The Arts Society Devizes Events in 2020 / 2021
Here are the events we held in the year 2020-2021 for reference. They were all conducted on Zoom.
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Our Lectures 2020 / 2021
| Wednesday 21st Oct 2020 | Bodley’s Buildings: The architecture of the Bodleian Library Complex at Oxford by Justin Reay |  |
The Bodleian Library is one of the greatest academic institutions, its constituent libraries creating the largest academic collection of books and manuscripts in the world. At the heart of the city’s University quarter is the Central Bodleian complex, begun in the 15th century and completed in 2015, presenting a fascinating lexicon of architectural styles and tastes, and providing solutions to changing academic demands.
Justin Reay, who for ten years was a senior academic manager of the Bodleian and knows the buildings intimately, takes us from the medieval grace of the Divinity School and the magical Duke Humfrey’s Library through Thomas Bodley’s quirky Old Bodleian, the stylistically anachronistic but historic Convocation House, Hawksmoor’s neo-Classical Clarendon Building, and Gibbs’s iconic Radcliffe Camera, to Giles Gilbert Scott’s cyclopean New Bodleian (now redesigned as the high tech and glitzy Weston Library), a unique art historical journey through time and space in the heart of academia.
After officer service in the Royal Navy, Justin enjoyed a long career in management before studying the History of Art and Architecture at the University of Oxford, for which he was awarded the University’s Diploma with Distinction in 2005.
During his studies at Oxford Justin was invited to tutor for the University’s international programmes, and became a senior academic manager for the Bodleian Library, gaining a detailed knowledge of the Central Bodleian buildings.
Justin has been an AS Accredited Lecturer since 2018, speaking on a variety of art history topics.
| Wednesday 18th Nov 2020 | Magnificent Mosaics – windows into the colourful Roman world by Christopher Bradley | |
The Romans have left us with a remarkable artistic record of their lifestyle, beliefs, achievements and entertainment in the form of beautiful mosaics. From the best sites and museums in the world we see how they built on earlier Greek traditions; the cities in which they lived; the Gods and myths in which they believed; and the exotic lives of the Romans themselves - from Britain to Sicily, from Morocco to Syria.
This lavishly illustrated lecture uses only mosaics from start to finish, bringing the distant world of the Romans gloriously back to life with vibrant images full of action. This is the rise and fall of the Roman Empire as you have never seen it before – through the eyes of the Roman people themselves and the contemporary mosaics they created to reflect and decorate their fascinating, colourful world.
Christopher Bradley is a cultural historian, gaining an honours degree at Liverpool University before working in Arabia for several years. He mastered Arabic and travelled widely throughout the Middle East and North Africa researching, writing and photographing, subsequently producing many guidebooks and supplying photographs to international libraries and museums. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society and gives lectures all over the world. For 40 years he has been leading group tours in the Middle East, Ethiopia, Iran and Central Asia.
| Wednesday 16th Dec 2020 | The Wonder of the times: Thomas Lawrence in Bath by Amina Wright | |
Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) had very little education and as an artist was self-taught. He began drawing as a child in Devizes, where his father was the innkeeper of The Bear Hotel, and at this popular stopping off point for visitors to Bath he would be paid for capturing images of the guests. In 1780 his father became bankrupt and the family moved to Bath for the next seven years, where Lawrence supported his parents through his paintings.
He became one of the most successful portrait painters of his time, and one of the last in the Romantic tradition. He succeeded Joshua Reynolds as official painter to George III, was the youngest member of the Royal Academy at the age of 25, and in 1820 became its president. Patronised by the wealthy and famous, from The Duchess of Devonshire to Mrs Siddons and The Duke of Wellington, he was always in demand.
This portrait of Arthur Atherley, below, was recently acquired by the Holburne Museum, Bath.
As Curator of Fine Art and Senior Curator of the Holburne Museum in Bath, Amina Wright was a key member of the team that delivered the museum’s highly successful redevelopment.
She has produced a number of major exhibitions on 18th century British Art and Old Masters, published books on Georgian Bath, Joseph Wright of Derby and George Stubbs, and lectured widely in these areas. The Thomas Lawrence exhibition at the Holburne in Bath has had to be postponed, probably until early 2021, but her latest book, 'Thomas Lawrence: Coming of Age' is due to be published in October 2020.
Her exhibition Thomas Lawrence - Coming of Age in the Holburne Museum, Bath which was scheduled for later in 2021 has now been cancelled due to Covid. However … the good news is that you can see an online version of the exhibition (with a few bonus extras) from the comfort of your own home. See Our Events > Other Sources for details.
| Wednesday 20th Jan 2021 | Picasso’s Guernica by Paul Chapman | |
Guernica is regarded by many art critics as one of the most moving and powerful anti-war paintings in history. Outraged by the brutality of the bombing of the Basque town of Guernica durIng the Spanish civil war, Picasso created the piece in 1937 but maintained that it would not return to Spain until democracy had been restored. Picasso died in France in 1973. It was only some years after General Franco’s death that the enormous mural returned to Madrid in 1981.
Paul Chapman is an art historian and a National Gallery trained guide. As a freelance Paul delivers courses and lectures for a wide range of educational organisations and is a guest speaker in local schools giving talks and assisting pupils with their art history projects. He says of Guernica: “It shows the horror, cruelty and devastation of modern warfare. Picasso explores many themes, love, death, nationhood, motherhood and his own life at that point in time. The painting is full of cross references to the history of art”.
| Wednesday 17th Feb 2021 | Is this the Real Life ? by Mary Sharp | |
From Plato's cave to the Matrix movie, an exploration of the ways writers and artists have challenged our perceptions of reality.
Mary has a degree in drama from Manchester University. She worked for many years for BBC Radio 4 on some of its most popular programmes including Start the Week and Woman’s Hour as well as six years as a Commissioning Editor for all Sunday programmes on Radio 4. She then moved into teaching, first at Beaconsfield High School and then for eight years she was Assistant Head at Dr Challoner’s High School where she taught English Literature and was the Director of the Sixth Form. She now runs a wide range of literature courses for adults and is an accredited lecturer for the Arts Society.
| Wednesday 17th Mar 2021 | The Lute within Old Masters’ Paintings by Adam Busiakiewicz | |
Delighted to announce that Adam has agreed to bring this forward to 2021 !
The lute holds a special place in the history of art: painters of the Italian Renaissance depicted golden-haired angels plucking its delicate strings, evoking celestial harmony; in the sixteenth century, during the rise of humanism, the lute was a becoming pastime of educated courtiers, as depicted by the likes of Holbein and Titian; throughout the seventeenth century, the instrument continued to play a key role in emphasising the intimate, debauched and transient pleasures of interior scenes by Jan Steen and portraits by Frans Hals.
Adam Busiakiewicz is an art historian, lutenist and lecturer. After graduating in history at UCL in 2010 he was Head of Historical Interpretation (curator) at Warwick Castle for three years, and then took a Master’s Degree in Fine and Decorative Art at the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. He is currently pursuing his doctorate in Art History at Warwick University. He regularly gives talks, tours and lectures to both public and professional audiences at the Wallace Collection and has lectured at the National Gallery, including a series of talks there on the lute in paintings. He is also an accomplished player of the lute and will share this during the lecture. Adam gave us a marvellous lecture on Armour from the Leeds Armoury in 2019.
| Wednesday 21st Apr 2021 | A Garden Like No Other: Edward James and Las Pozas. by James Russell | |
[Rescheduled from 2020.]
In the depths of the Mexican jungle lies what looks like the remains of a lost civilisation, with arches and stairways which tower over waterfalls and pools. However, these were built only in the last century by a rich English eccentric and surrealist, Edward James.
This colourful lecture tells the story of his garden at Las Pozas, including an array of intriguing characters and exploring the wider theme of the modern artist-gardener.
Having studied History at Pembroke College, Cambridge, James Russell enjoyed a lengthy stint selling contemporary paintings and sculpture in Santa Fe, New Mexico, an experience that inspired him to begin writing and lecturing on 20th century art. Based in Bristol, he has given illustrated talks and run study days for many museums, including the Victoria & Albert, Dulwich Picture Gallery, National Maritime Museum and Salisbury Museum.
| Wednesday 19th May 2021 | Carmen in Seville by Simon Rees | |
Bizet’s opera Carmen, first produced in Paris in 1875, is about the flamboyant, tragic figure of the gypsy woman Carmen and her lovers, the soldier Don Jose and the bullfighter Escamillo. Based on a novella by Prosper Mérimee, and set in the ancient and beautiful city of Seville, it has become one of the best loved of all operas.
Simon Rees studied at Trinity College, Cambridge where he gained a BA and an MA in English Literature. He has taught in Italy and Japan, exploring the art and architecture of both countries. From 1989 to 2012 Simon was Dramaturg at Welsh National Opera in Cardiff. He is now a freelance writer and lecturer and travels extensively presenting lectures on opera, art history and literature. Simon has published several novels (including the award-winning The Devil’s Looking-Glass), poems and opera librettos.
| Wednesday 16th Jun 2021 | This won’t Hurt a Bit ! by Geri Parlby | |
For more than 5000 years artists have been attempting to depict illness and healing in their art. From Egyptian wall paintings, medieval manuscripts, Renaissance masterpieces, and 19th and 20th century realism, the mysteries of medicine have inspired artworks around the world. In this lecture we will look at some of the bizarre, amusing and often startlingly realistic depictions of medicine in art throughout the ages.
Geri was a former Fleet Street journalist and film PR before gaining a first-class honours degree in History and Theology, a Masters in History of Art from the Courtauld Institute and a Theology doctorate from Roehampton University in London. She has been researching and lecturing for the past 14 years both in the UK and internationally; initially pursuing her interest in religious art, she has gained an eclectic knowledge of many subjects. She has lectured all over the country and is principal lecturer on the Arts Society South West Area’s History of Art course. Her lectures are renowned for their light touch and humour.
| Wednesday 21st Jul 2021 | The Healing Power of Plants by Tim Walker | |
Why plant derived treatments are not an alternative; instead they are the real thing.
Mankind has exploited the medicinal properties of plants for thousands of years, yet the role of plants in modern medicine is still considered to be peripheral by many people. This talk attempts to put the record straight and to show that plant products are used everyday by all of us to relieve pain and suffering, to heal wounds and cure diseases.
Botanist, gardener, lecturer, presenter, author and after-dinner speaker, Timothy Walker was Director of the Oxford University Botanic Garden from 1986 to 2014, during which time he started lecturing - he has now spoken at over 1500 venues! Since 2014 he has been a college lecturer and tutor at Somerville College Oxford, and now holds similar positions at Pembroke College and Hertford College. In 2001 he was elected a Fellow of the Linnaean Society of London.
Those fortunate enough to attend Timothy’s Study Day in March 2019 will verify that he is a captivating and humorous speaker, with an astonishing knowledge of plants. Not to be missed!
Our Visits 2020 / 2021
| Tuesday 20th Jul 2021 | Roche Court Sculpture Park Visit | |
The very hot afternoon of 20th July 2021 saw the Arts Society‘s first post lockdown trip when a small group of members and friends visited Roche Court Sculpture Park in the beautiful countryside outside Salisbury.
There are eighty-nine sculptures and works of art within the park and we had time to see only a small number of them in one afternoon but our excellent guide, Laura, had designed a tour to demonstrate different ways of sculpting from carving and casting to construction. There were also installations which were site specific for example the wonderful Tame Buzzard Line by Richard Long. While we admired Barbara Hepworth’s Family of Man and Bill Woodrow’s Endeavour, Laura gently challenged us to see more and more in each piece.
There was a welcome interval for tea and homemade rock cakes on the shaded terrace of the beautiful, old house built by Nelson as his retirement home.
For more details of the Park and sculptures please see their website :
Roche Court website
Everyone agreed that it had been a splendid afternoon and after the restrictions of lock-down during which we had all missed our art ventures so much, it was a wonderful way back.
Click here to see more pictures of the day.
Our Special Interest Days 2020 / 2021
Other Events 2020 / 2021
| Thursday 17th Dec 2020 | Shakespeare’s London | |
We have purchased a Christmas Special as a Christmas treat for us all.
It is Lance Pierson's "Shakespeare's London" Tour.
The video is entertaining and informative and it runs for 57 minutes. It will be available for members to view until March.
All you have to do is click on the link in the email that we sent to all our members on 17th December entitled "A Treat for Christmas from the Arts Society Devizes" . Please do not share or copy the link with anyone else.
Press the Play button. When it starts it is worth finding the "Full Screen" icon to make the video fill your screen. To stop "Full Screen" press the Esc key.
If you have any difficulty please do not hesitate to contact Mike Page at theartssocietydevizes@gmail.com
Lance Pierson is a professional actor, poetry reader and London Guide.
| Monday 4th Jan 2021 | Lawrence Society Painting Demonstration | |
This demonstration on Monday 4th January at 7.30pm is hosted by the Lawrence Art Society of Devizes and is being made available to members of the Devizes Arts Society.
It will be a demonstration on Zoom by Christopher Forsey using acrylics to paint a landscape.
Ask for access by emailing The Lawrence Art Society at lsa.devizes@gmail.com and the access code will be forwarded to you closer to the time.
Christopher Forsey is an illustrator and artist who lives in Dorking in Surrey and draws much of his inspiration from the natural landscape near him. His life began in graphics, moving into painting later. He now earns his living from painting. He is a Member of The Royal Institute of Painters and The Society of Graphic Artists.
| Monday 1st Feb 2021 | Lawrence Society Painting Demonstration | |
This live painting demonstration on Monday 1st February at 7.30pm is hosted by the Lawrence Art Society of Devizes and is being made available to members of the Devizes Arts Society. Paul will be painting a street cafe scene in oils for us.
If you are interested then please email to las.devizes@gmail.com and Nick, their Zoom Master, will send you the Zoom link near to the date of the demonstration.
Paul trained at St Martin’s School of Art, London, and has been a full-time illustrator and painter since completing his training.
| Monday 1st Mar 2021 | Lawrence Society Painting Demonstration | |
This live painting demonstration on Monday 1stMarch at 7.30pm is hosted by the Lawrence Art Society of Devizes and is being made available to members of the Devizes Arts Society. Denise will be painting a seascape titled 'Crashing Waves'.
If you are interested then please email to las.devizes@gmail.com and Nick, their Zoom Master, will send you the Zoom link near to the date of the demonstration.
Most noted for her land and seascapes, Denise is a consummate demonstrator and an artist whose work decorates many places, nationally, internationally and corporately.
| Monday 1st Mar 2021 | Artfest – Wessex Online Exhibition | |
An online exhibition of art works from our Wessex Arts Society region.
(If you get a 'Page Not Found' error then the exhibition has not been uploaded yet. Please try again a few days later.)
| Monday 12th Apr 2021 | Lawrence Society Painting Demonstration | |
This live demonstration of painting in pastels on Monday 12th April at 7.30pm is hosted by the Lawrence Art Society of Devizes and is being made available to members of the Devizes Arts Society. Rebecca de Mendonca will be showing how much ‘Life and Energy there is in Pastel Painting.’
If you are interested then please email to las.devizes@gmail.com and Nick, their Zoom Master, will send you the Zoom link near to the date of the demonstration.
Rebecca founded ‘The New Pastel School’ in 2013 with Nel Whatmore. She has been
short-listed for the ‘Artist of The Year Award’ for the last three years.
| Monday 10th May 2021 | Lawrence Society Painting Demonstration | |
This live demonstration of painting in acrylic on Monday 10th May at 7.30pm is hosted by the Lawrence Art Society of Devizes and is being made available to members of the Devizes Arts Society.
Lawrie Quigley will be demonstrating the way to approach and paint a still life in acrylic, by capturing the mood and atmosphere conveyed by the visual imagery and sensations of the everyday object.
If you are interested then please email to las.devizes@gmail.com and Nick, their Zoom Master, will send you the Zoom link near to the date of the demonstration.
| Monday 7th Jun 2021 | Lawrence Society Painting Demonstration | |
This live demonstration on Monday 7th June at 7.15pm is hosted by the Lawrence Art Society of Devizes and is being made available to members of the Devizes Arts Society.
Jonathan Newey will be demonstrating how to paint buildings in the landscape with pen and wash.
If you are interested then please email to las.devizes@gmail.com and Nick, their Zoom Master, will send you the Zoom link near to the date of the demonstration.
| Monday 5th Jul 2021 | Lawrence Society Painting Demonstration | |
This live demonstration on Monday 5th July at 7.30pm is hosted by the Lawrence Art Society of Devizes and is being made available to members of the Arts Society Devizes.
Philip Boville will be demonstrating how to draw an industrial scene in charcoal.
If you are interested then please email to las.devizes@gmail.com and Nick, their Zoom Master, will send you the Zoom link near to the date of the demonstration.