‘Expressions’ by Stroud's Life Drawing group

I went to Lansdown Hall and Gallery at lunchtime to meet Jeremy C. who manages the venue. I wanted to test out the projection equipment in the main hall on the first floor, which we will use on Saturday for the Stroud Community TV Awards evening, as part of the current 2018 Stroud Film Festival.

I was formerly leading the Town Council's work on renovations and improvements to the building following their purchase of it in 2010. Since stopping being a councillor in 2016 I have stayed on the Council's Working Group but no further work has actually yet been implemented.

So bringing a project as a user to the building is a role reversal and one I really like. This was the one of the two main projects I was involved with as a councillor and I feel rather proud of how the building has been improved and become much appreciated as a venue for the community.

This gallery's transformation and extension was one of the first parts of the building's development and every time I come here I love to see it in use. Not long ago it had further work to its windows which have also been transformational. A wonderful craftsman who normally works on stained glass windows in cathedrals has incorporated the architect's designs and improved on them to make the windows functionally better, double-glazed and with better illumination properties for the gallery space. He had already done this with much of the rest of the hall.

This week the ehibition is:
'Expressions'– a group art exhibition which showcases the very varied creative work undertaken by artists who attend Stroud Life Drawing’s twice weekly sessions at the nearby Centre for Science & Art. It will be their sixth group exhibition and the most varied and interesting so far. In addition to figure studies, there are plenty of landscapes, still-lifes, portraits, ceramics, botanical illustrations and other works in a wide variety of media. The walls of the gallery will be covered with approximately one hundred and forty pictures, making the show well worth a visit.'

The course tutor is Keith Symonds, a very well respected local artist whom Helena has often worked for. He also regularly shows his own work in the same gallery at a different time of the year. I am returning to the building tomorrow and Keith has kindly agreed to talk to me about the logistics of mounting exhibitions as I'm thinking of using the gallery for my own work later in the year. 

I'm afraid this picture was a complete snap as I only had a moment. I had to rush to save my car from getting a parking ticket as I was running rather late.