The Society holds three regular exhibitions every year; a Members’ Exhibition in Spring, another in the Autumn, an Open Exhibition in July. For many years, in every second year the Autumn Members’ Exhibition (“The Biennial”) was held in the McManus Galleries, and by agreement with the Society the 59th Biennial in 1994 was transformed into “The DAS Dundee Open”, open to all Scottish artists. Unfortunately the McManus Galleries have temporarily been unable to continue this arrangement, so the Society, feeling that the Open was valuable to Dundee and was gaining recognition, decided to continue to organise the Open itself, and the exhibition is now held annually in December.
A second open Exhibition was added (The Graduation Exhibition), timed to coincide with the University of Dundee's Graduation Ceremonies. This exhibition, for the convenience of graduates and their parents, was held in Bonar Hall on the University campus. The first, in 2001, was extremely successful, with hundreds of students and their parents coming in, but in the following here years the University did not send out invitations and the attendance was so disappointing that it is being replaced by a Summer exhibition held in the Gallery in conjunction with Keyhole Kate, a local charity raising money for projects in Ninewells Hospital Dundee.
The Society initiated a Schools Art Competition in 2007, open to pupils in all the Dundee secondary schools, and this will now take place within the Summer Exhibition each year. The winning pupil will receive a personal prize and a handsome challenge cup, the Roseangle Trophy, which will be held by the winner’s school for a year.
All exhibitions are held in the Society's own Gallery in Roseangle. The Members’ Exhibitions, as the names suggest, are opportunities for the “painting” members of the Society to exhibit their work – though the exhibitions are certainly enjoyed just as much by the non-painters, and are generally regarded as high spots in the Society’s year.
The Open Exhibitions welcome, in addition to DAS members, members of Perthshire, Broughty Ferry, Carnoustie, Monifieth, Arbroath, St.Andrews, Cupar, Tayport and the East Neuk Art Societies, plus the Embroiderers Guild, and are open to other artists throughout Scotland.. .
The Private View of all four exhibitions is open as of right to members of the Society and their guests, and for Open Exhibitions, in addition, to members of all other contributing societies.
In alternate years the Autumn Members’ Exhibition used to benefit from the Harry Vaughan Prize, a monetary award established by his family in memory of Lord Provost Harry Vaughan. In 2005, with the agreement of the family, it was decided to make this an annual award in the form of a handsome cup, called the Harry Vaughan Cup, for paintings with a Dundee connection in the Autumn Members’ Exhibitions. A new prize, the James Morrison Trophy for paintings in the Spring Members’ Exhibitions, was created in spring 2005, presented and judged by the society’s Honorary President, the distinguished landscape artist James Morrison of Montrose.
A third cup was established in 2006, in memory of Jean Craig, a very active and popular Exhibitions Convener, who died after a long and courageous fight against cancer. It is open to members of the Society only, though it will be awarded at the Open Exhibitions in December. A fourth annual prize, the Roseangle Cup, is awarded at the Summer Exhibition each year. It will be held by the school of the pupil who wins the Schools Competition, and the winning individual will also receive a prize of vouchers for art materials. In 2005 the Society also established the practice of asking visitors to vote for the painting they considered to be the Best in Show, ”, which has proved very popular with members and visitors alike. For a list of winners so far follow the link - Prize Winners The Cups have been a brilliant success in stimulating competition; members evidently feel there is much more status in winning a cup than a monetary prize.
The Society also does all it can to promote the work of its painting members, affording them the opportunity to exhibit in other venues in and around Dundee, passing on enquiries about commissions, drawing the attention of commercial galleries to members’ work and offering members the use of the Gallery for solo or group exhibitions.
The first of our exhibitions will be held from 6th to 15th November 2009 . We consider that this gives sufficient time before Christmas, but is still close enough to tempt those well-organised people who have started their shopping early and, of course, in addition to the actual paintings there will be the usual range of excellent crafts, cards and prints all providing ideas for Christmas gifts.
The second one will take place in the Spring from 5th to 14th March 2010, providing an incentive to resume our endeavours with pencil, pen and brush after the long winter nights.
Finally, the usual early Summer exhibition will run from 28th May to 6th June which takes us neatly to the close of our year and our A.G.M. on 4th June.
Our new exhibition convenor, Ruth Walker, did an admirable job in setting up the last three exhibitions thus ensuring that the number of visitors and level of sales have remained fairly constant even during these difficult times. We hope that by concentrating our efforts on three exhibitions, a modest increase in visitor numbers and sales is achievable.
Last season’s prize winners were as follows:
Harry Vaughan Trophy 2008: Gina Wright
Commended: Harry McGregor, Maggie Ferrier
James Morrison Trophy 2009: Kathleen Stewart
Highly Commended: John Berridge, Edna Gray, Gesina Tait and Tony Tooke
Jean Craig Trophy 2008: John Stoa
Highly Commended: Gina Wright
Commended: Karolina Gibson
Best Paintings in Exhibitions 2008-09:
Autumn: John Davie and Gina Wright
Spring: Lynda Marshall
Summer: Ruth Walker
Very well done and congratulations to all our winners. Keep up the creativity and hard work and here’s to next season’s winners
Are you interested in exhibiting in the Open Exhibition and wondering if you or your Society is eligible? Contact Exhibition Convener: Ruth Walker Phone 01382 535002
E-mail ruthwalker73@yahoo.co.uk
Useful Links:
Conditions of Entry
A Selection of Photographs from previous Exhibitions
Print Gift Aid Form
Join Dundee Art Society
