Ashby Art Club was founded in the early 1990's by Mr Cedric Leyland, who had recently given up teaching at the Invanhoe Community college but who was persuaded by his pupils to start an art club so that they could continue to enjoy the pleasures of painting in the company of their colleagues. In the early days the club operated on an informal basis but soon had to appoint a small committee to organise events and keep financial records etc. There were about 20 members during the mid 1990's but as the Club became more widely known in the community the number of members started to rise.
Over the years the Club has continued to develop, holding a popular annual exhibition in Ticknall, demonstrations by professional artists, social events, weekly meetings, and workshops. But most importantly, the Club still provides a friendly atmosphere where you can develop your drawing & painting skills and talk to others who enjoy wrestling with a brush, pen, pastel or pencil. The Club has currently about 60 Members and is a mix of professionals, amateurs and complete beginners.
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All of our activities encourage a wide range of painting styles using a variety of media, which can be viewed in our online Members Gallery and "in person" at our Annual Easter Art Exhibition in Ticknall.
We welcome enquiries from new members throughout the year, the membership fees are given on the Home Page and more information about Smisby and the village hall can be found on the Smisby Village Website . A location map for Smisby can be found here .
The Club's objective is "To encourage the appreciation and practice of art" as set out in the constitution downloadable from the link below.
For more information please browse this website, use the contact us page for any questions, or just come along to a meeting! We hold weekly meetings throughout the year meeting on Monday evenings at Smisby Village Hall from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. There is a day time meeting too, on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month from 9.30am to 12.00. The Club is closed on Bank Holidays and closes for about 4 weeks in July/August except for the Wednesday morning sessions which continue throughout the year.
