lecture is “Decadence and Dreams – jewellery from around 1900” by Clare Phillips. The decades around 1900 witnessed a fascinating variety of styles and produced some of the most elegant pieces of jewellery ever made. The lecture will explore the distinctive styles of great jewellers such as Cartier, Faberge, Tiffany and Lalique, and examine also the contribution of Britain's Arts and Crafts movement. Clare Phillips is a curator specialising in the history of jewellery and is based at the V&A. She is the author of several books and contributed to several others. Forthcoming visits: Tickets are selling out for our visit on January 24th to the blockbuster Leonardo exhibition at the National Gallery. This visit follows our January lecture on Leonardo’s Portraits and Madonnas by Leslie Primo. If you are interested in this visit, please do contact David Shepherd at info@cotswolddfas.org or on 01993 813594. There are 14 surviving paintings on wood by the Renaissance genius and more than half of them will be on show. The National Gallery’s ‘Virgin of the Rocks’ will appear beside the Louvre’s version of the same subject, painted some 25 years earlier; even Leonardo himself didn’t see them together. With them will be the ‘Lady with an Ermine’ from Cracow, ‘La Belle Ferronière’ from the Louvre, ‘St Jerome’ from the Vatican, ‘Portrait of a Musician’ from Milan, the ‘Madonna Litta’ and ‘Salvator Mundi’ eventually accepted by the National Gallery as by Da Vinci. New Year Lunch – Tickets are now on sale for our New Year Lunch, to be on Wednesday, January 18, 2012. Once again we shall return to The Lamb, Buckland, since it has been such a successful venue in previous years. The proprietors have created a delicious menu for us at the reasonable cost of £19 per person. You can purchase tickets at the lecture or by contacting Liz Welch at liz.welch@virgin.net or on 01993 841731. Abingdon DFAS Special Interest Day - Abingdon DFAS has invited us to attend their special interest day on Thursday November 10th on “The Landscapes of Gustav Mahler, with music”. This year is the 100th anniversary of Mahler’s death and the speaker, Eric Shanes, will show images of the many beautiful alpine landscapes that inspired Mahler, as well as outlining his creative development as a composer, using musical examples. Eric Shanes is the recently retired chairman of the Turner Society and lectures at the National, Tate and Clore Galleries as well as being a prolific author of best-selling books on Turner, Hockney and Warhol, among others. The cost is £26. If you are interested in attending, please contact Jane Barclay on 01235 527819. Cotswold DFAS News: Please do remember: Our Christmas lecture will begin at 11.00 am followed by mince pies and wine. And from then on all lectures will begin at 11.00 am, with coffee and tea available from 10.15. Another reminder to please respect the Bradwell Village residents when parking for lectures. Do avoid parking on both sides of the road, to ensure cars can pass through and, even more importantly, to ensure there is space for an emergency vehicle should one become necessary. We now reserve additional disabled parking spaces in the car park. Please look out for these, marked by a CDFAS Disabled Parking notice attached to a small blue nursery chair. Share this newsletter: Not all our members have access to a computer. If you know of someone who would like a paper copy of this newsletter, please print out a copy for them. We will also bring extra copies to our lectures. Judy Wigfield ______________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member ______________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member
Hello to everyone and welcome back after the summer break. Although there was much grey and rain, we also had some bright and warm spells and I hope your summer was pleasant.
We have a full programme this autumn beginning with our lecture on September 14th by Dr Gillian White on portraits of Queen Elizabeth I. As a young girl Elizabeth was a minor cog in the machinery of the Tudor dynasty, destined to move from docile and obedient daughter to modest and submissive wife. As queen Elizabeth and her ministers struggled to find a suitable visual image but with passing years her image grew in confidence until the realm of England became too small a canvas and Elizabeth triumphed as Queen, Empress and Goddess. Gillian White trained as an historian but was then seduced by the history of art. She is particularly interested in the art and architecture of sixteenth century England.
Forthcoming visits: Final call for those who wish to join our tour of the Olympic site on Saturday, September 10th. The exhibition has been so well reviewed and the Olympic site such a fascinating blend of modern architecture and technology, this visit promises to be memorable. David tells me that there is only one place remaining. Then on October 4th we visit the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter followed by a cruise along the canal network in central Birmingham. The visit begins at the Jewellery Museum, created in the premises of the former jewellery firm Smith and Pepper. It is an absolutely fascinating period piece showing the arts, the crafts, the design processes, the equipment, the accounting and book-keeping systems, the industrial and commercial practices, the measures taken topractisesall the gold dust, the traditional machinery and methods used to produce jewellery in the old craftsman’s way. There are still a few places available.
October Study Day: Our final Study Day this season is on Wednesday 26th October when Caroline MacDonald-Haig will tell us all about "Paintings, Politics, Power and Princes - a History of The National Gallery''. For £30 (non-members £33) you will get an insight into this important institution. We also provide lunch with a glass of wine. If you are interested in attending and have not signed up already, you will be able to do so at the lecture in September. For further information contact Verity Brown at info@cotswolddfas.org.
Cotswold DFAS News: Please do remember: From January 2012 we are changing the time of our lectures to 11.00 am, with coffee and tea available from 10.15.
And, from now onward, we plan to send out visits forms and other notices by email to those members with email addresses. Those members without email addresses will have envelopes prepared and distributed at lectures with the remainder sent through the post, as we do now, so no one will miss out on important information. Share this newsletter: Not all our members have access to a computer. If you know of someone who would like a paper copy of this newsletter, please print out a copy for them. We will also bring extra copies to our lectures. ___________________________________________________________________________ Dear Cotswold DFAS Member, On Saturday, September 10th, David has arranged a tour of the Olympic site following the visit to the Queen’s Gallery in London to visit the exhibition of Dutch Landscapes. The Queen's Gallery exhibition brings together 42 remarkable works from the Golden Age of Dutch painting, including landscapes by van Ruysdael, Cuyp and Hobbema. After lunch we’ll drive to the Olympic site where we’ll tour the perimeter road accompanied by a Blue Guide. The Olympic site is nearly complete and we will see first-hand what a tremendous facility it is and what exciting and original architectural work has been done. Entrance to the site itself will not be open to the general public, other than for sporting events, until after the Games are completed, so unless you are lucky enough to secure tickets for the Games, this is an excellent opportunity to see the site. The final visit of the year will be to the Birmingham Jewellery Quarter on Tuesday, October 4th, with a cruise along the canal network in central Birmingham. The visit begins at the Jewellery Museum, created in the premises of the former jewellery firm Smith and Pepper. It is an absolutely fascinating period piece showing the arts, the crafts, the design processes, the equipment, the accounting and book-keeping systems, the industrial and commercial practices, the measures taken to collect all the gold dust, the traditional machinery and methods used to produce jewellery in the old craftsman's way. Disabled Parking: As many of you know, parking near the Bradwell Village Hall can be a bit difficult. At the May lecture and also for the Study Day we began a trial of reserving an additional disabled parking space in front of the hall, to supplement the official disabled parking spaces. These are being marked by a CDFAS Disabled Parking notice attached to a small, blue nursery chair positioned well into the space, so that you don't have to get out to move anything before you drive in. Unfortunately these ordinary spaces are not very wide, but nevertheless we hope this helps. Please look out for these spaces and let us know if it helps to make it easier for you, and also if you feel we need to reserve any more this way. Using email: With the price of postage at an all-time high, the committee has been looking for ways to contain our costs. Beginning in September, we plan to send out visits forms and other notices by email to those members with email addresses. Not only does this reduce the cost of postage, but it also means less stationery and duplicating costs. Those members without email addresses will have envelopes prepared and distributed at lectures, and the members who did not attend the lecture will receive theirs through the post, as we do now, so no one will miss out on important information. Next lecture: Nicholas Bagshawe will speak on Joseph Wright of Derby, best remembered for his observations of the scientific and technological advances of his day. His "Philosopher giving a Lecture on the Orrery" and his "Experiment on a Bird in an Air Pump" are quite outstanding - not only for the technological content, but also for their highly unusual treatment. This lecture will look at all sides of this strikingly individual Midland painter and attempt also to place him in the context of his day - that of the 18th century enlightenment. Nicholas Bagshawe is an art dealer specialising in 18th, 19th and 20th century pictures. Share this newsletter: Not all our members have access to a computer. If you know of someone who would like a paper copy of this newsletter, please print out a copy for them. We also bring extra copies to our lectures. Best regards, ___________________________________________________________________________
MAY NEWSLETTER Don’t forget to reserve your place on the Study Day on Wednesday, May 25th, when Sally Hoban will discuss how and why the Festival of Britain had such a huge impact on our perception of design including graphics, textiles, ceramics and industrial design, launching the careers of many of our best loved designers. Sign up at the next lecture or contact Judy Wigfield atinfo@cotswolddfas.org. ___________________________________________________________________________ Cotswold DFAS April Newsletter Dear Cotswold DFAS Member, ________________________________________________________________________ Cotswold DFAS March Newsletter It was lovely to see so many of you at our February meeting, with many of our new members present as well as a record number of visitors. As all of you know we still have room for more members and are delighted to learn that our publicity is working. Do keep spreading the message about our society to your friends and neighbours. Last Lecture Capital Cities of the Mughal Empire: Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur Sikri, and Lahore. The lecturer Sue Rollin took us on an extraordinary journey through the palaces built by two centuries of Mughal rulers. Starting and finishing in Delhi we enjoyed beautiful slides of so many fantastic palaces as well as fascinating historic illustrations of the various rulers. Next lecture Don’t forget that our AGM precedes our next lecture on Wednesday March 9th. With everything happening half an hour earlier than usual. coffee will be available from 12.45 to 1.15, and the AGM starts at 1.30. The lecture will start as normal at 2pm. when Shirley Turner will talk to us about Bruges, The City and its Painters. Shirley who has lived in Paris, Brussels and the Hague will give us an account of the turbulent history of this mediaeval city, through its buildings and paintings Visit to Goldsmith’s Hall on Monday March 14th As you know the visit to Goldsmith’s Hall is full. However David is delighted to be able to announce that he has now secured the additional guided tour of the Guildhall in the afternoon. Details of the day’s arrangements have been distributed to those going to the Goldsmith’s Hall. There are still additional seats available on the coach, offered at £10 per person. So if you would like to take the opportunity of a coach to London and about 4 hours near St Paul’s & Tate Modern, contact David Shepherd davidshepherd@talktalk.net Forthcoming Visits 22nd June –Hanbury Hall and Croome Park [booking forms at this month’s meeting] 6th September – The Queen’s Gallery –Dutch Landscapes from the Royal Collection [booking forms at the May meeting] 4th October –The Birmingham Jewellery Quarter [Booking forms at the June meeting] For further information contact David Shepherd at davidshepherd@talktalk.net Last Study Day Last Wednesday 35 members enjoyed a fascinating and informative day entitled Middle Ages Spread! Three established local & well known NADFAS lecturers, Juliet Heslewood, Tim Porter & Alice Foster explored the stylistic and technical changes in architecture and the visual arts from the mediaeval period to the Renaissance period in European Art. The day was accompanied by a delicious lunch provided by Liz Welch and her team. The Next Study Day is on Wednesday May 25th –The Festival of Britain and its Design Legacy Lecturer Sally Hoban 2011 sees the 60th Anniversary of the festivities on the South Bank and already interest is rising - so come and join us for this very topical day. Tickets at £30 each including lunch are still available ---apply to Judy Wigfield at judy.wigfield@ btinternet.com Heritage Volunteers Needed Many of us are already involved with volunteering at Kelmscott Manor, but because their opening hours are being extended this year more volunteers are needed. If you feel you would like to become involved please contact our Heritage Volunteer Coordinator Tricia Picking at thepickings@btinternet.com Heritage Volunteer Information needed NADFAS is trying to collate statistics about the work being done nationally by all Heritage Volunteers, and has asked each Society to supply information not only about where we volunteer but also about the average number of hours “worked” per week.
NADFAS have given a very tight deadline for this information, much of which we have not previously recorded. It would therefore be helpful if each of you involved in this work could send Tricia Picking at thepickings@btinternet.com an e-mail to confirm where you volunteer, and, if possible, to give her an idea of approximately how many hours you work and whether this is seasonal or all year round. For those involved in seasonal work for example at Kelmscott Manor please could you give her an idea of what you did in 2010, since the season for 2011 hasn’t yet started. News from our Twinned Society –TOOWOOMBA ADFAS, NSW. AUSTRALIA. Fiona Rossington, our former chairman, wishes to carry on as our correspondent with Toowoomba. She will keep us updated with news from down under. Name Badges We hope you all agree that our new name badges are helping with our aim of making our society seem more friendly and welcoming. Now that you have got used to wearing them we have decided to ask you to take charge of your own badge. So we want you to take your badge away in March, and hope that you will always remember to wear them at subsequent meetings. This year’s NADFAS AGM is in Edinburgh on Wednesday May 11th. None of the committee can attend so we wonder if any of our members would like to go. Reasonable travel costs and something towards one night’s hotel accommodation will be reimbursed in due course by NADFAS. The closure date for applications is rapidly approaching so please contact Judy Wigfield quickly if you would be interested in representing our society. Share this newsletter Not all our members have access to a computer. If you know of someone who would like a paper copy of this newsletter please print out a copy for them. We will also bring extra copies to our lectures. With best wishes, Judy Wigfield Chairman and Treasurer ___________________________________________________________________________ COTSWOLD DFAS FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER Dear Cotswold DFAS Member, It was lovely to see so many of you at our January meeting, with many of our new members present as well as a record number of visitors. As all of you know we still have room for more members and are delighted to learn that our publicity is working. Do keep spreading the message about our society to your friends and neighbours.
January lecture Hugh Cantlie told us about The Lindisfarne Gospels, showing us marvellous pictures of both the Gospels themselves, as well as wonderfully atmospheric photographs of the landscapes and architecture associated with Holy Island and Northumbria. James used to live in the area, and so evidently enjoyed bringing his Surveyor’s eye to all these images. We also we able to marvel about the skill of the monk Eadfrith who produced such an unrivalled manuscript using such simple equipment. James had brought with him a selection of reproductions of the tools employed, which we all found fascinating.
Next Lecture Wednesday February 9th –Capital Cities of the Mughal Empire: Delhi, Agra, Fatehpur, Sikri, and Lahore -lecturer Sue Rollin. Ms. Rollin was a tutor in Ancient Near Eastern History at University College, London and has taught courses at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London and at Cambridge University. Having also been an archaeologist in several countries, she now works as a freelance lecturer, tour guide in the Middle East and India and conference interpreter for various international organisations
New Year Lunch Wednesday January 26th 39 of our members met for a delicious and jolly lunch at The Lamb at Buckland. The candlelit dining room was so inviting, with 3 long tables, which allowed for easy conversation and efficient service. We are grateful to Shelley and her team for looking after us so well and to Liz Welch for masterminding the whole occasion, as well as thinking about all those little extra touches such as the small flower arrangements for the tables which made such a difference. Thanks must also go to Tricia Picking for bringing all our name badges. This certainly made my life easier and I hope, yours. All our committee members worked hard with ‘mingling’ and I am so grateful to all their help for making the lunch such a success.
Visit to Goldsmith’s Hall on Monday March 14th As you know the visit to Goldsmith’s Hall is full. However David is delighted to be able to announce that he has now secured the additional guided tour of the Guildhall in the afternoon. Details of the day’s arrangements will be distributed to those going to the Goldsmith’s Hall at & after the February Lecture. There are still additional seats available on the coach, offered at £10 per person. So if you would like to take the opportunity of a coach to London and about 4 hours near St Paul’s & Tate Modern, contact David Shepherd davidshepherd@talktalk.net
Forthcoming Visits 22nd June –Hanbury Hall and Croome Park [booking forms at the March meeting] 6th September – The Queen’s Gallery –Dutch Landscapes from the Royal Collection [booking forms at the May meeting] 4th October –The Birmingham Jewelry Quarter [Booking forms at the June meeting] For further information contact David Shepherd at davidshepherd@talktalk.net
Study Days For both of these apply to Judy Wigfield at judy.wigfield@ btinternet.com 1.Wednesday February 23rd --Middle Ages Spread! Three established local & well known NADFAS lecturers, Juliet Heslewood, Tim Porter & Alice Foster explore the stylistic and technical changes in architecture and the visual arts from the mediaeval period to the Renaissance period in European Art. There are still a few spaces left for this day.[ £30 including lunch] 2.Wednesday May 25th –The Festival of Britain and its Design Legacy Lecturer Sally Hoban 2011 sees the 60th Anniversary of the festivities on the South Bank and already interest is rising - so come and join us for this very topical day.
Heritage Volunteers Needed Many of us are already involved with volunteering at Kelmscott Manor, but because their opening hours are being extended this year more volunteers are needed. If you feel you would like to become involved please contact our Heritage Volunteer Coordinator Tricia Picking at thepickings@btinternet.com
News from our Twinned Society –TOOWOOMBA ADFAS, NSW. AUSTRALIA. As many of you will have seen that Toowoomba, near Brisbane was so badly affected by the recent devastating floods. I have written to Liz Hudson, the Chairman of Toowoomba ADFAS to offer our sympathy and support. Our former Chairman Fiona Rossington stayed with one of their committee when she visited a year or two ago, attending one of their monthly meetings. Fiona has been our link with this society but as we have now been given a new twinning correspondent, Noela Penberthy, we hope that we will be able to make ‘more’ of this twinning contact in future months. Certainly I know we would welcome any of their members visiting the Cotswolds, and that they would be very pleased to see any of us planning to go to New South Wales.
Name Badges We hope you all agree that our new name badges are helping with our aim of making our society seem more friendly and welcoming. Our plan is that you should leave your badge behind at the end of the lecture –that way it will always be there for you when you arrive & you won’t have to remember to bring it each time. However Tricia Picking who has masterminded the production of these labels says that some of you have forgotten to return them –so if this applies to you, please try to remember to bring it with you next time and to leave it behind when you go!
Share this newsletter Not all our members have access to a computer. If you know of someone who would like a paper copy of this newsletter please print out a copy for them. We will also bring extra copies to our lectures.
With best wishes, Judy Wigfield ___________________________________________________________________________ COTSWOLD DFAS JANUARY NEWSLETTER Dear Cotswold DFAS Member,
COTSWOLD DFAS DECEMBER NEWSLETTER Dear Cotswold DFAS Member, -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
COTSWOLD DFAS OCTOBER NEWSLETTER Over 80 members and guests gathered at Bradwell Village Hall for a captivating lecture on Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The lecturer, Anthea Streeter, a specialist in 20th century architecture and design, explained the influences on Mackintosh which could be seen throughout his career. Using many examples from his designs for architectural competitions as well as photographs of his interiors, she brought to life his ideas and innovations. Visit to Avebury World Heritage Site on Friday, September 10th: Janet Wright sent this report: The property manager had arranged for a guided tour of the Manor to be led by their longest serving volunteer, Mr. Victor Holder, whom I suspect could have easily written on the back of a postage stamp those facts that were unknown to him about the property. He was utterly charming and concerned for us to enjoy the Manor as much as he did. Afterwards lunch was taken in "The Circle Restaurant", the only wholly vegetarian one in the National Trust! Church Record: The completed Compilation of the Church at Shipton-under-Wychwood, which represents years of work, was presented by Ann Gilbert and Verity Brown to the Vicar and congregation of St Mary the Virgin on Sunday September 5th. Everyone who had been involved with the production of this magnificent document had been invited and many were able to attend. It was so interesting to meet those who had been involved over the years, most of whom had been or were still members of our society. We were also delighted to be able to welcome Liz Chalmers, the South Mercia Area Church Recording Co-ordinator, who has done so much to help. Our society was well represented with our past President, Anne Stevens, and current President, Anne Matthews, among the guests. We all enjoyed the lunch reception after the service and are very grateful to St Mary the Virgin's PCC for their welcoming hospitality. Ann and Verity -- well done and thank you! Volunteers needed: Tricia Picking, our Heritage Volunteer Representative, writes -- I understand that a partial church record has been made for Taynton Church (near Burford), but more volunteers are needed to complete this valuable task. There are a number of different categories where help is needed and volunteers will work under the guidance of South Mercia expert Liz Chalmers. If you are interested, please email click here Questionnaire: If you haven't done so yet, it would be useful if you would complete and return your questionnaire. Your answers are proving very interesting and I am so delighted with the offers of help. Until we collate all the responses, all I can say at this stage is "yes please"! I look forward to seeing you at the October lecture. _________________________________________________________ |
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COTSWOLD DFAS SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER Church Record: The completed Compilation of the Church at Shipton-under-Wychwood, which has represented years of work, is being presented by Ann Gilbert and Verity Brown to the Vicar and congregation of St Mary the Virgin, Shipton -under-Wychwood during the 11 o'clock matins service on Sunday September 5th. All our members would be very welcome to join the congregation for this service. In addition we are hoping to trial an audio-loop in September. Normally a loop is used for an entire room, but that would be too expensive for us to purchase and install. Instead we have access to a partial loop, those who need the loop will be asked to sit in specific seats near to the equipment. If it works well and is helpful we will purchase it for our continued use. Please do let us know! _________________________________________________________ |
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Make a real contribution to Burford’s Heritage:
On May 22nd Lexa Drysdale will present an interactive study day using exercises to pull pictures apart into colour, light, composition, form, line and subject matter. The aim is to help us be more aware of the visual language that artists use. Lexa is a professional artist specialising in sculpture and live performance. It promises to be a very different and unusual study day. A booking form is attached. For further information please contact Verity Brown at 
The next visit, A Stanley Spencer Day, Tuesday June 4th:
Burne-Jones and Gordon Russell, A visit to Cheltenham Ladies College and Broadway, Tuesday July 9th: At Cheltenham Ladies College we are going primarily to see the eight original cartoons done by Burne-Jones for the stained glass windows in Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford. In Broadway we will visit the workshops of Gordon Russell, one of the premier British designers of the 20thC, which have been converted into a fascinating museum. The booking form is attached. For further information please contact David Shepherd.
Janet Canetty-Clarke will speak about Venice as a magnet attracting artistic creators -- painters, poets, writers and musicians -- all drawing nourishment from her beauty and mystery, and music has always played an important part. I look forward to seeing you on April 10th.
“The Odd Couple: The Gardens of Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll”.
On May 22nd Lexa Drysdale will present an interactive study day using exercises to pull pictures apart into colour, light, composition, form, line and subject matter. The aim is to help us be more aware of the visual language that artists use. Lexa is a professional artist specialising in sculpture and live performance. It promises to be a very different and unusual study day. A booking form is attached. For further information please contact Verity Brown at 
Our March visit, Edouard Manet at the Royal Academy:
As a follow-up to our lecture on Stanley Spencer in May, we have arranged a visit to experience Spencer on the ground. The day will take in a tour of Cookham, where Spencer lived, a visit to the Spencer Gallery and Museum. Then after lunch we will take the coach to the Sandham Memorial Chapel, just south of Newbury, for a private visit. David describes the resurrection scene as being “of remarkably inspiring majesty, to compare with anything from the renaissance”. The booking form for the visit is attached with this newsletter. 
This study day promises to be unusual and particularly interesting, and will include some Japanese green tea and looking over Japanese treasures. Marie-Therese Barrett will present three lectures on “The Arts of Japan and Europe: Fascinating Parallels and Contacts throughout History”. She will highlight the similarities and contrasts between Japanese art and Western art through many periods of history. She will explore Japanese approaches to painting, architecture and crafts, comparing them with Europe approaches, and she will explain how society, the environment and available materials have influenced the arts differently.