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| The end wall of the Main Gallery |
This is an international exhibition with artwork being produced by women artists from the UK and abroad.
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| President Soraya French (fourth from left) with her fellow exhibition curators and organisers and curators |
To my mind, this annual exhibition can now hold its own with the annual exhibitions of the FBA societies whose home is at the Mall Galleries.
Indeed the SWA was once a member of the FBA - before it withdrew - and I'm wondering whether this re-invigorated art society might find it worthwhile to review whether it makes sense to apply to be a member again. (I've recommended some number-crunching and weighing up of pros and cons! For the history of the society see the end of this blog post)
Below you can:
- view photos of the 2018 exhibition
- read who won which prizes - which are not insignificant - and see the related artwork
- read about what I thought of the exhibition
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| View of the north wall of the Main Gallery |
You can also view
- the list of selected artists (pdf file)
- examples of exhibited work by members in an online gallery on the SWA website
- examples of exhibited work by non-members can also be seen on the SWA website
(See also my comments on this topic in my review of the 2016 exhibition.)
Exhibition Metrics
There are 449 artworks in the exhibition.
The ratio of artwork by members and non-members selected for the exhibition is 50:50
This is admirable and reflects the description of the annual exhibition as being an "open exhibition".
The Prizes and Awards were presented by Princess Michael of Kent. Below each is listed together with the image which won the award and a mini profile of the artist.
The focus of Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf's practice is centred on the human form, with a particular interest in portraiture and female identity.
Born in 1994, Eleanor Johnson currently lives and works in London. This is her Instagram account where you can see more work.
Caroline Wong has an ongoing project which aims to subvert both historical and contemporary images of East Asian women, most of which have been created by men
This was a very curious piece which had small pieces of paper which were all dated and annotated and painted with titanium white. I was absorbed in trying to work out what was going on up and down and across the rows.
Irene Lees was born in Oldham, UK, and currently lives and works in Cornwall. In 2005 she gained a BA Hons in Drawing and Applied Arts at the University of the West of England, and in 2007 became a member of the SWA. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in many private and corporate collections.
I was invited to judge this award and started by making a short list (of some very diverse artworks). However this work was the one which first caught my eye when I entered the exhibition - the one which called my eye from across the room. I'm on record as saying I'm very impressed by the work of Irene Lees. The entire drawing is created from handwritten words in pen and ink - with no mistakes and no gaps between the lines! What decided me was the fact that it was topical and focused on the centenary of votes for women in the UK. It seemed to me entirely fitting that an excellent artwork which highlighted this celebration should receive an award.
Princess Michael is apparently a big fan of animals.
Bernadette has worked as a commercial artist and also run an art gallery. She's also a big cat lover.
Rosalind is currently a candidate for the Royal West of England Academy. She won the Rosemary & Co Artist’s Brushes Award in 2016. I've seen her work before and have always found it very striking.
Patsy Whiting exhibits widely with art societies and art competitions across the UK. She always works in coloured pencil on a rough black pastel ground.
Gail Mason is a printmaker who uses use screenprint techniques to produce large 'one off' images, together with editioned work in a variety of media.
Christine was born in Cardiff in 1960. During the late 70’s she went to Glasgow and attended a Fine Art Course in Glasgow University. She then moved to Tehran with her family and continued studying and practicing painting - before returning in the mid 90s.
Marjorie Collins was born in Chicago and studied in America (BS in Design, University of Michigan) before moving to Oxford in 1975. She has exhibited at the Barbican, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, the Royal Watercolour Society and elsewhere, winning a number of international prizes.
Alison Allum is a glass sculptor and the award is for two shoes made of glass. Glass slippers even? You can see more of her shoes here.
Born in Lebanon, in 1974, Zena Assi lives and works between Beirut and London.
Below are some of my photos of the exhibition. The hang mixes artwork by members and non-members. Some of the artworks were very striking and colourful.
One of the things that have changed with this exhibition is that there is a good spread of large, medium sized and small works - which makes for a more interesting exhibition in terms of the flow of the eye across the space and the walls.
Oddly although this is NOT an art society with an emphasis on media, what I was particularly struck by was the very wide diversity in terms of the media used to produce some of the artwork. In fact it's one of the main features of the exhibition - come and see how many different ways women can make art!
I think I counted
That's all without unpicking the works which were listed as "mixed media".
One might say that mixing media is one the things that characterise this society.
It's also a Society which picks artworks with a sense of humour
The North Galleries offers enough space for works to be arranged in such a way that works van be arranged in way which follow colours.
The SWA also organised a sketchbook of original works which they auctioned at their Young Artist event on Tuesday evening - in collaboration with the Arts Society.
The Society of Women Artists has accomplished a lot in terms of its exhibition and sponsorship and social media presence online.
I'd now like to see the Society of Women Artists tackle communication online via its website
See my blog posts below for more about past exhibitions
The Society of Women Artists was founded in 1855 (as the Society of Female Artists). It held its first exhibition in 1857 at The Gallery, 315 Oxford Street, where 358 works were displayed by 149 female artists (Archives Hub). In 1873 the group adopted as its name the Society of Lady Artists, this was subsequently changed to the Society of Women Artists in 1899. It has had a number of famous women artists as members over the years, notably Dame Laura Knight 1877-1970 (the first woman elected to full membership of the RA) - who was President from 1932-1968 when she became its Patron, the French artist Rosa Bonheur 1822-1890 - whose work was more popular in England than France, Lady Elizabeth Butler 1846-1933 - who specialized in painting scenes from British military campaigns and battles, including the Crimean War and the Battle of Waterloo and whose work was admired by Ruskin and the illustrator Mabel Lucy Atwell 1879-1964.
Princess Michael of Kent became its Patron in 1980 - but the Society has enjoyed royal patronage in previous years eg In 1865 the Society was reorganised under the patronage of the Duchess of Cambridge.
After the Second World War exhibitions were held at the Guildhall (1947), the Royal Institute Galleries (1948 - 1969), the Chenil Galleries (1970) and the Mall Galleries (1971 - 1986). From 1987 exhibitions were held at the Westminster Gallery, Westminster Central Hall, an exhibition space founded by the Society of Women Artists - until it returned to the Mall Galleries.
The Victoria and Albert Museum's Archive of Art and Design has custody of the archives, which give great insight into the fortunes and struggles of the Society and will be preserved for future generations. The Society of Women Artists Exhibitors 1855 to 1996, is a four-volume dictionary of all the exhibitors collated from old catalogues. Only the Royal Academy and the Scottish Royal Academy produce such records.
Members artworks
- Just under 300 works were submitted for selection by members
- 225 works (75%) were selected
Open Entry
- 1656 entries were received via the open entry from non-members
- 427 artworks by non members works went to the final selection panel
- 224 artworks were selected for the exhibition.
Prizes and Awards
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| Princess Michael (left) with President Soraya French |
£2,000 SWA Special Fine Art Award - Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf VPSWA
The focus of Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf's practice is centred on the human form, with a particular interest in portraiture and female identity.
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| The Eye of the Storm by Rebecca Fontaine-Wolf VPSWA (Oil, ink, acrylic and copper on canvas) £3,700 |
Karen Walker Young Artists Award £1,000 - Eleanor Johnson
Born in 1994, Eleanor Johnson currently lives and works in London. This is her Instagram account where you can see more work.
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| Woman w/ by Eleanor Johnson YAA (charcoal and watercolour on stretched canvas) £3,000 |
Derwent Special Award Of Materials £1000 - Caroline Wong
Caroline Wong has an ongoing project which aims to subvert both historical and contemporary images of East Asian women, most of which have been created by men
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| Little boy's suit by Caroline Wong YAA (Oil on canvas) £8,500 |
President And Vice-President’s Award - Jessica Arevalo YAA
This was a very curious piece which had small pieces of paper which were all dated and annotated and painted with titanium white. I was absorbed in trying to work out what was going on up and down and across the rows.
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| Resolution: 365 Days (Titanium White-Zero) by Jessica Arevalo YAA Powder Pigment Mixed Media on Newsprint, Oil Pastel and Permanent Marker on Perspex (£6,000) |
£500 SWA Fine Art Award - Irene Lees SWA
Irene Lees was born in Oldham, UK, and currently lives and works in Cornwall. In 2005 she gained a BA Hons in Drawing and Applied Arts at the University of the West of England, and in 2007 became a member of the SWA. Her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally and is held in many private and corporate collections.
I was invited to judge this award and started by making a short list (of some very diverse artworks). However this work was the one which first caught my eye when I entered the exhibition - the one which called my eye from across the room. I'm on record as saying I'm very impressed by the work of Irene Lees. The entire drawing is created from handwritten words in pen and ink - with no mistakes and no gaps between the lines! What decided me was the fact that it was topical and focused on the centenary of votes for women in the UK. It seemed to me entirely fitting that an excellent artwork which highlighted this celebration should receive an award.
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| Never Have So Many, Owed So Much, To So Few - by Irene Lees (Handwritten Text Pen on Paper) £1,500 |
HRH Princess Michael Of Kent Watercolour Award – A Signed Certificate - Bernadette Marbrow SWA
Princess Michael is apparently a big fan of animals.
Bernadette has worked as a commercial artist and also run an art gallery. She's also a big cat lover.
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| Siblings by Bernadette Marbrow SWA gouache (£1,500) |
Artist’ Editor’s Choice Award For Work To Be Used In An Article In The Magazine - Rosalind Robinson ASWA
Rosalind is currently a candidate for the Royal West of England Academy. She won the Rosemary & Co Artist’s Brushes Award in 2016. I've seen her work before and have always found it very striking.
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| Group of works by Rosalind Robinson top - Robin (oil on linen laid on panel) £1,050 left - Guillaume #2 (oil and copper leaf on panel) £650 right - The Player (oil on paper) £650 bottom - Suffrage heroine #3 Annie Kenney (oil on panel) £650 |
The Barbara Tate Memorial Award - Silver Ingot To An SWA Member Patsy Whiting SWA
Patsy Whiting exhibits widely with art societies and art competitions across the UK. She always works in coloured pencil on a rough black pastel ground.
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| Clematis and tools by Patsy Whiting (Coloured Pencil) £1,950 |
Premium Art Brands Special Award To A Young Artist (£500) - Gail Mason MA BSA
Gail Mason is a printmaker who uses use screenprint techniques to produce large 'one off' images, together with editioned work in a variety of media.
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| Aljezur by Gail Mason Mixed media £1,500 |
Great Art £500 Materials Award - For Most Innovative Work - Christine Taherian SWA
Christine was born in Cardiff in 1960. During the late 70’s she went to Glasgow and attended a Fine Art Course in Glasgow University. She then moved to Tehran with her family and continued studying and practicing painting - before returning in the mid 90s.
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| Memories by Christine Taherian SWA mixed media (£2,000) |
St. Cuthbert’s Paper Mill Award For Any Works On Paper - Marjorie Collins
Marjorie Collins was born in Chicago and studied in America (BS in Design, University of Michigan) before moving to Oxford in 1975. She has exhibited at the Barbican, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, the Royal Watercolour Society and elsewhere, winning a number of international prizes.
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| Three Plums in a Copper Bowl by Marjorie Collins SWA SBA Watercolour (£1,450) |
£300 Cavendish Venues Sculpture Award - Alison Allum (for body of work)
Alison Allum is a glass sculptor and the award is for two shoes made of glass. Glass slippers even? You can see more of her shoes here.
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| Twitter Troll by Alison Allum glass £1,100 |
Rosemary & Co - £100 Brushes For Any Work On Canvas Or Paper - Zena Assi
Born in Lebanon, in 1974, Zena Assi lives and works between Beirut and London.
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| The Great Smog by Zena Assi (mixed media on canvas) £13,600 |
The Rest of the Exhibition
Below are some of my photos of the exhibition. The hang mixes artwork by members and non-members. Some of the artworks were very striking and colourful.
 |
One of the things that have changed with this exhibition is that there is a good spread of large, medium sized and small works - which makes for a more interesting exhibition in terms of the flow of the eye across the space and the walls.
 |
| small works hung on the Mezzanine Wall - and a very eye-catching colourful work at the entrance to the exhibition |
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| works were also monochromatic |
Oddly although this is NOT an art society with an emphasis on media, what I was particularly struck by was the very wide diversity in terms of the media used to produce some of the artwork. In fact it's one of the main features of the exhibition - come and see how many different ways women can make art!
I think I counted
- paintings in oil paint and pastels, acrylic, egg tempera, watercolour, gouache, inks, copper leaf - on various supports
- drawings in pen and ink, graphite, coloured pencils, charcoal and pastels
- collages
- fine art prints as etchings, monoprints, acquatints, colographs, wood engravings, linocuts, silk screen, relief prints
- sculpture in bronze, glass, iron resin, bronze resin, marble resin, ceramics, copper wire, coloured bead wire and glass beads
Plus freehand machine embroidery, handstitching on wallpaper, cut paper and pyrography on paper (by Rosie Winn which was very impressive).
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| Pyrography on paper - of dancers - by Rosie Winn |
That's all without unpicking the works which were listed as "mixed media".
One might say that mixing media is one the things that characterise this society.
It's also a Society which picks artworks with a sense of humour
 |
| Making Art is Hard by Poppy Clover (Free machine embroidery and emulsion on canvas) £ 450 |
Threadneedle Space
The Threadneedle Space contained some interesting 3D works as well as some bold paintings and delicate drawings.
The North Galleries
The North Galleries offers enough space for works to be arranged in such a way that works van be arranged in way which follow colours.
 |
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The SWA also organised a sketchbook of original works which they auctioned at their Young Artist event on Tuesday evening - in collaboration with the Arts Society.
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| The concertina sketchbook of original works created by the Society of Women Artists |
Future Challenges
The Society of Women Artists has accomplished a lot in terms of its exhibition and sponsorship and social media presence online.
I'd now like to see the Society of Women Artists tackle communication online via its website
- arrange for the catalogue of their annual exhibition to be viewed online - as now happens for most of the FBA societies
- convert the Exhibition Page on the website into a MARKETING page directed at potential visitors and art collectors after the selection has been made - with administrative pages then being relegated to a back seat. At present the page is entirely devoted to the call for entries process and administrative aspects only - and there's nothing about what is happening at the Exhibition - with pics - for those who might want to visit!
- create a page for the Awards - under Exhibitions - and
- list ALL current and past winners where possible. It's a way of verifying artists claims to have won an award.
- make it visible in the Exhibition section. It acts as an incentive to those whose work might fit the awards on offer.
- make the sponsors page on the website visible in the topline menu - under Exhibition - linking back to their websites and explaining what it is they do in brief
More about SWA Annual Exhibitions
See my blog posts below for more about past exhibitions
- VIDEO Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition 2017 - which highlights pieces which caught my attention
- Review: Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition 2017 - which highlights changes made to the exhibition
- Review: Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition 2016
- Review - Society of Women Artists Annual Exhibition 2015
About the Society of Women Artists
The Society of Women Artists was founded in 1855 (as the Society of Female Artists). It held its first exhibition in 1857 at The Gallery, 315 Oxford Street, where 358 works were displayed by 149 female artists (Archives Hub). In 1873 the group adopted as its name the Society of Lady Artists, this was subsequently changed to the Society of Women Artists in 1899. It has had a number of famous women artists as members over the years, notably Dame Laura Knight 1877-1970 (the first woman elected to full membership of the RA) - who was President from 1932-1968 when she became its Patron, the French artist Rosa Bonheur 1822-1890 - whose work was more popular in England than France, Lady Elizabeth Butler 1846-1933 - who specialized in painting scenes from British military campaigns and battles, including the Crimean War and the Battle of Waterloo and whose work was admired by Ruskin and the illustrator Mabel Lucy Atwell 1879-1964.
Princess Michael of Kent became its Patron in 1980 - but the Society has enjoyed royal patronage in previous years eg In 1865 the Society was reorganised under the patronage of the Duchess of Cambridge.
After the Second World War exhibitions were held at the Guildhall (1947), the Royal Institute Galleries (1948 - 1969), the Chenil Galleries (1970) and the Mall Galleries (1971 - 1986). From 1987 exhibitions were held at the Westminster Gallery, Westminster Central Hall, an exhibition space founded by the Society of Women Artists - until it returned to the Mall Galleries.
The Victoria and Albert Museum's Archive of Art and Design has custody of the archives, which give great insight into the fortunes and struggles of the Society and will be preserved for future generations. The Society of Women Artists Exhibitors 1855 to 1996, is a four-volume dictionary of all the exhibitors collated from old catalogues. Only the Royal Academy and the Scottish Royal Academy produce such records.
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