RAS Activities and Events
Our members can participate in as many activities and events provided by Royston Arts Society as they wish. We hope that our combination of painting sessions, artist demonstrations and exhibitions will provide enjoyment, inspiration and food for thought.
Painting Sessions
We hold painting sessions on the first and third Tuesdays of most months, between 2.00 and 4.00pm in Market Hill Rooms, Fish Hill, Royston, SG8 9DW (map).
We get around 15 – 20 members at most sessions, ranging in ability from relative beginners to professional artists. They all bring along their own work to paint. There is no formal teaching but our members learn new techniques and find inspiration from the work of other members. More recently we have started to arrange the occasional mini-workshop or set up a still life to paint. We hold painting sessions on the first and third Tuesdays of most months, between 2.00 and 4.00pm in Market Hill Rooms, Fish Hill, Royston, SG8 9DW (map).
Artist Demonstrations
Our Artist Demonstrations feature professional artists demonstrating their skills in a wide variety of media and subject matter in an informal atmosphere.
The demos take place in Market Hill Rooms, Fish Hill, Royston, SG8 9DW (map) on the second Friday in most months between 8.00pm and 10pm (7.30 to 9.30 pm after 1st January 2025).
Members can attend any or all of the paintings sessions and demos at no extra cost.
They can bring along friends or family to any event.
Non members are charged an entry fee of £4.00 – just come along and pay cash at the door! .
Exhibitions
Autumn Exhibition
We hold an annual Autumn exhibition in Royston Town Hall, Melbourn Street, Royston, SG8 7BS (map) each year on the last weekend in September. There is no hanging fee for Members but the Society will deduct a commission on all sold work. This exhibition is a major event in the Royston Arts Festival. We display well over 400 framed and unframed paintings plus several hundred greetings cards. We usually get at least 800 visitors.
Non Members can also enter the RAS Autumn Exhibition.
They will need to pay a hanging fee, they can enter fewer paintings and they pay a higher level of commission than RAS Members.
Royston Library Exhibition
We have an on-going exhibition of RAS Members’ paintings in Royston Library, Market Hill, Royston, SG8 9JN (map). This is refreshed on the first Monday of each month between 3.15 and 4.00pm (On the first Tuesday, if the Monday is a Bank Holiday).
Members simply take their paintings along and collect those that have not been sold. There is no hanging fee and the library takes a commission of 20% on all sales.
We have room to exhibit a maximum of 40 – 45 paintings.
Members Exhibition
Since Covid, the Members’ Exhibition has been an online event. It runs from mid April to end May. We typically have about 30 exhibiting artists and we display 150 – 200 paintings. All sales enquiries are forwarded to the artist. It is then up to the artist to complete the sale. The artist can submit a new painting to replace any that are sold. There is no hanging fee but we charge a modest commission on sales.
Books and DVDs
Royston Arts Society owns a collection of around 85 art related books and over 40 DVDs which have either been purchased by the society or donated by members.
The collection is stored at Market Hill Rooms where they can be borrowed at no charge by RAS members who attend the painting sessions or demonstrations. Simply check them out in the book provided.
There is no fixed period for the loan but we ask members to bring them back within a month or two. Have a look at the lists of DVDs or Books by clicking on these links.
Annual General Meeting
Royston Arts Society is run by and exists for its members. The day to day management is carried out by a Committee elected by the Membership.
In recent years, the AGM has been held as an online event using Zoom. The RAS Chair reports on the RAS activities and events that were held during the year; pointing out the successes and those areas where we could improve.
Members are encouraged to suggest ideas and to comment on the progress made by RAS during the year.