Westgate’s Arts and Crafts group is celebrating its 40th anniversary with an exhibition, showcasing work by many of its members.
Hosted by Westgate Galleria & Studio at 29 Station Road, the exhibition, which is open now, is helping the group to raise awareness about its activities and to invite new members to join.
Members meet at the Community Centre in Lymington Road on Tuesday afternoons, 1.30pm – 4pm. People of all abilities are encouraged to bring along their own arts and crafts projects, plus materials, to work on while sharing space with like-minded friendly people.
The group has all sorts of mainly local people in membership, including retired professional artists, amateurs, hobbyists, and dabblers; anyone interested in being creative is welcomed.
Sharing knowledge and experience with each other is encouraged but members work at their own pace in the way they feel most comfortable with. The group periodically offers opportunities to take part in workshops on specific topics, techniques and themes, some of which have been led by artists and makers who work with the Galleria, supporting their creative development and careers too.
A free trial period of three weeks is offered and, if you decide to join membership, is £10 per annum, plus £2 per week subscription.
It is a warm and friendly group and there is a strong socialising aspect to their get-togethers. Tea, coffee and biscuits always add to the fun!
Sales of artworks during the Westgate Galleria exhibition are helping to raise funds for the group to add more creative activities to its annual programme.
Other activities for members include an annual competition and a Summer exhibition, which have been run with much-appreciated support in the town’s library and the community centre in the past.
If you’re unable to get along to this exhibition, which closes on June 25th, the next big public event will be the Summer exhibition in August in Westgate’s St Saviours Church.
The costs of the club hiring the June exhibition space in Westgate Galleria & Studio were covered using a Social Enterprise Kent grant awarded to its lead and local resident Sarah Gibbon, to help support and promote community arts projects locally, and to help raise the profile of social enterprise community-focused business models.
Sarah said the grant has now been used up, but Westgate Galleria and Studio continues to offer great value guest exhibition space and professional support for artists looking to exhibit and sell their work.
Opening hours are find Monday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. www.westgategalleria.co.uk
