19th October – 14th December

Marie is a Shropshire- based artist who only recently took up art again after not drawing for over 30 years.

Having been keen on art as a child, with a particular love of drawing horses, and then being a successful pub and restaurant manager for over 25 years, Marie decided to pick up her pencils once more in 2021.

Marie now specialises in working with coloured pencils, creating hyper-realistic original pieces and taking commissions for pet portraits. Her work is eclectic – mainly animals, and a lot of her work is inspired by horses.

Marie aims to share that it is never too late to start or restart anything creative, and that art supports good mental health and relaxation. Marie was runner up SAA Artist of the Year 2024 with her piece depicting a cat’s face, called ‘Inquisitive’.

11th January – 1st March

Ruth Weaver creates detailed drawings of birds, using coloured pencils to create works in a highly detailed, realistic style inspired by scientific illustrations. She aims to capture the birds in a snippet of their natural habitat and to draw attention to the beauty of these animals and the threats they face.

Many of the birds that feature in her drawings are included on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Many species face significant population decline due to climate change, hunting, urban expansion and changes in farming practices.

Ruth aims to highlight the challenges facing our birds, and how we can help. A percentage of the profit from the sale of some of her artwork will go to support bird charities in their work to halt the decline of these special animals.

8th March – 27th April

Jean has been painting for nearly 30 years and gained a B.A (hons) Degree in Fine Art Painting in 2007 at the age of 59. She works with oils on canvas, favouring working impasto style with a palette knife. Jean’s work is based on her travels around the UK over many years, capturing the atmosphere and light that frame the landscape and the sea.

‘I love the drama of the seas that surround our beautiful island that I accomplish with colour and brushstrokes, echoing the process onto enigmatic castles, and my attraction for dark foreboding forests, lit only by the rays of the sun and the light of the moon. Fantasy or surrealism often finds its way into my work; it allows me the escapism that I often long for.’

3rd May – 22nd June

Come along with us on a journey, from Staffordshire to the seaside!

In this family friendly exhibition, we explore how the people of a land-locked county enjoyed their holidays and leisure time.

For the industrial masses of 19th century Staffordshire, a ‘holiday’ as we know it today did not really exist. The small amount of time people could afford to spend away from work was put aside for traditional celebrations.

Find out how all of this changed when rail travel afforded the working classes their first glimpse of the coast! Tourism boomed, and the holiday seasons paved the way for bright lights and entertainment at the seaside. A hey-day of holiday fun came, and slowly went. As the world of travel and tourism moved on, it left behind a strong sense of British traditions and values.

This fun and interactive exhibition takes you to from Staffordshire to the shore, using objects, photographs and documents from the historic collections of Staffordshire Archive & Heritage. 

28th June – 17th August

Walsall Society of Artists is celebrating its 75th Diamond Anniversary this year.  ‘Black Diamonds’ is also the name often given to coal by those in the mining industry and was used to drive the industrial might of Walsall, a town of 100 trades.

With a heritage of making and creativity, our artists are inspired by the nature, the people and the everyday around them. The artwork on display will reflect a wide variety of skills and styles with something for everyone to enjoy.

WSA is a not-for-profit society, run by artists, to promote artists in Walsall and the surrounding districts.

To find out more, please visit www.walsallsocietyofartists.co.uk

23rd August – 18th October

Nicky is a contemporary textile and mixed media artist, fascinated by social history and the loss of heritage, language and skills. Inspired by a handful of coal mining ‘tallies’ purchased at a vintage fair in Staffordshire, this unique exhibition looks at risk, danger, loss, health and community in the coal mining industry.

Coal mining was a very dangerous occupation and each of the ‘tallies’ represents an individual, the risks they undertook and a link to safer working practices.

‘These ‘tallies’ are worn, chipped, marked and grimy and evoke an emotional response to hard and difficult work, lost communities, pride, skill, danger and darkness. The relationship between man and animals in this hardworking environment is very moving and the birds and ponies put to work underground have a strong influence on my work. I have developed my art pieces to emotionally connect as well as inform my audience. The level of detail included draws the viewer in to look closer and think about the issues referenced’.

Nicky works sustainably, and the majority of the fabrics she uses are off cuts, found or from pre-used sources. She incorporates found objects into her work, using rust and eco dye to add colour and texture.