facebook.com/HRASouthampton highfieldracomms@gmail.com

Join /
Renew

Contact
Us

HRA@50 Art for Art’s Sake, Avenue St Andrews Church Hall, 12noon to 5pm each day next Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August 2026 – free entry!

 

 

HRA@50 Art for Art’s Sake, Avenue St Andrew’s Church Hall – free entry

This is the fourth news article about the exhibitors at the Art for Art’s Sake event on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd August (12noon to 5pm each day) at Avenue St. Andrew’s United Reform Church on the Avenue. The Lord Mayor of Southampton, Councillor Pat Evemy, accompanied by the Sheriff, Councillor Kat Barbour, will open the exhibition at noon on Saturday 22nd August.

This year’s event is being organised and sponsored by HRA@50 celebration and Hampshire Open Studios events
https://hampshireopenstudios.org.uk/

There are some very talented artists exhibiting this year. Maria Calcagno Coleman is a colourist and still life artist, but has painted portraits, nature scenes, buildings and abstract works. She uses watercolours and oils. Mike Kelly paints animals and Lindsi Bluemel is very well known in Southampton for her pictures of local pubs and historic buildings.

 

A Still Life by Maria

 

 

Foske Twiest will display paintings, silk quilts and painted eggs which belonged to her mother. Barbara Fitzjohn and Christine Benning will be exhibiting their new work.

A Quilt that Foske will be selling. Her mother was a collector.
Shadows on the Common, Christine Benning
 

 

Pat Larkin will be displaying her beautiful painting of the Cowherds alongside other works.

Pat’s painting of the Cowherds
 

 

After browsing the paintings, photos, gifts, jewellery and books, most of which are on sale, you can enjoy tea and homemade cakes which will be for sale on each day from 12 noon to 4.45pm for a donation.

There will be a unique children’s trail around the exhibition. Phil Hewitt, who featured in our first article about Art for Art’s Sake, has made some unusual wooden objects which will be placed on stalls for children to spot and then discover a letter which will make up the name of a famous artist to collect a prize at the end.

Artists’ cards will also be for sale, an opportunity to buy a supply of cards printed from original paintings and photos ready for birthdays and special occasions throughout the year.

Winning photographs from the HRA@50 photo competition held between April and June will be displayed as part of the exhibition. You can see the photos on the HRA website here https://www.highfieldresidents.org.uk/hra50-the-best-pictures-taken-on-phones-competition/

The proceeds from the sale of tea and cakes (donated by the exhibitors) will go to the church whilst 10% of all sales from the stall holders will be donated to Yellow Door, our local charity for the victims of domestic abuse. You can find out more about their work, which includes work in Hampshire Schools to help keep our children safe online  https://yellowdoor.org.uk/

We hope that you will be able support this local event and enjoy celebrating local creativity and cake!

For more information about the event, please contact Christine and Martin Benning at hraopenstudios@gmail.com