Coventry and Warwickshire Society of Artists
celebrates its centenary year with a host of exciting exhibitions and events in
Kenilworth and Coventry.
This year, Coventry and WarwickshireSociety of Artists (CWSA) will be celebrating the organisations one-hundredth
anniversary.
Founded in February 1912, by the Mayor of Coventry, Colonel William Wyley, CWSA’s history
has been studded with many successes, as well as many frustrating trials and
tribulations.
Disheartened by the fact that so little
was being done for the visual arts in Coventry and the surrounding area, Wyley proposed
to expose the wealth of talent in the region by founding a society and an art gallery and museum
for Coventry and North Warwickshire.
The beginning of this initiative was marked by CWSA’s debut exhibition at
the Corn Exchange (no longer in existence), where
a good 354 works were displayed. The
then President Solomon J. Solomon RA, sent a large painting entitled ‘Eve’
which had to be delivered by carriage as he was unable to attend.
The
society worked hard to secure an art gallery in Coventry and was eventually
rewarded when Sir Alfred Herbert, a philanthropist and local manufacturer, offered
to fund the project. However, despite
enormous efforts, together with the advent of World War II, this dream was not
fulfilled until 1960, sadly after the death of Sir Herbert. But, this fortune was to be relatively short lived, and, despite a lengthy
campaign to save their hard-earned exhibition space, the society were forced to
seek alternative exhibition spaces.
Today, the Herbert Art Gallery’s permanent collection
still contains a significant number of works donated by members, patrons and
other people who were involved with the CWSA, and the actual existence of the
gallery is certainly thanks to the early endeavours of the society’s members.
A
number of highly distinguished artists have supported CWSA over the years,
including the first woman President Dame Laura Knight, David Shepherd, Sir William
Orpen, William Roseblade, and the watercolourist Herbert Edward Cox, whose
paintings of old Coventry (1930s) can be seen in the Herbert Art Gallery.
In
more recent times, a number of CWSA members have received awards, including
Sheila Fitzgerald who received The Chancellors Medal for her outstanding
service to Warwick University and Vivienne Robinson, who won the Warwick
Business School Logo Competition in 2011.
Initially, CWSA was an extremely selective
organisation, open only to artists, but over the years the organisation has
adapted to the ever-changing times, collaborating with a variety of arts
organisations, museums and galleries on a national and European scale, opening
its doors to artists and art lovers alike.
Today, the original spirit and
objectives of the organisation continue to live on, and, to mark their
centenary, CWSA will be holding a variety of exhibitions and events in the
local area.
The celebrations will commence
this summer, when the society will be exhibiting in the MOSAIC Art Trail, in
May, Art on the Edge 2, in June, and The
Tiltyard in August, under the umbrella of BRINK, where the society will be presenting
a special anniversary showcase.
But, the most exciting event will
occur in October, when the CWSA will hold their centenary
exhibition at the Herbert Art Gallery.
For further information on Coventry & Warwickshire Society of Artists, please visit: http://www.covwarsocart.co.uk/
