By John Sussams
 The Folkestone Art Society has come a long way since its inception in 1928 when about thirty people from Folkestone and Hythe, interested in Arts and Crafts and associated with the Kent Federation, used to meet in each others’ homes. Now the Folkestone Art Society has over 150 members, both professional and amateur; we hold two major exhibitions each year in The Grand as well as participating in a variety of other events. Membership of the Society was originally by invitation only and following an interview. It was later widened to applicants who would submit examples of their work to a selection committee whose responsibility it was to ensure that the required high standard was maintained. Standards remain as high as ever.
Judging from the adulatory headlines of recent years FAS members continue, as ever, to give pleasure to those who see (and purchase) their pictures: ‘Art Society opens dazzling Autumn Exhibition at The Grand’ (2005); ‘Spring show full of colour’ (2006) ‘Show opens in a blaze of pastel’ (2007), and so on. Practice makes perfect; art-teaching in schools is taken very seriously; there are excellent adult education classes run by KCC. FAS members have benefited from membership of the Society. They learn from one another, and it shows in their work.
Folkestone Art Society was first named as such in 1934 when the ‘craft’ element was taken off the menu. [Where does craft end and art begin?] The first exhibition was held in 1935 at the Pleasure Gardens Theatre (the site now occupied by the Police Station in Bouverie Road West). The Chairman then was Arthur Baker-Clack RA, an Australian artist who had trained in Paris. He died in 1955 leaving a portfolio of his work to Hythe.
In 1937 the FAS annual exhibition was in the Lady Sassoon Room of Folkestone Public Library and annual exhibitions were held there for more than fifty years (excluding the war years).
In 1947 Winston Churchill who was at that time Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports became an Honorary Member and remained so until his death in 1965. During the 1920s and 1930s Churchill was a frequent visitor to the country home of Sir Philip Sassoon at Port Lympne (now the wildlife park). Based at Port Lympne, he made a number of paintings of the Sassoon residence, as well as of his own house, the local countryside, and seascapes.
In 1948 Gerald Norden joined the Society. He was Principal of the Folkestone School of Art and later became our President, a position which he held for many years.
In 1960 Folkestone was twinned with Boulogne and the Mayor of Boulogne opened our exhibition. John Eveleigh sold a picture for £10 and the work of Kevin Hennessy (then a student) was said to be ‘impressive’.
By 1962 membership had increased to 58 and Gerald Norden was elected Chairman. Together with John Ward RA he started a Sketch Club section.
By 1965 membership had dropped to 43, and only 9 of the 151 pictures exhibited in the Library were sold.
In 1967 the Adult Education Centre opened and was judged to be one of the best in Britain. FAS membership increased.
In 1971 a critic wrote in the Folkestone Herald: ‘An art exhibition which opened at Folkestone Public Library on Monday resembles a roomful of clichés.’ Later in the same article the critic wrote: ‘Some of the works on view at the exhibition are outstanding. Among them are four oil paintings by Gerald Norden, Chairman of the Art Society.’ In defence of clichés, all artists have to choose the subject matter of their pictures and have to strike a balance between what they most want to paint and (in this case) what they think visitors to the library of a provincial seaside town will actually want to buy. Many of the world’s great paintings are disturbing, horrific, disgusting, or even blasphemous. FAS members wisely eschew such subjects; and anyway the Committee would think twice before allowing them to be hung. Folkestone Public Library is not Tate Modern; and we like clichés – that is why they are clichés – sunflowers, water lilies, haywains, white cliffs, and fishing boats stuck in the mud of Folkestone harbour. It is not what we paint so much as how we paint it.
In 1975 FAS members were taken to task by the sculptor E Bainbridge-Copnall, who said, when opening the exhibition: ‘It is a disgrace that people can pay so little for the pictures’. Nothing changes. Thirty-three years later there is still a feeling among members that many pictures are underpriced, and that this distorts the market for pictures which have a higher but arguably very reasonable price tag. The artist has to ask: ‘Should I ask for what I think the picture is worth (and probably not sell it), or should I put it on sale at a knock-down price (and stand a much better chance of actually selling it)?’ Having said that, a few very good pictures have recently sold for four-figure sums, but, at the same time many others have sold for the price one would expect to pay for a print rather than for an original work. I do not think anybody really understands the art market. There are too many variables.
In the 1978 Golden Jubilee Exhibition, held in the Metropole Art Gallery, there were 235 exhibits. This year also Harold Jackson (FAS Hon Sec for 19 years and Chairman for 13 years) died. He left four of his pictures to Folkestone Public Library. Two FAS members (Patsy Baker and Brian Oxley) had pictures in the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition. Other well-known members at that time included Joy Beeching, Kevin Hennessy, and Elizabeth Parry-Cooke.
In 1980 the first Students’ competition was held.
In1986 the Kent Literature Festival was held in the Metropole. A group of Trustees, with support from Michael Howard, took over the running of the Gallery.
The Diamond Jubilee Exhibition (1988) included exhibits by a number of artists who are still working and exhibiting today. Names include Betty Allan, Patsy Baker, Beryl Bell, Eric Buckman, Ray Bush, Jane Clark, John Clarke, Dirk de Vries, Pat Downes, John Eveleigh, Graham Fenton, Norma Green, Marie Holloway, Joan Jackson, Alan Luff, Nancy Mace, Brian Oxley, and Janine Umbers. Others, sadly no longer with us, included Gilbert Ashbee, Rita Benson (the late wife of our patron Robert Benson), Mu Bloor, Margaret Keown, Kevin Hennessy, and Gerald Norden.
In 1992 FAS held its exhibition in the Metropole Gallery for the first time. It was opened by Alan Clark MP. There was more space here than at the Library; so more members were able to join FAS and exhibit their works.
In 1995 exhibitions were held in the Leas Cliff Hall and at the Metropole, the latter opened by Roger de Haan. The Metropole Arts Centre was known as a centre of excellence. Then, in 1997, Arts Council and KCC funding were withdrawn. Roger de Haan became the new owner in 1998 and FAS had to find somewhere else for its exhibitions, the Metropole’s proposed charges being unaffordable. There had been adult education classes (art and creative studies) in well-equipped studios; there used to be a stage and seating for a large audience for lectures, concerts, dramatic entertainment, and other cultural activities over which the late Peter Barkworth presided. Then the Kent Adult Education Centre moved to White Lodge, and it was the end of an era which will never return.
However, the Society was fortunate in being able to make use of facilities at The Grand, next door to the Metropole, and we are very grateful to our patron, Michael Stainer, at The Grand, for his help and support. In addition to providing exhibition space and catering facilities when required, The Grand also stores all our screens, which is a great boon. At our Spring and Winter exhibitions, we have been able to exhibit up to 250 paintings as well as a small number of three-dimensional works.
In November 2006 and November 2007 we were able to co-operate with Folkestone Literary Festival to the benefit to both organisations. The FAS Lectures by Professor Anthony Slinn were included in the FLF programme.
In addition to our two main exhibitions and the social events, demonstrations, lectures, and competitions associated with these, FAS members also participate in other local events such as, recently: exhibitions at the Saga Pavilion, the Shepway Civic Centre, the Leas Railings (an annual outdoor exhibition which was first organised in 1991), Artists’ Days with the Kent and East Sussex Railway (Tenterden), a coach trip to the RA Summer Exhibition, and participation in a ‘European Flag Festival’ in Boulogne.
The success of Folkestone Art Society has always depended very much on the hard work put in by the Chairman and Committee Members and on the support received from influential people over the years, and now Robert Benson who, as well as supporting FAS has done much to encourage Fifth Formers in local schools to pursue their artistic studies, exhibit their work and win competitions which he has sponsored. Our MP Michael Howard, who will be opening our Spring Exhibition should also be mentioned along with Michael Stainer, manager of The Grand. Folkestone Art Society makes a significant contribution to the flourishing cultural life of our town. Long may it continue to do so!
The account which we give here is a shorter version of the History of Folkestone Art Society which is currently being prepared. Information is coming in from a number of sources and the facts as reported are to the best of our knowledge correct. We apologise for any errors and omissions. If you can spot any please let us know so that the fuller version can be amended accordingly. There is currently a gap in our information for the decade of the 1950s. We should be grateful for any contributions.
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© John Sussams/Folkestone Art Society 2008 |
