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THE
CLUB
The Penzance Arts Club was formed during the
winter of 1993 and finally opened at Chapel House on 29th May 1994. The
proprietor is the textile designer Belinda Rushworth-Lund. The principal
function of the Arts Club is to provide a congenial venue for people of like
minds to meet, dine on freshly prepared food, and to entertain their friends,
colleagues and business associates. The Club is also dedicated, in it's own
way, to promoting the arts in the South West.
The
Bar and Lounge
The two rooms that make the bar and lounge were once the
state rooms of the Portuguese Embassy. The bar is stocked with a wide
selection of wines and beers and also has a collection of fine malt whiskies.
The day's newspapers and coffee are always available. French windows from the
bar give access to the balcony and delightful walled garden, with sea views
over Mounts bay and plentiful seating.
The Garden
The walled garden is private and has interesting views
of the harbour; St Michael's Mount and the bay. It is often the venue for
special celebrations during the summer months, including champagne suppers,
barbeques, weddings, balls and festivals.
Benefits of Membership
Membership of the Club confers full and free use of the
Club facilities, allows your work to be displayed throughout the building,
gives access to like-minded artists and potential purchasers, and provides an
attractive location for conducting arts-related business.
Members can invite guests to the Club for
dinner, drinks, or to stay overnight in one of the bedrooms. (Entry is now by
intercom on the main door.)
As a private club the bar,
dining room and accommodation are all subsidised for members.
Members may display some examples of their work
throughout the building at no charge; these are re-hung at monthly intervals
in order that exhibitors share favoured positions. Artists may also book the
foyer gallery for a solo exhibition of their work, be it painting, drawings,
jewellery, textiles, ceramics, sculpture or photography. Exhibitions run for
two weeks each, to allow for fresh works to be continually displayed. Commission
of only 20% is charged on works sold by members and 35% by non-members.
A quarterly newsletter is sent free to all
members informing them of what's going on at the Club and inviting them to
forthcoming events. The newsletter also provides information on exhibitions
and other related matters that are taking place at different venues.
Members may book the club facilities for
birthday parties and other private functions: everything from a small
children's party to a formal banquet can be accommodated
Reciprocal membership at:
- United
Arts Club, Dublin
- Dover
Street Arts Club, London
- Sussex
Arts Club, Brighton
- City
University Club, London
- The
Scottish Arts Club, Edinburgh
- The
Glasgow Arts Club
- The
Washington Arts Club, Washington D.C.
- The
De Kring, Amsterdam
Events
A wide range of events are held to suit varied
tastes. All kinds of musical evenings are arranged, including folk,
classical, Jazz & rock. There are often impromptu jamming sessions.
Themed fancy dress nights are very popular, with champagne and prizes
given to those with the best costumes.
Lectures, discussions, poetry readings, recitals and performance art
are frequently held by members and invited guests.
Members are also encouraged to produce plays, performance and the
Club pantomime. A Summer Arts Ball is held every year.
Alternative Thursdays - 'Café Frug' - Cabaret, Theatre, Music and
Poetry with Bob Devereux and guests.
Poetry Stanza. An evening of poetry run in partnership with the Poetry
Society
Monthly on a Saturday, Groove Lounge - Guest DJ's
from 8:00pm. See Groove Lounge website for details
“Jazz Noir” First Saturday of the Month with live
jazz acts. Phone for details
Cricket
The club runs it's own cricket team, with local
matches taking place. Refreshments are available. A full fixture list, which
includes matches against The Chelsea Arts Club, and The Rain Men is available
from early in the year. The Cricket club continues a strong tradition of
cricket being played by local artists, which goes back to the Famous Newlyn
artistic community of the late nineteenth century. A fascinating collection
of photographs resides in the Redruth Public Library featuring a string of
artists posing for the team photos.
History
of Chapel House
Built in 1780, the Penzance Arts Club is one of Penzance's treasured examples
of Georgian architecture. The interior has been tastefully restored, exposing
many of the delightful original features. From the Foyer Gallery, the wide
and graceful staircase leads to a landing whose large bow headed window
overlooks Penzance Harbour and provides far-reaching views across Mounts Bay.
The bar and lounge were once the staterooms of the Portuguese Embassy and
still retain their elegance. The French windows in the bar give access to the
balcony and delightful walled garden, which also enjoys views of the bay.
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