Talks

Our main activity is a varied programme of ten illustrated talks each year given by high quality, Arts Society accredited, lecturers. They are experts in their field but have the ability to make their subject accessible to all and they invariably entertain as well as inspire. Nobody ever leaves an Arts Society Abingdon meeting without learning something!

Visits by coach

We organise visits to current exhibitions in London and other locations.  Recent visits have been to the Van Gogh exhibition at the National Gallery, Gwen John at the Holburne in Bath, Vanessa Bell at the Milton Keynes Gallery, the extraordinary Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Temple in London and Northampton to visit the Rennie-Mackintosh house there.  In summer we seek out quirky country houses, often privately owned, with outstanding architecture and collections and lovely gardens, hoping that the weather is also lovely!

Local visits

We have a programme of smaller group visits to investigate interesting and unusual aspects of the City and University of Oxford and its surrounding countryside.  Recently we’ve visited the Getty Library at Wormsley Park, the wonderfully inventive landscaped gardens at Lower Bowden Manor near Pangbourne and the Christmas illuminations at the Rothschilds’ Waddesdon Manor.

Holidays
Every year we also offer a short holiday to our members, sometimes to a UK destination and sometimes abroad. Recent destinations in England have included Wells and Somerset, Bury St Edmunds, Manchester and Shrewsbury.  And in Europe we have visited the city of Naples with the Island of Ischia, Amsterdam, Provence, Dresden and most recently Parma and Mantua. 

Study Sessions
We aim to run at least two Study Sessions a year. Often these have taken the form of gallery and workshop sessions at the Ashmolean Museum usually lasting for a couple of hours which give small groups of members the opportunity to learn in more depth and at close hand from an Ashmolean specialist.   Recent popular topics have been the History of the Picture Frame, the Art of Islam, Masterpieces of Stuart Embroidery and Hokusai prints with the Curator of Japanese Art.  

Volunteering
The Arts Society is committed to the conservation of our wonderful heritage. The Arts Society Abingdon has an active group of Heritage Volunteers who help conserve the very old books in need of some TLC in an Oxford college library. 

Young Arts
The Arts Society provides children and young people with exciting opportunities to get involved in creative arts activities. Within The Arts Society Abingdon we have supported a number of school based initiatives and currently support Clearsky  who provide art therapy sessions for children experiencing emotional and behavioural difficulties.