In 1907 the Hartlepool Student Art Club was formed. Just like the present day, the Club had rules, seven in fact, including “members will be fined 2d if they do not submit at least one original work at each meeting.”
This perhaps explains why it failed to get off the ground!
The Club in its present form began in 1947 when a small group of enthusiastic artists came together to stage an exhibition in the Gas Board Showrooms. From these humble beginnings, the Club prospered. Our past presidents include the eminent marine artist Frank H. Mason, Walter Parker, former Principal of Hartlepool College of Art and President of the Lakes Artists Society and Stephen Crowther ARCA RBA. Other former notable artists include Tom McAndrew, Ron Storr, and many others.
We are proud to continue the tradition of providing a friendly environment that encourages beginners and experienced artists to work together.
Our base is now the town Art Gallery where we also hold our Annual Exhibition. This is also the venue for our monthly meetings where members can view demonstrations with the help of today’s technical equipment.
Member paintings continue to be displayed in local venues and the Club has lost little of its earlier vibrancy with regular meetings, engaging demonstrations and work shops, critique evenings, social and art exhibition outings.
Associated opportunities also exist for weekly art classes and life drawing groups held in local venues.
The Northern School of Art (formerly The Cleveland College of Art & Design) continues to be an important centre for arts learning and greater collaboration is developing, as is the ongoing relationship with Hartlepool Art Gallery and Hartlepool Borough Council.
This website was established through a bequest from our late Chairman Donald Miller 1937 -2011 whose ambition was for Hartlepool Art Club to have its own website. He would have been pleased that his ambition was realised.