Soulfood: Arts in society

Tuesday 09 January 2018

After discovering the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS) while living in sunny Andalucia, June Ash decided to import the concept to Jersey.

After a year, the group now known as the Arts Society, which enjoys the patronage of Lady Dalton, already has over 200 members.

NADFAS is a global network of 385 societies and 90,000 people "brought together through a shared curiosity for the arts and our artistic heritage.”

Having always been interested in arts – she has owned two art galleries in London and is now an interior designer – Mrs Ash enjoyed meeting “several interesting people” through NAFDAS.

But when she returned to Jersey, she was dismayed to find there was no local branch. After talking to former NADFAS members from the UK, she found she wasn’t the only one. So, she decided to act.

With the help of five other people, Mrs Ash started a local society in 2016. “I was very lucky in having a fantastic committee and hugely supportive sponsors, Ravenscroft and Nedbank.”

A year on and after a name change - the charity is now globally known as the Arts Society - the Jersey branch has 220 members who meet once a month at the Royal Yacht for “inspiring lectures.” A look at what’s on the menu for 2018 quickly shows the wide range of subjects discussed: foreign painters in London, antiques, protest art and Lawrence of Arabia’s War, to name only a few.

Pictured:  June Ash, chairman of the Arts Society, with Lady Dalton, patron of the charity.

“Every talk gives a glimpse of something. They aim to excite you to go and find out more about a subject. Our speakers are very knowledgeable and the subjects are varied. It’s not all fine arts, we have talked about dance, pottery, writing. It is not always serious!”

The group of art lovers also travels together. They recently went on a tour of the Loire in search of Eleanore of Aquitaine after visiting the Tate Modern and the Globe Theatre in London. Next year, it will be the Netherlands and the Victoria Museum to see the Age of the Great Oceanliners exhibition. 

But they also have bigger plans. After what Miss Ash describes as a “fantastic, enthusiastic response” to the first talks, the Society recently launched a Young Arts group. They are encouraging schools to create their own committee to tell the Society what they are interested in. “It is a big project for next year. It is really important to me that we help the youth who are our future after all. We really want to see this group grow.”

If you wish to join, you can get in touch with the membership secretary at jeanette@theartssocietyjersey.org or visit the Society’s website.