NEWS

This year’s annual general meeting (AGM) will be held at the Sir Bernard Miller Centre, The Odney Club, Cookham, on Friday 4 April 2008 at 7.30pm.  We are grateful to the Club for the use of this facility.  Refreshments will be available and there is ample parking in the grounds.

The AGM will be followed by a screening of a black and white documentary about Spencer made in 1956 Lasting about 30 minutes, the film includes an introduction to Cookham and the artist and then Spencer talks about ‘The Resurrection, Cookham’; ‘Swan Upping’; his ideas for ‘Church House’; ‘Sarah Tubb’ and ‘Christ in the Wilderness’ series.

Our AGM is important because several members of your committee feel it is time for a change and are resigning.  One is our Honorary Treasurer Graham Brown, who has worked very hard on our accounts and has guided us through the change to the Gift Aid system we now use.  Recently we were pleased to welcome Alan Harding onto the Committee who, with the consent of the AGM, will be taking over as Honorary Treasurer during the year.

Barbara McKerlie has served your Committee for very many years and feels it is time for a break.  I am very conscious of the help and support from members of the Committee and thank them all. 

I shall also be resigning at this meeting.  I feel strongly that we need fresh ideas and some younger people to run the Friends and hope we can find someone to work alongside me for a few months before taking over as Chairman.

Gallery news - contributed by Richard Hurley, chairman of the Trustees
We are pleased to report that the improvements to the gallery have attracted substantially more visitors since reopening than for similar periods in previous years, with people expressing delight at the changes that have been made allowing more work to be on display.

Sunday 16 March is the last day of the current exhibition, “This Sacred Piece of Ground”.

A programme of events is being organised at the Gallery, the first was a lecture on the current exhibition by Carolyn Leder.  When finalised, details of the programme will appear in future Newsletters.  

Invitation to the official opening
Friends are cordially invited to the official opening of the 2008 summer exhibition by Lord Astor on Saturday 29 March at 5.00pm, with Gallery admission on production of membership card.   Please join us for a complementary beverage (wine or soft drink) at the Ferry Inn afterwards.

Other Spencer news
At the Wolfson Gallery at Tate Liverpool an exhibition entitled ‘The Twentieth Century – how it looked and felt’ runs to 27 April 2008.  The exhibition includes ‘The Resurrection, Cookham’ 1923–7 and ‘Resurrection: Port Glasgow 1945–50’, considered among his masterpieces.

Stanley’s paintings also featured in the succesful exhibition, "British Vision" at the Ghent Fine Arts Museum. 

The National Gallery has organised a touring exhibition, ‘Love’, featuring works from Vermeer to David Hockney including its Spencer painting ‘The Beatitudes of Love: Contemplation’. At Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery until 6 April, the exhibition travels to Newcastle’s Laing Art Gallery until 13 July and opens at the National Gallery on 24 July, closing 5 October.

Outings - contributed by Shirley Kay
The first outings of the year have been planned to the Royal Academy, for the Russian exhibition and the Cranach exhibition and to Polesden Lacey and a booking form is enclosed. 

We are currently looking at next year’s programme of outings that could include a weekend (possibly to St Ives in Cornwall) and we will be asking for expressions of interest at the AGM.  Please contact Shirley (01628 527604) with your suggestions for future outings (including weekends away).

Other business
Gift Aid declarations require members’ signatures, name and address.  Members are urged to enter this information when completing their declaration.