Stevenage Arts Society’s Winter Exhibition opens on Saturday 25th November and runs till Saturday 9th December. Featuring member’s work in; oil, acrylics and watercolours also with charcoal, graphite and prints, and featuring ceramics and sculpture produced by members at the societies own pottery. All on display at The Denington Galleries situated upstairs at Springfield House, High Street, Old Town, SG1 3EJ.

The exhibition will feature work by William Barnard (see Lost and Found, below), a member who attends the society’s pottery. Born in Stevenage in 1955, he attended night classes in the early 1980s at North Herts College under master potter Bob Crossley and along side renowned ceramicist Abdo Nagi. After being made redundant by British Railways in 1993, he won a scholarship from Hertfordshire County Council to attend the City & Guilds of London Art School where he studied Fine Art (sculpture) between 1993 and 1996.

He became Visual Arts Co-ordinator at Stevenage Leisure Centres' Gordon Graig Theatre where he ran the establishments Boxfield Gallery, which held ten exhibitions per year, and the facilities arts studios and courses. Whilst in this position he set up and ran the Boxfield/Stevenage Community Trust Prize for Excellence in Art - a competition for year 10 students studying within the SG1/2 areas with a top prize of £250. This competition ran annually for seven years until funds were withdrawn by the Council. He than became a tutor at North Herts College until 2014. He is presently at Bedfordshire Universty where he is studying Art & Design. Now entering his third year of study he is hoping to major in printmaking and typography.

William commented: ‘This is all a very good way for any artist, professional or amateur, to showcase their work to a wider audience, and all are welcome to join the society'.

Potential members are invited to come along on Friday 24th November to the private view at 7.30pm where they will be able to meet members and partake in a glass of wine and nibbles.

For more details please visit the website, www.stevenageartssociety.org.uk.