It's all about Art opens at the Business Design Centre in Islington today and is open tomorrow and Saturday. It's organised by the Society of All Artists.It's all about Art
This is a three day event between 23rd - 25th July at the Business Design Centre in Islington (download a PDF location map ) inbetween Liverpool Road and Upper Street and a couple of minutes walk from the Underground station at Angel, Islington.
Hours are 9.15am ot 5.00pm each day and he price of a ticket for non members is £9.00 on the day. (They had discounts for members and tickets bought in advance).
This is where the Artists and Illustrators Magazine used to hold their art events and many is the time I've departed from those clutching all sorts of goodies bought for discounted prices!
The old Artists and Illustrators event used to be HUGE I'm assuming that the SAA event is going to be similar - but possibly lower key? I'm going to go and find out tomorrow when I'll be visiting in the afternoon to see what it has to offer.
It comprises:
- FREE painting demonstrations, FREE workshops and other activities relating to a variety of media and by professional artists from the Painting & Drawing Channel on Sky Digital
- an area devoted to products from the SAA Home Shop catalogue - you can see the sort of brands involved in the product logos displayed on the website.
There's also the SAA Artist of the Year 2009 Exhibition and a display if the artwork which made the final. The presentations for the winners of the 2009 competition will be held on Saturday 25th at 1.00pm.
Society of All Artists
The Society of All Artists has been around for quite a long while. They've developed a range of activities and offers for the hobby artist over time.
One of the things which is worth knowing about is that they offer insurance for exhibitions. This is the website page which provides more information about insurance. The level of insurance offered depends on the level of membership and at gold membership they also offer third party liability insurance which is very useful for solo exhibitions in spaces you have hired if the hire fee does not carry insurance cover for your exhibition.
They have also negotiated Membership for Art Clubs (which includes Public Liability Insurance).
The basic individual membership package offers:
- product supply: a promise to supply products at competitive prices plus up to 60% discounts on certain products plus a 100% no quibble guarantee free postage and packing (UK mainland members) plus a Freephone Orderline (for UK members)
We accept any return for any reason and will refund or replace the product. If a product is broken or damaged we pay the return postage, if you just don't like it, you pay the return postage. A full refund will be paid by the same method as we receive payment.
SAA - Product returns guarantee
- 6 issues of 'PAINT' their newsletter
- FREE or Reduced - entry to art shows
- FREE £500 Insurance - for paintings at exhibitions (UK Only)
- Access to Tuition - workshops, demos, etc
- SAA Loyalty Points
- FREE Entry to Competitions - including SAA Artist of the Year
- FREE Legal Helpline - for all legal matters
- their art forum
- Local groups are run by volunteer Regional Society Co-ordinators (RSCs), they organise meetings, demonstrations, visits to galleries and exhibitions.
- professional tutors for various media and subject matter on the website.
- are you a member of the SAA? What do you think about SAA?
- have you bought products using their services?
- what do you think of their insurance deal?
- have you used any other services eg accessed tutors or used the helpline?
It's actually the Society for All Artists.
ReplyDeleteRegards
Carol
Hi Katherine, thanks for this post, does this society mean SAA-society for all artists or society for amateur artists? I read their logo and I can't see anything relating to amateur on it.
ReplyDeleteSmall correction necessary here, Katherine. "SAA" stands for "Society for All Artists" or I wouldn't be a member ;0)
ReplyDeleteThat's odd - I'm sure it was Amateur Artists when they started oout. They must have changed it at some point.
ReplyDeleteI must confess I only ever think of them as the SAA
However it would be true to say they're very much geared up towards the hobby end of the market if that helps.
Anyway, I've changed it in the blog to be All artists
I've had confirmation from 'the oracle' offline.
ReplyDeleteSAA apparently changed their name about 5 years ago from the Society of Amateur Artists to the Society of All Artists.
It was the Soc for Amateur Artists when Alwyn Crawshaw set it up in 1992, but I've often wondered if there may have been a palace revolution which resulted in the change of name (and policy?), because he seems to have no connection with it now.
ReplyDeleteAlwyn Crawshaw was founder of the SAA when it began back in 1992. I was one of the first members and am still a member today (2016), although I did have a small hiatus of a few months after I immigrated to the USA and had to re-join as an overseas member...losing my original membership number which was in the 100's! When the SAA started it stood for "Society of Amateur Artists", but around the time that Alwyn retired/resigned from presidency, the name changed too to "Society for All Artists". I think this was to reflect the growing interest in membership of professional artists who wanted to offer tuition, advertise painting holidays and write articles for the magazine 'Paint', they also at this time offered a higher level of membership geared towards professional artists needs and insurance requirements.
ReplyDeleteI always thought it a little strange about Alwyns sudden departure from the SAA...and apart from offering a few books by him, there has been absolutely no mention of this wonderful gentleman or anything on the website about the history of the SAA, who started it...or what Alwyn is doing now. His departure did coincide with a huge increase in his television series offerings and it could just be that he got too busy with making these. I believe Margaret Evans took over from Alwyn in 2002, followed two years later by Michael Sanders...there is no mention in the magazine of any current 'President' but Chandy Rodgers is still publishing editor and I think has been since it was founded, or very soon after. I still have the very first edition of 'Paint' magazine somewhere, and have kept most of the editions since 1992...but will have to hunt for it in the store room as I only have editions from 2004 in my studio. Alwyn still has a website, and I believe he still exhibits, although he must be 82 years old now, having been born in 1934. He is one of my most favourite artists and I have most of his watercolour books, one of them signed :)