The Society Membership falls into the categories of Ordinary (Non Exhibiting/Exhibiting), Associate and Honorary and our current membership fee is £30 per annum.
Currently the membership includes painters, sculptors and ceramicists, Associate Members and Honorary Members.
Associate Members are those engaged professionally in the fields of art or design and who have been invited to accept partially honorary status by the Society. Honorary Life Membership status is reserved as a special distinction to a member or other person in consideration of exceptional services to the Society.
Exhibiting membership is awarded to members who have submitted 3 pieces of artwork to be considered by a panel of judges/professional artists and gained the required standard to be awarded exhibiting status within the Society
Members please note that renewal is due on the 1st September each year. The Society would prefer payment by Direct Debit via the safe and convenient system set up on this website with goCardless, however, if this is not convenient for you please email our Membership Secretary, jandebain@gmail.com. If subs remain unpaid by the end of November the society will assume that membership is no longer required and the database will be amended. Any ex-member wishing to re-join should first contact the Membership Secretary.
Farnham has had a School of art of one sort or another since the 1860’s. There are records of the existence from time to time of an amateur ‘Art Club’. (‘A Sketch History of Art in Farnham’ by Robin Radley gives a comprehensive account up to the 1970’s – obtainable from either Pullingers or the Farnham Herald Office in West St., Farnham.)
Around 1941 a countrywide organisation called the Society for Education of Art (SEA) was set up and soon afterwards a Farnham Branch was formed. In 1944 local members of SEA decided that such was the interest locally in art, especially painting, that they would break from the SEA. In December that year the ‘Farnham Art Society’ was formed. However, records show that within a few years early enthusiasm waned – even to the extent that at the 1948 AGM a motion was put that ‘the Society should seriously consider dissolving itself’! At this point the figure of James Hockey, who in 1945 had taken over as Principal of the Farnham School of Art, commenced to dominate the Society scene – as indeed he did right up to his death in September 1990. He was elected Chairman in 1948 and with a small circle of enthusiastic supporters rapidly introduced an enterprising series of programmed meetings and carefully selected exhibitions of high quality, such that membership and financial strength grew rapidly. The same broad pattern of activities has remained to this day.
From 1945 to the 1970’s it was James Hockey’s indefatigable energy and enterprise that resulted in the relatively small School of Art in West Street evolving into the prestigious West Surrey College of Art and Design in Falkner Road; now with university status and named the University for the Creative Arts (formerly The Surrey Institute of Art & Design) (absorbing the Guildford School of Art in the process). The University exhibition gallery was named the James Hockey Gallery in his honour and the society has been fortunate to have had the use of it for its Annual Exhibition since its opening nearly 35 years ago. James Hockey remained Chairman until 1953, from which time he became President until his death in 1990. He promoted strong links between the College and the Society.
Membership
The Society Membership falls into four categories: Ordinary, Exhibiting, Associate and Honorary. Currently membership includes Exhibiting painters, sculptors and ceramists and some Associate Members. Everyone joins as an Ordinary Member at £30 per annum, renewable every 1 September. Associate Members are those engaged professionally in the fields of art or design and who have been invited to accept partially honorary status by the Society. Honorary Life Membership status is reserved as a special distinction to a member or other person in consideration of exceptional services to the Society.
Meeting / Events
The Society’s meetings/events are organised by a Programme Secretary, who arranges a series of demonstrations, workshops and outdoor sketching days for the year, which are free to members and £5 to their guests. The lectures and demonstrations are held about once a month at St. Joan’s Church Hall, 19 Tilford Road, Farnham GU9 8DJ. Most events as well as outdoor sketching days are listed in the Programme on this website and Farnham Art Society's Facebook page. Regular updates are also sent out to members by email.
