We are a lively friendly community based Society of Arts, run by our members, for artists living in the Hinckley and District area. Whether you are an accomplished artist or a beginner, you are welcome to come along and spend an evening with us.
We have an annual exhibition where members have the opportunity to display and sell their work.
Meetings take place with demonstrations by professional artists on the 2nd Monday of each month, for members and also open paying visitors.
We also have an Art Club meeting where we ‘Do Your Own Thing’ (DYOT) on the 4th Monday of each month, for members only.
HISTORY
The Hinckley Society of Arts was founded by Norma May Neate together with her husband Joseph M Neate, the first meeting being 2nd December 1974 with just 11 members attending, making the society the grand age of 50 in the year 2024.
The inaugural meeting was held at Hinckley College, moving to the Hinckley Methodist Church in 2007 and to its current residency at the Burbage Congregational Church in 2014 – the 40th anniversary year of the society.
Art practiced by the then membership included, Ceramics, Sculpture, Carvings and Pictures in various media along with the Literary Art of verse and poetry writing. The Society Maxim, below, was written by Norma in 1974
Hide not your “Talents” in the earth
Neither suffer them to rust
Use well and nurture, as you must
Lest THEY, Alas! should turn to dust!!
With over 60 poems/verses in the society collection from those early years there are too many to print here but a second verse from Norma on the occasion of the societies 10th anniversary seemed apt!
Summing Up The Society. Norma M Neate
We’ve been together now for Ten whole years!
and it ain’t been a day too long!
We started out with eleven recruits
and now we are sixty strong!
An Army of ‘doers’, we ‘do it our way.’
‘We shan’t be moved’. we’re here to stay.
“Give us the weapons”, ‘Whatsit’ said
and we’ll work together to paint the Town red.
To ‘go it alone’ is to falter and flutter.
we all need each other like ‘brown bread needs butter!
‘We must stick together ‘through thick and thin’,
Creating ‘Things’ ’till the cows come in’.
Painting and Potting, with all our might!
Drawing, Sculpting and Verses to write!
So,-‘Pick up tha’ musket’,
The battle ain’t won.
‘In a manner of speaking’ there’s a lot to be done!
By an army of artists
All playing their parts
as Members of ‘Hinckley Society of Arts
Through the years the society has always exhibited and for many years used the Hinckley Library as the venue, the cutting below, from the May 7th 1976 Leicester Mercury shows both Norma & Joseph Neate hanging paintings in the New Hinckley Library.
Today the society continues to hold annual Art Exhibitions in August and an Art & Craft event in May along with Monthly Demonstrations and a social “Do Your Own Thing” evening of art related activities – look out for these in the Calendar
Information
Venue:
Burbage Congregational Church Hall, Church Street, Burbage, LE10 2DD.
Art Club Meetings:
4th Monday of each month 7-9 pm.
Demonstrations:
2nd Monday of each month 7-9 pm