We are the Huntingdonshire branch of the national Arts Society, whose mission statement is ‘Enriching lives through the Arts’.
We offer a programme of monthly talks – nine a year (Wednesday afternoons, starting at 2.30pm) in the St Ives Corn Exchange.
We also arrange Visits to exhibitions, and other venues of interest, and occasional Study Days.
Our Volunteer Groups include Historic Church Recorders, and, through the affiliated Cambridgeshire Gardens Trust, Garden Heritage Volunteers.
We support ASHYAC (Arts Society Huntingdonshire Young Artists Competition), and its annual exhibition of work at both primary and secondary levels.
And finally, an annual holiday of four or five days duration, in spring or autumn, based at a location in the UK, comprising visits to museums, houses and gardens, cathedrals, etc.
- Please click on the links in the side bar (for mobiles on the menu links) for information on how to find us (Location) and (How to join). The link to the full programme of talks for the current year, 2025-26 is now available through the link on the side.
OUR NEXT LECTURE
Wednesday January 14th 2026
John Singer Sargent: the Private Radical
Lecturer: Gavin Plumley
Whether drawing duchesses or portraying princes, John Singer Sargent (1856-1925) was high society’s leading portraitist. Flaunting a consummate technique, his luxurious canvasses mirrored his subjects’ wealth. Yet beneath the dazzling veneer of works such as Madame X, The Daughters of Edward Darley Bolt and Lady Agnew of Lochnaw lurks a much rawer world by far. Sargent certainly scandalised Parisian society and the city’s Salon with his frank depictions of human sexuality, yet he was even more modern than they might have feared. This talk charts the artist’s life and his prolific output, showing that, like the era he came to represent, Sargent was always on the cusp of seismic changes.
Please join us for tea or coffee before the start of the lecture.
Jane Woods
Chair and Secretary
Study Day – 25th February 2026
‘The Underground Railroad’
Hemingford Abbots Village Hall PR28 9AH
In the morning (coffee from 10.30am), Carole Pook will talk on ‘Harriet Tubman: her role in the Underground Railroad’.
After lunch, Kay Goddard will speak on ‘The Underground Railroad: Patterned Path to Freedom’
The Underground Railroad was a network of secret routes and safe houses that facilitated the escape of enslaved people from the Southern United States to free states, and eventually Canada.These routes were often marked by quilt patterns, which served as a form of communication and navigation for the fleeing people. The quilt codes were used to convey messages about routes, safe houses and strategies for the journey north. These patterns were not only practical for the quilting process, but also held symbolic meanings that helped guide the escapees. The Underground Railroad was a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of those who sought freedom, and the quilt patterns played a crucial role in their journey. The patterns have their heritage in West African fabric designs.
As usual, we will offer morning coffee, a light lunch and afternoon tea.
The cost of the day will be £22.50.
OTHER NEWS
Huntingdonshire Arts Society Church Recorders
Our Volunteer Church Recorders, under the leadership of Pat Hamilton, have completed yet another church record; that of St. John the Baptist, Holywell, has just been received from the printers. Many congratulations to the group.
We are pleased to learn that the new regime at The Arts Society understands the importance to our heritage of this long-standing project, and they are reinstating funding to the volunteer groups, which was removed several years ago.
We hope to have a copy of the record for interested members to inspect at one of our forthcoming lectures.
As you walk in have you noticed the new notelets for sale? They are priced at £1 each (cash only)
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The Arts Society, Huntingdonshire 