WORLD MUSEUM - LIVERPOOL

China's First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors

February - October 2018

For over 2,000 years, an underground army of life-sized terracotta warriors secretly guarded the tomb of China’s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi, until a chance discovery in 1974 unlocked the mysteries of a vanished empire.

Showcasing objects from one of the world’s greatest archaeological discoveries, this unmissable exhibition spans almost 1,000 years of Chinese history; from the conflicts and chaos of the Warring States period, to the achievements and legacy of the Qin and Han dynasties.

The exhibition will include a number of objects that have never been on show in the UK before including material from museums and institutes from across Shaanxi Province, excavated over the last 40 years from the Imperial Mausoleum and selected tombs. These spectacular artefacts will shed light on the Emperor's pursuit of immortality and show how he prepared for the afterlife, as well as help us to understand more about everyday life in China more than two thousand years ago.

THE ARTS SOCIETY - NW AREA will be holding a day of special interest on Wednesday 14th March 2018 at the Liner Hotel, Lord Nelson Street, Liverpool, L3 5QB - cost £35 (includes coffee,buffet lunch and lecture) NB. Entry to the exhibition will be an optional extra at £13 per person.

11.00 Registration and coffee and biscuits.

11.30 Lecture: Terracotta Warriors and the After Life - AS Lecturer Lars Tharp

13.00 Buffet lunch

14.30 Optional entry to Terracotta Warriors exhibition at World Museum

A booking form for this event can be found on our Documents page or alternatively please contact:

Elizabeth Newell, 25 Channel Reach, Blundellsands, Liverpool L23 6TA

tel: 0151 932 1539 or email: elizabethnewell1@yahoo.com

Cheques should be made payable to: THE ARTS SOCIETY NW AREA and sent direct to Elizabeth.

Please note this event is organised by the The Arts Society NW Area and bookings should not be sent to the Arts Society Bolton as this may cause delay.

Join us at Bolton DFAS for a Special Interest Day guaranteed to make anyone forget a "soggy summer". The day will take place in the Studio of Bolton Octagon Theatre with refreshments and a buffet lunch.

'A garden must combine the poetic and the mysterious with a feeling of serenity and joy' - Luis Barragan

Marilyn Elm is a lecturer, writer, broadcaster and qualified landscape architect. She is passionate about promoting garden history and has been involved with art and design for over thirty years. The day will be filled with lavish, vibrant and colourful images in an endeavour to capture the energetic spirit of modernist garden design.

She will cover two topics:

The Modernist Gardens of North & South America: A Brazilian Odyssey, Mexican Fusion & California Dreaming

The influence of 'modernism' in North and South America has found expression through the bold and confident works of several designers making statements in garden, landscape and architectural design. As illustration, this study day will embrace the designs of Roberto Burle Marx, Luis Barragan, Thomas Church and others, weaving through both artistic connections and examining the influence of important local context.

and

"Less is More" - in the Garden

Whilst the Arts and Crafts garden remained a strong tradition, particularly in this country, a new force in art and design was emerging in Europe and America during the twentieth century. This was to revolutionise the whole approach to garden design. It touched these shores briefly in the thirties but was to re-emerge through the Festival of Britain. This talk explores the catalysts for the ‘modernist’ style that has found expression in garden making ever since.

The presentation will be divided into three sessions.

Session 1. 

The Modernist Gardens of North & South America: A Brazilian Odyssey, Mexican Fusion & California Dreaming (Part 1)

Session 2.

The Modernist Gardens of North & South America: A Brazilian Odyssey, Mexican Fusion & California Dreaming (Part 2)

Session 3.

"Less is More" - in the Garden

The timetable is expected to be as follows:

10.15                Arrival/ registration/ coffee

10.45               1st session

11.45               Short comfort break

12.00               2nd session

13.00               Lunch

14.15               3rd session

The presentation will end at approximately 15.30

The cost is £35.00 per person including a buffet lunch with tea or coffee and tea or coffee on arrival.

The Octagon bar will be open during lunch for the sale of alcoholic and soft drinks.

Bookings are now open and a form can be found on our "About Us" page under documents. Booking forms will also be available at our October lecture.

PAINTING THE MODERN GARDEN - MONET TO MATISSE

A lecture by Eveline Eaton organised by the Lancashire Volunteer Fundraising Committee to help raise money for the Art Fund.

At Preston Grasshopper Rugby Club

Lightfoot Green Lane, Preston, Lancashire PR4 0AP

Monday 29th February 2016 - 10.30 until 12.00

Eveline Eaton is a freelance lecturer in Fine Arts and is Chairman of the Dresden Trust. She leads tours to many places including Berlin, Dresden, Munich, Cote d'Azur, Normandy and New York.

Eveline's new lecture will accompany the Royal Academy's scholarly blockbuster exhibition, showing 120 works from public and private collections from all over the world. This landmark exhibition will chart the emergence of the modern garden as a major factor of the evolution of art from the 1860s to the 1920s. There will be Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Avant-Garde pictures.

The cost of the lecture is £15 (optional lunch £7)

To book, please contact Patsy Stothert on patsy@stothert.co.uk or call 01524 702 306

or

Andrew Penny on duttonhall@btinternet.com or call 01254 878254.

PLEASE NOTE : This event is not organised by Bolton DFAS so all enquiries should be made to the contacts above.

Join us at Bolton DFAS for a Special Interest Day guaranteed to chase away the Winter blues. The day will take place in the Studio of Bolton Octagon Theatre with refreshments and a buffet lunch.

'One could get away with more on the summer Riviera, and whatever happened seemed to have something to do with art' - F Scott Fitzgerald

Since the 19th Century English high society had regularly 'wintered over' on the Côte d'Azur, promenading by the sea and leaving by April. In the early 1920's, however, an intoxicating mix of artists, writers, musicians and international visitors, inspired by a mythological seascape of luminous colours, create a new summer season.

Sun tans and sportswear soon became 'de rigueur' in the chic new coastal resorts, villas and hotels. In the words of Matisse writing in 1918 ... "It seems like a paradise which one does not have the right to analyse".

In this experimental Riviera playground of ideas, a vibrant synergy pulsated across the visual design arts. Traditional boundaries were torn down. Matisse, Picasso, Dufy, Cocteau, and Chanel merged the worlds of fashion, theatre and interiors. The impresarios Serge Diaghilev and Paul Poiret generate an exciting fusion in the creative arts. Cole Porter, Scott Fitzgerald, and the intriguing Gerald and Sara Murphy who become lifestyle icons, introduce an American perspective and attract an influential new set of discerning patrons and collectors.

We will 'time travel' recreating the romance of rail travel on the iconic Train Bleu or motor in a dashing Hispano Suiza. We will meet the personalities, call in on Matisse's studio in Nice, share a morning cocktail with the Murphy's on their secluded beach, marvel at Dufy's magical murals at Antibes, check out the latest fashionable interior designs at the Palais de la Mediterranée, buy a pair of Perugia shoes, and take a spin up to Monte Carlo to play the tables and attend an opening night featuring Cocteau's designs for the latest Ballets Russes production.

The presentation will be divided into three sessions.

Session 1. 

'A revolution of seasonal changes':  from 'wintering over' to 'le soleil toute l'année'.

Session 2.

Cocktails on a beach:  La Garoupe as cultural magnet for the artistic avant-garde, influential patrons and international  trendsetters.

Session 3.

An eclectic tour of artistic highlights: using then and now imagery with maps, we will visit some of the major art and design collections and iconic landmarks.

Mary Alexander will be bringing Côte d'Azur historic postcards and memorabilia from her personal collection for you to enjoy.

The timetable is expected to be as follows:

10.00 am               Arrival/ registration/ coffee

10.30 am               1st session

11.30 am               Short comfort break

11.50 am               2nd session

13.00 - 14.00 pm   Lunch

14.00 pm               3rd session

The presentation will end at approximately 15.15 pm

The cost is £35.00 per person

A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN

A Painter's Exploration of the Magical Relationship Between Painting, Drawing, Line and Colour

Michael and Ghislaine will share with you their passion for and knowledge of art, by exploring how drawing and colour work together in a dynamic harmony to create some of the most beautiful paintings ever made. They will bring original works of art to the day - Michael's tiny sketchbooks and some of Ghislaine's beautiful paintings.

The morning lecture will be given by Michael and Ghislaine will give the afternoon lecture, illustrating how the morning lecture works in her own art.

This event will take place at Shaw Hill Golf and Spa Hotel, Whittle-Le-Woods, Chorley.

The day will begin at 10.30am and finish at 3.30pm. The cost is £32 and includes coffee and biscuits, a light lunch and two lectures.

PLEASE NOTE - This is a NADFAS NW AREA day and all bookings should be made direct with them. Contact Elizabeth Newell, 25 Channel Reach, Blundellsands, Liverpool, L23 6TA or elizabethnewell1@yahoo.com

Pewter is an alloy consisting mainly of tin with small amounts of other metals such as copper, lead or antimony. It is an attractive metal used for the production of household and other items and was used extensively in the Ancient World, being brought to England by the Romans, who occupied Wigan after subduing the Brigantes tribe. After the departure of the Romans in AD410 little pewter was made here until its re-introduction under the Normans, being used by the monks to make chalices, patens and spoons for ceremonial use, which led to its wider use in the community. It had become such an important commodity by 1474 that Edward IV granted a Charter to the Worshipful Company of Pewterers to control the quality of the alloy, fines being shared between the Crown and the Guild as an incentive! Wigan had developed into a major pewter manufacturing centre by the end of the 17th century, having a ready source of coal and being on a main North-South trade route. It dominated the town's industry and in fact was second only to London until its demise due to changing fashion and technology. The development of Britannia metal in Sheffield, which could be rolled, spun and pressed and allowed for mass production unlike pewter, which had to be cast, led to the terminal decline of the industry, of which nothing remains today and to Wigan becoming an important Lancashire cotton town as its immense coal reserves (1,000 mines within a 5-mile radius) powered the mills, and to the building of Wigan Pier (I) on the Leeds-Liverpool Canal. It is a great privilege to have Dr. Jamie Ferguson, Vice-President of The Pewter Society, and its Secretary, Mr. John Swindell as our speakers. Jamie has been interested in pewter since childhood and has been researching and collecting it for over 20 years. His specialist interest is Wigan pewter, which forms the core of his collection. John has also been researching and collecting pewter for many years and has amassed an extensive collection of old pewter from Manchester, Warrington and Penrith. They will bring items from their collections to illustrate their talk on both the history of pewter, types of pewter wares and identifying items. Wigan Museum has an important collection of pewter and they will guide us around the exhibition. Members are encouraged to bring their own items for discussion. PLEASE NOTE - This is a NADFAS NW AREA day and all bookings should be made direct with them. A booking form can be found on our About Us page under Documents.

Members may recall our lecture on Liverpool's heritage by Mike Higginbottom in January 2014. Such was the interest shown in this topic that we have asked Mike to host a very special visit to Liverpool to see some of those buildings for ourselves together with some he didn't include in his lecture. Mike will show us a variety of opulent places of worship and other buildings of interest, with rare opportunities to see inside some of the lesser-known gems of Liverpool’s architecture. Our day will start with tea / coffee and a toasted teacake at the Olympus Restaurant, Great Moor Street, Bolton. We will then take a coach to arrive in Liverpool at 10.30 to meet Mike Higginbottom for the first of our stops. Among the many fine Victorian buildings in and around Liverpool 8, the Old Hebrew Congregation Synagogue is a particular jewel. Built 1871-4 to the designs of the brothers William James and George Ashdown Audsley, it is constructed, like St Margaret’s Church on the same side of Princes Road, of red brick dressed with red sandstone. Its façade combines elements of Gothic and Moorish styles, the pointed west door and the rose window contrasting with the oriental arches of the doorframes and the minarets that once surmounted the turrets. The spectacular galleried interior has a tall arcade, supported by cast-iron columns with acanthus capitals. The horseshoe arches of the arcade lead the eye to the much more elaborate arch at the east end, which frames another rose window above the marble Ark with painted domes and gold stars. The initial total cost was £14,975 8s 11d. The marble pulpit, given in 1874 by the widow of James Braham, faces the bimah, the platform from which the Torah and haftarah are read. This was the gift of David Lewis, founder of the Liverpool department store, “in gratitude to Almighty God for His great goodness”. The Ark is a replacement of the original which with its holy scrolls was destroyed by arson in May 1979: it was reconstructed and the synagogue restored and reopened in December 1980. This superb building is only the first stop of what promises to be a spectacular day out. We will also visit the Nordic Church and Cultural Centre for both a tour and lunch and afterwards continue to St Agnes' Parish Church and the Ullet Road Unitarian Church. We will then end with tea / coffee at the spectacular Philharmonic Hotel before our return to Bolton. The cost of the trip is £40 per person and covers all coach travel and transfers, refreshments as indicated, entry fees or donations in lieu, guide services and gratuities. Further details plus a full itinerary and booking form, with terms and conditions, can be seen on our About Us page under the heading Documents.

Michael Howard will lecture on “Murder, Mayhem and Paint – The Disturbing Story of Walter Sickert”. Munich born Walter Sickert was a painter and printmaker. He was an important influence on distinctively British styles of avant-garde art in the 20th century and believed by some to be the true identity of Jack the Ripper. Sickert was diverse and eccentric, favouring ordinary people and urban scenes as his subjects. He is considered a prominent figure in the transition from Impressionism to Modernism. He championed the avant-garde artists including Jacob Epstein, Augustus John and Wyndham Lewis. He founded, with other artists, the Camden Town Group, which, although influenced by Post-Impressionism and Expressionism, concentrated on scenes of often drab suburban life. He set up an art school in Manchester and his first and youngest pupil was Harry Rutherford, who Sickert subsequently described as “my intellectual heir and successor”. Harry Rutherford in his later years taught Geoffrey Key who is a regular exhibitor at the Art Decor Gallery. Coffee will be available from 10.30am Price for the Lecture is £15. A set one-course lunch can be offered at £6 a head. BUT MUST be Pre-Booked. Please apply for tickets by post. Tickets from: Andrew Penny, Dutton Hall, Gallows Lane, Ribchester, PR3 3XX. When applying for tickets, please state whether you require lunch. Acknowledgements containing full directions will be sent by email; if you would prefer the acknowledgment to be posted please include an s.a.e.

NADFAS North West has arranged a visit to this fabulous Art Deco building (hotel of choice for NADFAS groups). Opened in 1933 as the terminal building for the new Speke Airport, it played a vital role during WW2 for the dispatch of aircraft to fighter and bomber bases around the country. After the war the airport had a chequered history before finally being handed back to Liverpool City Council in 1961. With the opening of a new terminal building in 1986 this building lay abandoned and derelict for years, and it, and Hangars Nos. 1 and 2 were only saved from the wrecker’s ball because they had been listed Grade II! It was the Marriott Group who gave the old buildings a lavish makeover to turn them into a glamorous hotel and leisure centre at a cost of £35million. It opened in 2001 and is now owned by Crowne Plaza. The attention to detail is staggering, with fabulous wallpapers, inlaid woodwork and curving staircases. It was given their top award by The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in the Conservation category because “it had the “wow” factor, describing it as “Something has been created out of nothing, this is what regeneration is all about”. It was also awarded a Silver Medal at MIPIM in Cannes, which is the biggest property show in the world. The visit will start at 10.30am and finish at 3.30pm. The cost is £32 which includes coffee and biscuits on arrival, a light lunch, two lectures and a tour of the hotel. PLEASE NOTE This visit is organised by NADFAS N W and due to exceptional demand this tour is now fully booked.

After attending a Solemn Requiem in Manchester Cathedral, Richard McEwan was prompted to compile a study of the rise and fall of five significant Anglo-Catholic churches in Inner City Manchester. All five have ceased to exist as churches and their demise has now been recorded before they are air-brushed from collective memory and their huge contribution is totally forgotten. For this highly informative record and celebration of their life and witness we cannot be too grateful. This study is a valuable contribution to address the small amount of research done into Anglo-Catholicism in the North West of England and is both highly original and informative. It has been carefully researched from archive documents and through interviews and the result is very well illustrated with photographs, all presented in a lively and very readable style. Although the subject has Manchester as its focus, its interest is much wider and far reaching. It demonstrates the author’s wide knowledge of churches, religious communities, devotional societies, architecture, liturgy and Anglo-Catholic clergy and laity drawn from a much wider area. From its formation in the mid-Victorian age, the Diocese of Manchester has always been predominately Protestant in churchmanship, yet Anglo-Catholics established a number of successful parishes, often in the face of fierce episcopal disapproval. Tractarian practice in doctrine and Ritualistic ceremonial was implanted in Manchester’s rapidly expanding inner city areas, based on strong social commitment and community values, sustained by some devoted and faithful priests. The book is appropriately dedicated to three of Manchester’s exemplary slum parish priests, whose story is told with sympathy and not a little admiration. Together with Father Sidney Faithorn Green, imprisoned in Lancaster Gaol for two years under the infamous public Worship Regulation Act of 1874, they suffered a form of institutionalized bullying and isolation; we are reminded by the author that 2014 is the 140th anniversary of this piece of legislation. These priests are amongst the forgotten ones and their style of ministry in the modern Church of England is now unfashionable and virtually unknown. As with many historical studies based on original research at the parish level, the book illuminates what has happened to the Anglo-Catholic movement in the Church of England as a whole, and brings into sharp focus the enormous decline in support for it during the life time of those churches. However, reflecting on these “five lost churches” cannot only teach us a great deal, but also charge us with a sense of thankfulness and understanding, and with that knowledge we are better equipped to move forward into very different and challenging times. The book of 366 pages is in two separate volumes and both together are offered at £30 plus postage of £5.00. The parts are not sold separately. Copies can be obtained from The Treasurer, Anglo-Catholic History Society, 24 Cloudesley Square, LONDON N1 0HN. Cheques should be made payable to the Anglo-Catholic History Society. A small exhibition of treasures from former churches will be on display at the launch. For those who wish to stay there will be the Cathedral Solemn Requiem for All Souls Day at 5.30pm sung to the music of Gabriel Fauré.