The Salford Art Club are currently hosting an exhibition at the Salford Museum and Art Gallery. The exhibition opened on Saturday the 20 September, and will continue until Sunday the 30 November 2025.
The exhibition features around eighty paintings, with the chairman of the Art club, Philip Westcott, describing the range of paintings displayed: “You name it, I mean everything, landscape, cityscape, people, abstract work, I mean a full range of abilities and a full range of styles.”
The exhibition takes place every other year, and the members eagerly await the event. Philip said: “People look forward to it. The gallery does most of the work, and we just bring the paintings, but it’s something for people to look forward to, as you know, art is quite lonely.
You’re sat up in your room, painting, so it’s good for the group to come together on a Saturday, and you meet other artists, and you don’t get many chances to exhibit your work, so this is one chance every two years to have it shown in a prestigious Salford art gallery.”
John Cannon, a member of the art club whose work is currently being displayed in the gallery, spoke about his journey.
He said: “I joined 4 years ago after speaking to a well-established artist from Salford, Philip Westcott, the now president of the art club.”
John described how he was reunited with Phil at one of his exhibitions, with Phil being his teacher growing up.
John showed Phil some of his drawings and Phil encouraged him to join the club.
“I have always drawn from a young age, as my dad was a good artist, and he did art at college.”
This is the second time John’s work has been chosen, and the first time he has won the best landscape award.
“I feel it is a great achievement of all the effort I and everyone else put in to have work displayed and enjoyed and admired by the public.”
The Art club was created over 75 years ago, with original members including Harold Riley and Lowry. Philip described how: “It started off as a small group and it worked all the way up to what it is now” with the group now averaging 30 to 40 members, reaching 70 members last year.
Sessions take place every Saturday, and rotate between live portraits, demonstrations, workshops and life drawings.
The Art club also hosts an award ceremony, with prizes going to the best landscape, best portrait, people’s choice and selectors’ choice, the selector this year was Liam Spencer, who has just had an exhibition at the Gallery.
The president of the club, Geoffrey Key, an international artist, also picked his favourite and awarded it with a prize.
The opening ceremony on the 20th of September had what Philip described to be a “full room” with the paintings being a big success and eight being already sold.
The Art club encourage everyone to head down to the museum and art gallery and have a look: “It’s all by local people and it’s a chance to see what we produce.”
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