Meetings
Friday Evening Meetings
The meetings are held on the last Friday of the month. Start time is 7.00pm for chat and refreshments, followed by a demonstration of technique by an artist, a talk, a guided practical session or an opportunity to have artworks appraised.
Admission is free to BAS members. Visitors and guests are welcome – the entry fee is £5.00.
Come & Paint – Thursday Afternoon Meetings
A friendly, informal group meet up in the Bridport Fellowship Hall every 2nd Thursday afternoon of the month. 2.00pm – 4.00pm. Members bring along some art to work on or different materials to show colleagues. There will be a guest tutor or life drawing model for some sessions. Light refreshments are included.
2026 Prices for Come and Paint
Visitors and guests are welcome.
Standard session: Members: £4.00, non-members £6.00
Tutor led session/life model: Members £6.00, non-members £10.00
If anyone wishes to join the Society on the day of either meeting, they will be eligible for discounts.
Meetings Venue
Meetings are held in the Bridport Fellowship Hall, 4&5 Kings Square, East Street, Bridport, DT6 3QE.
The hall is located to the rear of East Street car park and offers convenient parking. It is fully accessible. Venue details >
Annual General Meeting
The AGM is held in March. The formal business of the AGM is combined with a social gathering. The Chairman’s annual report and the audited financial accounts are presented, and the officers and committee for the coming year are appointed. All members are invited to attend the AGM and have the opportunity to discuss topics of interest with the committee.
The Society holds a competition for the John Marlow Memorial Prize: members are invited to take to the AGM a work of art on a pre-defined subject and submissions are judged by a local artist.
Meetings Programme 2026
8 January 2026
Thursday Afternoon
Come & Paint – Life Drawing session with professional model Sophie Larter
There will be several timed poses with this clothed model.
Read more about Sophie: Sophie Larter Bio. PDF
Please bring own equipment and materials. If using charcoal or pastels, ensure that furnishings and carpet are adequately protected.
It is best to arrive a little earlier to allow for set up.
30 January 2026
Friday Evening
Art Appraisal with Trudi Ochiltree
BAS members are invited to bring along a piece of work they have completed or are working on for a helpful critique by Trudi.
This is always a well attended and popular event with great interaction with members.
27 February 2026
Friday Evening
A talk/demo by Gill Silversides -“It’s not what I expected!”
Share Gill’s artistic journey through glass! An inspirational talk which will encourage artists to be more adventurous in their practice – this may not necessarily mean a move to working with glass but perhaps to adopt a different approach to what can be achieved in their chosen medium.
Hoping to see some of Gill’s gorgeous glass!
Read more about what to expect along with a brief bio: BAS Gill Silversides Talk and Bio>
If after the meeting people feel inspired, they can sign up for her Workshop in March.
12 March 2026
Thursday Afternoon
Come & Paint – Life Drawing session with professional artsts’ model Sophie Larter
There will be several timed poses with this clothed model.
Read more about Sophie: Sophie Larter Bio. PDF
Please bring own equipment and materials. If using charcoal or pastels, ensure that furnishings and carpet are adequately protected.
It is best to arrive a little earlier to allow for set up.
27 March 2026
Friday Evening
AGM and Marlow Prize Competition
The Theme for the 2026 Marlow Prize : A Different View/ Perspective
BAS members are free to interpret the theme in any way they choose!
Members are invited to bring along their submissions – one per person. Prizes are awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices.
This year’s guest judge: Trudi Ochiltree. Trudi is an experienced artist and tutor and ran a successful workshop for BAS in 2025. Trudi Ochiltree Artist and Art Tutor, Lyme Regis
View all three of last year’s winning pictures in the Gallery
24 April 2026
Friday Evening
A talk/demo by Stephen Yates
More information to follow.
Workshop in June
14 May 2026
Thursday Afternoon
Mount cutting demo with Charles T Maher
“I started making my own mounts soon after I started painting as I could easily get ready made frames from a shop in Birmingham, so I bought myself a basic mount cutter and over the years I have upgraded to the one I have now with which I can cut 40” boards.
For this session, people could bring in paintings and I would cut the mount to suit, I will probably be able to cut about 3-4 mounts at an approximate cost of £5.50 per mount, which will include tape & stiff paper backing, so the mount will be frame ready.”
For this session, the mount size will be 25 inches x 16 inches so the pictures have to be smaller that this.
BAS will email members nearer the time about how best to proceed in order that Charles is not inundated with requests!
Read more about Charles: Charles T Maher Bio.PDF
31 July 2026
Friday Evening
Cathy Taylor – demo – Seascape paintings with acrylics and/or oils
More Information to follow
10 September 2026
Thursday afternoon
Come & Paint. Part 2 of Stephen Yates Workshop
8 October 2026
Thursday afternoon
Come & Paint. A practical session with Tracy Linwood – ‘Pumpkins’
More information to follow.
30 October 2026
Friday Evening
A talk by Ben Molyneux
When Ben started to manifest his novels into his life he realised the
power his creativity had over his life. So, when Ben started to paint he
knew the potential and pitfalls at his fingertips. When his paintings
started to manifest around him, Ben took a new approach to his art, to
work with it to create harmony in his life but also to understand his
life through his artwork.
In this talk, Ben will share his story of manifesting through both
painting and writing and how to unlock your creativity, free yourself
from preconceived ideas about how to be successful as an artist and give
you an idea of what your art is telling you about yourself.
Read more about Ben: Ben Molyneux. Bio. PDF
27 November 2026
Xmas Social
The committee extends an invitation to all members of Bridport Art Society to attend the Christmas Party in Bridport from 7.00pm. Pop in and meet fellow members, have a drink and a mince pie (alternative nibbles also available!)
Venue: The Fellowship Hall
Come and Paint in 2026
Summary of dates:
2026
- 8 January
- 12 February
- 12 March
- 9 April
- 14 May
- 11 June
- 9 July
August Break
- 10 September
- 8 October
- 12 November
- 10 December
Updates will be published in the BAS Newsletter which goes out to members. If you have any queries, please use the Contact Us form to get in touch.
