News from The Barnet Society

A triptych featuring Tracey Emin and Damien Hirst – which was on display at the Barnet Guild of Artists’ annual exhibition – has pride of place in the entrance to the Reel cinema in Boreham Wood. Two walls of the cinema foyer gallery are filled with paintings, cartoons and caricatures by Barnet artist, Simon Ellinas.

A new venue and an impressive entry of paintings and drawings has provided a boost for the 71st. annual show organised by the Barnet Guild of Artists.

A woodland walkway, a healing garden and children’s play area are among the latest proposals for inclusion in the fields and woods that make up the Whalebones estate in Wood Street, Barnet, where developers are proposing to build around 150 new homes.

A strong local cast from around Barnet, including former pupils at the Suzi Earnshaw Theatre School, will be appearing in Dick Whittington, this year’s Christmas pantomime at the Bull Theatre. Councillor David Longstaff, actor, High Barnet councillor and former Mayor of Barnet, will be taking on the part of the dame.

Barnet Guild of Artists’ 70th annual summer exhibition is dedicated to its founder, Gwyneth Cowing, who in 1948 brought together a group of local artists to stage their first show at Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School. A water colour portrait, and some of her own paintings, take pride of place among a bumper display of 170 entries.

A development plan for the woods and fields around Whalebones in Wood Street, Barnet, proposes the construction of between 150 and 180 homes to be offset by the creation of two new green spaces and footpaths open to the public.

A survey is to be undertaken to discover the extent of local interest and reaction to the prospect of housing development on the Whalebones green space, between Barnet Hospital and Wood Street.

Well over 300 members, friends and supporters attended the preview of the Barnet Guild of Artists’ 68th annual exhibition which continues at Christ Church, St Albans Road, until Saturday 6 August.

Local residents will get more opportunities to view the work of members of the Barnet Guild of Artists if arrangements can be made to increase the number of public displays of their paintings and other art forms.