BROMSGROVE Arts Society has folded after being in the community for more than 70 years.
Last week, the group’s last meeting was held at Burcot Village Hall, featuring the final live demonstration of a watercolour landscape of The Queen’s Head in Stoke Pound by artist Richard Crabtree.
A number of members attended and were upset to hear of the society’s closure after a struggle to find people to take on key roles, including chairman, secretary and treasurer.
Resigning chairman Anthony Turpin explained to members without new people coming forward this was the last meeting.
He was thanked for his hard work and dedication to the arts, along with thanks to Mike Crockett, Rose Danes and Mike Hurst who had helped in recent years to keep the society thriving.
A leading contributory factor to the society’s demise was the Covid lockdown which saw several arts groups unable to continue and impacted on all professional self-employed artists. Many have been forced to take their work online, having to rebuild their client base despite not everyone being happy to take to the Worldwide Web.
The Bromsgrove Art Society is the latest casualty to Covid closures with The Birmingham Watercolour Society and Redditch Arts Society having to also bring an end to their activities.
Society members said the issues were being reflected around the country.
Although members continued with their art throughout Covid with online classes and demonstrations, the consensus was that they missed the social aspect and interaction with not only the tutor and demonstrator but also fellow members.
Avoncroft Arts Society, where Richard Crabtree teaches, has managed to come through this with members back attending classes and is still encouraging people to join classes in September when the new term starts.
Joyce Crabtree, from the Bromsgrove Arts Society, said: “Hopefully in the future maybe the monthly live demonstrations can be resurrected using Avoncroft’s main hall which would be an ideal venue.
“It is a sad day for the arts in Bromsgrove.”
Reprinted by kind permission of The Bromsgrove Standard