On the 6th July the AGM will start at 10.30 am for both morning and afternoon members. Jenny Edwards will be selling raffle tickets before this. The prize is a book entitled “The Paintings that Revolutionised Art”. If any member is planning to pay their subscription on that day I have been asked to remind you that only a cheque and not cash is acceptable.
At 11.15 Hilary Guise will give us a lecture on Marc Chagall and the Supremacy of Blue. Hilary was born in South Africa and trained as a painter at the Central St Martin’s School of Art. She exhibits her work in Europe and the UK and currently at the Royal Overseas League in London. She lectures at the main museums in London for American Universities.
In the Autumn the committee will be considering which groups and organisations we should sponsor with the money which we get back in Gift Aid and any money which we make on the raffle. (I believe that Stradfas who have a regular raffle make £1000 a year) There are groups that we help each year such as the Playbox Theatre and other Young Arts initiatives to encourage an interest in the arts among the young who may not otherwise encounter them. However there are practitioners of various arts who want to help disadvantaged people especially children and who would be able to start their project with a small injection of capital. Stadfas would like us to jointly explore the possibility of using the arts to help bereaved children or young carers. We would also look sympathetically at a single donation to help preserve something that is an important part of our artistic heritage. For example we sent a small donation to the costs involved with the formation of the Public Catalogue and with the Staffordshire Hoard. If any member knows of possible appropriate recipients of our donations please let me know so that we can consider these in the autumn.
This year we gave a donation to help with one of the artistic workshops that were part of the One world Link – Day of the African Child on the 16th June in Leamington Spa. 500 children from primary schools took part in this event. It seemed to us to be a very enjoyable educational experience even if the skype link with a school in Sierra Leone could have been better.
On the 15th June, four of the committee visited Coventry Cathedral as we have several members who live in Coventry. There are several areas where Nadfas’ expertise and volunteers would be welcomed by the Cathedral especially as it looks towards its centenary in 2018.
Felicity Furber, Chairman.