Tuesday 18 June 2013

LAS Summer Show at the Usher Gallery

The Summer Show for the Lincolnshire Artists' Society is now on and when attending their exhibitions I always feel pleased and proud to have been accepted by a group that has such an interesting history.

The group began as the Lincolnshire Drawing Club in 1906 with the emphasis primarily on drawings and watercolours from the Grand Tour and from locations around Britain. The original members were predominantly female members of the clergy, titled ladies or gentlemen of leisure whose work was 'of good standards' and who had a constant desire to improve it. Artists were attracted to the L.A.S. encouraged by the professionalism of a group that welcomed the talented amateur but set very high standards for exhibitions.

Fast forward over a hundred years and the basic ideals for the group have not changed.Whereas they now accept a much wider variety of work to include contemporary 3D and sculptural pieces (luckily for me!) the emphasis is still on quality. The members now span a much broader range of society (not so many titled ladies) and much of their work is already amazingly professional, yet they are encouraging to talented amateurs and continue in their endeavours to improve.

I was amused to learn that the Annual Exhibition originally took place in the loose boxes of the stables at Monks Manor in Lincoln - the home of it's founder Miss Elsie Ruston and her art collecting industrialist father Joseph. Thankfully we no longer have to cope with large four-legged animals and bales of straw when we display our work for the Summer Show as it is now held in the rather more prestigious rooms of the Usher Gallery in Lincoln.

I have been pleased to have my work selected for L.A.S. exhibitions in the past and being a Lincoln local (or 'Yellerbelly' as we say around here) it was a very proud moment when I saw my work in the Usher for the first time. I submitted my work yet again this year in the hope that it would be deemed of  'good enough standard' to be included in the 2013 Summer Show, and it gave me great pride and a sense of the rich tapestry of the group when I found that both my pieces had been accepted and my glass work will be on display alongside the other most accomplished pieces from the group.
Hidden Treasures (detail) Adele Billinghay

The Show runs from 6th July until 1st September with the preview starting at 2pm on Saturday 6th July.
More details about the group can be seen on their site. It's well worth a read.

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