Reminder for the Lecture on

Tuesday 15th September 2026 at 2.00pm

ICONOCLASM AND THE ART OF DESTRUCTION

Lecturer: Aliki Braine

September Lecture:  Our next lecture will be at 2.00pm on 15th September 2026 at the KESWICK RUGBY CLUB (see below) when Aliki Braine will consider why some people feel the overwhelming need to destroy works of art.  Attacks and acts of destruction have gone on for as long as art has existed, from the iconoclastic riots of the Protestant Reformation to climate protesters’ defilement of historical paintings in national museums. This lecture will explore artworks that have survived attacks, the appeal of ruins, and the practice of using destructive strategies to create art.

Keswick Rugby Club:  For those still new to the club building, it is a short distance past the Booths car park (keeping right at The Headlands fork onto Crow Park Road) and cannot be missed.

Parking is free for users of the building, provided you enter your registration number on a screen at the side of the bar in the meeting room – someone will be on hand to offer help.  There is a car park at the front but the club asks that this is used only by those who need easy access to the building.  (This is because this car park is also available to the public who must pay a fee, and the club would like as many spaces as possible to be available to fee payers.)  Those who do not need easy access are asked to use the car park down the lane at the far side of the building – there are Overspill Car Park and Visiting Team Parking signs at the entrance from the public road. 

A coffee machine accepting payment by card is also available by the bar.

Change of date:  Just a reminder that the date of the Christmas lunch and lecture has been changed to 15th December 2026 (and will be at the Keswick Rugby Club).   We hope to have a menu and booking form ready for the October lecture, but do note the date.

Eric Ravilious - Drawn to War: You will recall that The Arts Society Cumbria is sponsoring a screening of this film at The Alhambra Cinema in Keswick at 2.00 pm on 6th October 2026.  Eric Ravilious was one of Britain’s greatest landscape artists and was killed in a plane crash while on commission as Official War Artist in 1942.  His life is as compelling and enigmatic as his art, set against the dramatic wartime locations that inspired him. The film brings to life this unique and still grossly undervalued British artist caught in the crossfire of war 80 years ago, whose legacy sank without trace, until now…..

The Alhambra originally was going to show the film in the smaller auditorium, but that has been fully booked so that it has been moved to the large one.

Linocut Printmaking Day on 10th October 2026.   Because of cancellations, there are two places available on the introductory workshop on linocut printmaking.  If you would be interested in this please email Bernadette at info@croftdesigns.uk

Trip to The Harris in Preston:  Following the talk by Scott Schiavone at the AGM, a visit to The Harris has been arranged for 10th November 2026.  Please see the attached information sheet and booking form, the latter in Word and as a pdf.

Residential Trip:  A trip is being planned to Liverpool and its environs for four days/three nights from 21st June 2027.  If any member would like to share the load of liaising with Airedale Tours with Linda Ivison on this please speak to her.

June Lecture:  A report on the June lecture by Anna Bianco on How to paint a Northern Renaissance Masterpiece is attached

Young Artists Exhibition:  Thanks to Sarah Dunning the chair of Westmorland Limited and all those at Rheged (and to Fiona Campbell and Stuart McElhinney), for the successful exhibition over the summer.  As you may have seen from the local press the participating schools were Appleby Grammar School, Austin Friars Independent School and James Rennie School in Carlisle, Keswick School, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School and Ullswater Community College in Penrith, the Nelson Thomlinson School, Wigton and the Windermere School.   Sarah Dunning selected three prize-winning artworks - Abstract memory by Laura Per,  How long is it going to take? by Cecily Shaw, and Silence by Aarupi Javeria. A special prize was awarded to a collaborative work of pupils from James Rennie School who created a collage titled Otter made from recycled materials

Heritage Projects:   Currently we have no heritage project where we are actively giving voluntary support.  If anyone has an idea/passion about a subject that is local to Cumbria and thinks that other members may be interested, do please let a member of the committee know. (In the past a group was involved at Muncaster Castle)

Help with small tasks:  If you would like to help in small tasks required to keep the society’s activities running smoothly, do please speak to Marjorie Allan or Linda Ivison.

Guest Invitations: Please feel free to invite friends to attend the society’s lectures as a guest either in person or using Zoom.  The guest rate for both is £10 per person for each lecture.  This can be paid at the door or by bank transfer to the Arts Society Cumbria account (sort code 16-52-21 account 51607733) or by sending a cheque payable to The Arts Society Cumbria to Heather Bland, Cross House, Keys Brow, High Harrington, Cumbria CA14 5RR.

‘Enjoy a lecture for free’ tokens: A reminder to members that if you would like to invite someone to attend ONE of the Society’s lectures for free, gift tokens are available.

The Arts Society Westmorland:  A reminder that we have a reciprocal arrangement with the Arts Society Westmorland so that our members are welcome to their lectures and their members are welcome to ours.  Details of their lectures can be found at https://taswestmorland.org.uk/Lectures/FutureLectures.aspx

Zoom Link to the September Lecture: For those members planning to watch via Zoom, you can join at any time after 1.45pm.  You will need to enter a passcode given below in order to gain entry to the Meeting - a prompt box will open automatically on your screen after you have clicked the Zoom link below.  You will not be on “Video” and your “Audio" will be muted.

The quality of the Zoom delivery relies on both the internet connection, and the interface between the lecturer’s devices and those at the rugby club. This means that nothing can be guaranteed.  If you are able to attend in person, it is advised.

Q&A: At the end of the lecture everyone at the venue will be welcome to ask the lecturer any questions.  For those on Zoom, we encourage you to send in questions, using the “Chat” button at the bottom of your screen. Any questions sent to us regarding the presentation will be read out at the end of the lecture for the lecturer to answer.

For the link to join our Zoom lectures, please contact Graham Pratley, Communications Secretary (07512 791925)