The Abingdon Town Crier was out and about this morning, spreading the news of the Abingdon Artists’ Spring Exhibition held at St. Helen’s Church from Monday, March 11th to Saturday, March 16th.

This evening there was a members view for the artists and a guest. The exhibition showcases a great variety of local artistic talent and each member can exhibit up to three pictures. Paintings and cards are on sale.

Susie is exhibiting for the first time and has been creating angels with acrylic/gouache and crystals. She finds it therapeutic and hopes others will find comfort in her pictures.

Val has a folky style that is easy to recognise. There is a lot of humour in her work.

The raffle prize was painted and donated by Leilani. Raffle tickets are £1.

The new window exhibition at 25 Bury Street, Abingdon, is a mix of the artwork of 12 local groups from the South Abingdon Arts and Culture project. The project has been ongoing since March 2023 and will continue until April 2025. There is still a chance to get involved.

The project is about:
* Helping local artists learn new skills and share their talents. (painting, music, dance, writing – anything creative!)
* Giving everyone in South Abingdon a chance to get involved in the arts, no matter what their experience.
* Exploring the history and beauty of Abingdon through art.
* Bringing the South Abingdon community together through art.

The Makespace Oxford website has more information, like that the project has been funded by the UK Shared Prosperity fund (Levelling Up).

I look forward to featuring more art during the third phase of the project from January 2024 to April 2025.

The Abingdon Gallery, that previously used that shop to sell art, are still trading online at abingdongallery.co.uk.

The Abingdon Artists’ Autumn Exhibition 2023 kicked off with a preview event for friends and family of the participating artists on Monday, October 23rd. The exhibition will be open to the public from Tuesday, 24th to Saturday, October 28th at Christchurch Barn, Northcourt Road (10 am to 4:30 pm).

The Autumn Exhibition features a diverse range of artworks, with many members exhibiting up to three pieces each.

Jonathan Leach, Co-chair of Abingdon Artists, said, ‘We don’t judge what you see. The paintings have been selected by the people themselves. So there’s no committee standing in judgment saying, “You’re you’re good enough. You’re not!” We are a very democratic organisation, and people make their own choices. And I think we look around, you will see the standard is fantastic.’

‘We have about 90 members. It’s thriving, and we are just the tip of the iceberg because when we’re out sketching in the town centre, often other people come up and say “I’m interested. I do a bit of art as well.”‘

Organising an exhibition on this scale requires dedication and teamwork. Jonathon expressed his gratitude to the numerous individuals who contributed to the event’s success.

Visitors to the exhibition can not only admire the diverse artworks on display but also purchase original paintings, cards, and the annual Abingdon Artists Calendar. A raffle featuring a painting of the River Ock, at the paddling area beside Ock Meadow, offers an opportunity to support the group’s endeavours.

Abingdon Artists is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting art and providing a platform for local artists to showcase their work. The group organizes regular exhibitions, workshops,  sketching sessions, and lectures.