Anything to share?

‘Anything to share?’ is a regular part of the AA meetings. This month, it commenced with a discussion on the group trip in March, to the Andy Warhol Exhibition at Djanogly Art Gallery. Feedback was positive and there was enthusiasm for a future trip to the gallery.

The Arts Society Nottingham

Sue Henson informed the group that she had joined the Arts Society Nottingham who held regular, high quality, lectures in the Broadway Cinema. 

Lowry Exhibition

Vicky Devlin informed the group of a Lowry exhibition that is being held in Milton Keynes from October 2026.

The Knife Angel

Anne Eldridge informed the group of ‘The Knife Angel’ which is being exhibited in Newark Town Hall from 21 April until 20 May 2026.

The Knife Angel is a contemporary sculpture formed of 100,000 knives created by artist Alfie Bradley and the British Ironworks Centre.  Completed in 2018, the structure of the angel stands at 27 ft (8.2 m) tall.  The sculpture was created in order to highlight knife crime in the United Kingdom and educate young people on the harmful effect violent behaviour can have on their communities. The majority of the knives are shaped as a ‘feather’ and are inscribed with the name of a victim of knife crime.  

Frank R Dickinson and Little Holland House

Fran Leyshon shared a beautifully illustrated, Art Nouveau booklet, printed in the early 1970, features the artworks and Arts and Crafts home of Frank R Dickinson.

Dickinson was a relatively unknown artist - a humble man who had survived the RAF during WW1. The following quote was taken from the booklet:

• Frank Dickinson was never famous. 
• He was was a painter who seldom exhibited, a poet who never published, a woodcarver, furniture maker and metalsmith who hardly earned a penny at his craft.
• He loved all women but was lover and husband to only one, his wife, Florence.
• He was politically militant but privately gentle.
• He was a dedicated, almost obsessive worker who, in some ways, never grew up.

His home, Little Holland House is open to the public on a couple of days per week.

Saltaire

The group’s AA trip to Saltaire had been postponed but Sharan fed back on a recent visit. Although Salts Mill is an interesting place, and well worth visiting, it became clear that there were not enough David Hockney artworks (the main reason for an AA trip) to justify the long journey to get there.  At Saltaire, there was a particular emphasis on David Hockney’s use of digital art techniques and most of the works on display were those that he had created using his I-phone and I-pad. For more information on this technique click here.